Rust is an inevitable problem for vehicles in Western Pennsylvania.

Just ask Rick Fennell, of Rick Fennell Rustproofing. He’s been rustproofing vehicles since 1973.

“If you drive a vehicle up and down Pennsylvania highways, there’s no way that you’re going to avoid an eventual rust problem,” Fennell said.

A major reason for rust, Fennell said, is the chemicals in corrosives put on the road in the winter to combat snow and ice.

“The liquid treatments that they put on the road in the wintertime, it doesn’t wash away,” he said. “The asphalt and the concrete surfaces of the road are porous, and it settles down in there.”

Another reason for rust is the condensation from ice on vehicles.

“People don’t realize that everywhere you have a weld or a seam on a vehicle that is folded and spot-welded, you would never see it with the naked eye,” Fennell said. “But the first time it freezes and every time after that because the condensation is in there, once it freezes you have a little tiny expansion.

“It might be the size of a hair, a bare metal that will be exposed from the expansion.”

While Fennell said improvements in priming and painting vehicles has slowed down the rust on the bodies of vehicles, the undercarriage is still very vulnerable to rusting.

Unfortunately for drivers in the snowbelt, rust is not always on manufacturers’ minds when they’re building vehicles.

“The reason the manufacturer is never concerned about corrosion protection is (the cars) go through areas of the world that never have a rust problem,” Fennell said.

For Pennsylvanians literally left out in the cold, rustproofing services remain the most viable option for protecting their vehicles. Fennell said the number of rustproofing services are on the decline because conventional rustproof materials and under-coatings don’t hold up in this area.

Fennell’s rustproofing material is decidedly unconventional; he uses an oil-and-grease product that not only coats the undercarriage but also gets inside panels where rust can be found.

“In this part of the country, we’ve found that our product is superior to a dry product because of what is put on the road in the wintertime,” he said.

One reason is that the product can successfully penetrate areas of the vehicle.

“Nothing penetrates and moves inside the panels like oil and grease,” Fennell said. “I have had customers come in that have literally painted the underside of their vehicles with rust-inhibitive paint, and within six months they saw it wasn’t effective.”

Some rustproofing services use a rubber product that has been used by European manufacturers since the 1940s. According to Fennell, the rubber product is only effective in areas that are sunnier and dryer than Western Pennsylvania.

“In my opinion it’s a great product where vehicles don’t rust,” he said.

Fennell uses airless pumps for the undercoating, and pumps also are used to spray rustproofing material onto the body. He said being able to rustproof areas that can’t be seen is vital.

“A lot of people only put rustproofing on where you can see it, and that’s not where your critical damage takes place,” he said.

Because of the chemicals on the road in the winter, the need for rustproofing larger vehicles and mobile homes is needed more than ever.

“It’s just so out of hand because you it marks your alloy wheels, marks moldings on cars, and it marks polished aluminum,” Fennell said.

Rust commonly affects vehicle frames, brake lines and fuel lines, which in turn can cause safety issues for drivers.

Fennell said brake lines are one of the most common parts of a vehicle that are replaced due to rust.

“Let’s face it; without breaks, we’ve all got a problem,” he said.

Rust also can be an issue when it’s time to get a vehicle inspected, which can lead to costly repairs. Fennell said some manufacturers are replacing frames and other parts under warranty on vehicles because the original parts weren’t able to face rust-conducive conditions.

“Critical structural components are being changed under cars strictly because of a rust problem,” he said.

Fennell also stressed the importance of getting a vehicle rust-proofed, because there’s not much drivers can do to prevent rust on their own.

“There was a time when oil spray was effective,” Fennell said. “The problem is, now it doesn’t hold up under the harsh components that are on the highways.”