Does anybody have experience with plaster damage to their paint?

I rent a condo and my parking is 1 level below ground. On the ground floor is a large public gym. Gym management just rearranged the facility so directly above my car is now the free weight room. Every time somebody drops free weights, I hear the impact and plaster has started to fall off the ceiling. My car on any given day is covered with a) plaster dust b) chunks of dry plaster or c) plaster caked onto the paint if it's been raining.

Repairs to ceiling are coming, but have not yet started. My landlord is furious at building management and looking to secure me another parking spot, even though there are no vacant parking spots for me to move my car to. I've purchased a car cover for time being and landlord will reimburse cost. I'm worried about damage that the plaster dust and wet plaster will do to my paint. Will washing the car damage it? Are my worries valid or am I overreacting? Would appreciate some suggestions on how I should handle the situation

 

My biggest immediate worry would be denting or chips in the finish if bigger pieces fall off. Longer term is a question of what plaster or drywall compound will do to the paint finish as these are alkaline materials. Mix with water when you park your wet car under there and paint etching is a real likelihood.

 

I would be concerned as well. Plaster chemical makeup includes lime and cement materials that could etch your paint, particularly if it gets wet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaster Good idea to get a car cover. Maybe contact your insurance company...get an attorney to send management a nasty gram. Document everything with photos. Any options for another parking space, even if outside?

 

Is there a way to 'loop' up some poly ethylene sheets to the ceiling to catch that debris first ? Anything up there to tie into ?

I had to do this for several months while at a place I rented by the ocean with assigned parking. The moisture caused the loose scale to peel and drop and some of the nails bled out rust onto the paint. Caught it in time as hopefully you did as well..... and tied some poly up with rope above the car.

It isn't so much the chemical reaction I would worry about ( the paint today is supposedly made so it resists chemical and environmental fallout -- huge eyeroll ), it would be the distance and weight of said plaster dropping against the body, dimpling the surface like a small hail stone would. Washing it off immediately and inspecting for damage would be my first thought and covering over with a coat of wax immediately after cleaning the surface. Maybe even running a claybar over it. Get a good sight line across where any of the chunks hit to determine any dinging to the surface.

 

Looks like somebody had a late night of partying and decided a coke party would be sweet on roof of Porsche.

 

I'd buy some 2x4s, wood screws and make a little tent over the car then drape some visqueen material over it with a bit of side drape. You can staple it to the lumber for now and have protection.

 

+996

Car covers can do more harm if used on a daily basis from my experience.

 

Maybe something like this is in order if they can't move you:
As long as it's not wet and not scratching or denting I think you are OK. Just dust it off periodically. I agree with the others that it getting wet is what I would really worry about as that is far more likely to do paint damage.

 

+1 to the above recommendation . A 10x20 Easy-Up canopy would do the trick temporarily.

 

A $10 tarp from Wal Mart and a staple gun would likely also be an effective 30-minute solution...and if you REALLY want to go nuts, use some furring strips to more firmly anchor said tarp.

 

Except being in an apartment I'm going to guess he doesn't have a ladder laying around handy and foot prints on the roof are probably a bit worse than the plaster debris...

 

Where there's a will, there's a way. And a trash can...or a stack of milk crates...or the bed of your buddy's truck. This is a trivial impediment.

People who sit around enumerating all the reasons they can't actually do something kind of **** me off.

 

If there are no dents, just clean it off and use an orbital polisher with a light cut pad and compound you should be ok.

 

have the apt complex pay for the detail of your car & have them hire 4 homeless people to hold each corner of a tarp over your car when it is parked.

 

...or retired attorneys. I understand there is a glut of those.