LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Ken Hounshell feels badly that his Dings 'N Dents Details business has been so busy lately, but winter weather has kept his phone ringing with calls about ice damage to vehicles.
"The phones have been ringing off the hook," Hounshell said from inside his shop on West Main Street. "People talking about the ice damage, and mainly what we're seeing, where it's sliding off (the roof), seeing a lot of hood damage."
Hounshell is a master craftsman when it comes to removing dents from vehicles. He offers paintless repair jobs and usually can finish in one day. He's been at it for 35 years and has seen it all.
The veteran repair specialist said drivers need to be careful with where they park as temperatures begin to thaw. He also stressed the importance of proper ice removal techniques.
"Actually, saw one guy in my neighborhood using a shovel to break his ice. You don't want to do that, folks," Hounshell said.
"And if you're going to park under an overhang, be in the middle of it," he added, advising drivers to avoid positioning their cars in the path of falling ice chunks or large icicles.
Bent wheels from potholes or hitting thick blocks of ice on the road at high speeds are also creating problems. Frank Leon handles that side of the business with a new alloy wheel repair machine he recently added to the shop.
"Matter of fact, we've had five calls just this morning," Leon said of his current workload.
Fixing a bent wheel costs much less than replacing one, and often the repair serves more than cosmetic purposes.
"A minimal bend, depending on where it's at, you won't have air in the tire, it'll deflate, so we need to find where the bend is and repair it," Leon said.
While not every weather-related car issue can be avoided, Hounshell said drivers can reduce the odds by being smart and aware.
"Be gentle with your car," he said.
