|
What are my hail damage repair alternatives?
You have two hail repair alternatives: Paintless Dent Repair and Convential Body Repair. Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) is the preferred method, but in some cases of severe hail damage, conventional methods will be necessary.
|
|
How do I choose the BEST repair facility?
Your best choice to get top-notch hail damage repair is to take your car to a local body shop that has hired expert PDR technicians that specialize in hail damage repair. This will ensure your car gets the best repair, either PDR or conventional repair, based on the hail damage on your car.
WARNING: You may see hail repair PDR companies set up in tents and vacant shops all over town. They will surely offer all kinds of "great" deals to get your business. If you choose one of them, just remember, they will be GONE after the storm. If you need warranty work on a hail repair related problem, you will probably be out of luck!
|
|
What is Paintless Dent Repair or PDR?
Paintless dent repair (PDR), also known as "paintless dent removal" or "paintfree dent repair", is a process for removing minor dents and dings from the body of an automobile. The most common methods of paintless dent repair utilize metal rods and body picks to push the dents out from the inner side of the body panel being repaired. Also, glue may be used from the outside of the panel to pull the dents out. In either case, fine-tuning of the repair often involves "tapping" down the repair to remove small high spots, making the surface flat. Paintless Dent Repair may be used on both aluminum and steel panels.
The technology of PDR has been around for many years. Fluorescent lighting, or in some cases a light-reflection board, is used to “see” the deformation of the dent. This is an important aspect of the repair process. Without a light or reflector board, the fine detail of the process is unseen, and the technician will not be able to remove the damage accurately.
Paintless dent removal takes time to learn. It is skilled art form. An untrained individual can actually permanently damage a vehicle panel if attempting a repair without the correct skills and knowledge. In addition to the skill of dent removal, PDR also requires extensive knowledge to remove and reinstall vehicle panels and interior components. This is often required to gain proper access to the dent before the removal process can begin.
A wide range of damage can be repaired using PDR. PDR can be used to repair hail damage, door dings, minor body creases, and even minor bumper indentations. PDR techniques can also be applied to help prepare severely damaged panels for refinishing and paint. This process is referred to as "push to paint”. However, if there is paint damage, PDR would not be recommended.
|
|
How long will it take to repair my hail damaged car?
If your car is a candidate for PDR, the repair time is typically 1-2 days. If your vehicle will need conventional repairs, the repair time is typically 1-2 weeks.
|