Washoe County and the City of Reno both use a mix of sand & salt to de-ice local roads. They also use a salt brine solution as a pre-treatment before anticipated snowstorms. The Nevada Dept. of Transportation (NDOT) uses a salt brine solution on state roads to prevent ice formation. Placer County, CA uses similar techniques to deal with winter snowfall.
Salt is highly corrosive and it can damage your paint unless it’s protected by a quality ceramic coating or a synthetic wax or sealant that is applied before the winter storms arrive. Those of us that enjoy winter sports like snowshoeing, skiing and snowboarding are exposing our vehicles to repeated doses of corrosive road salts and abrasive sand particles that are kicked up by tires as we drive in the mountains to pursue winter recreation.
A ceramic coating designed for cold climates will provide the best protection over the winter months. Although I don’t understand it, some people are not fanatics when it comes to cleaning their cars! The idea of washing their car, truck or SUV when its really cold outside does not excite many vehicle owners and road salts and sand particles are often left to bond to the vehicle for several months before the car or truck is washed. The dirty, salty, grit and grime sticks like glue and removing it creates lots of swirl marks and scratches in the paint. A ceramic coating designed for winter conditions will make removal of these contaminants dramatically easier and will prevent corrosion from attacking the clearcoat and creating dull, faded, oxidized paint that looks terrible and lowers the value of your vehicle.
When the weather warms up and you are ready to wash your car, I recommend having it pressure washed with a thick foam pre-wash that will dwell on the paint and soften and encapsulate the dirt and grime. This is much more effective than trying to scrub it off with force or pressure. Poor washing practices will result in lots of scratches and marring in the clear top coat of your paint.
Winter Care For Your Wheels: Your wheels take a beating during the winter months especially when exposed to road salts and water laced with brine from the road surface. Wheels should be deep cleaned and waxed before winter gets underway.
Wheels Stuck on the Wheel Hub: Modern disc brakes last a long time and it means that many vehicles don’t have their wheels removed unless they are taken in for service. This can result in a wheel mounted to the hub for 15,000 miles before being removed. Rust has plenty of time to try and fuse the two metals together leading to a wheel that is stuck to the hub. If you are concerned about this or have experienced it before we can remove the rust buildup on the hub and around the lug bolts and then apply a light coat of copper based anti-seize to prevent the wheel from getting stuck to the hub mating surface.