Seeing dents and dings in your vehicle is bound to leave a sour taste in your mouth. You don’t want to look at the damage, but you also don’t want to deal with the lengthy process of getting those dents and dings repaired. Hail damage and indents from a runaway shopping cart don’t have to linger. You can get those marks repaired without having to worry about spending a fortune or having it take all day with paintless dent repair.
After all, ignoring those damages will only diminish the value of your vehicle and lead to rust. Paintless dent repair can patch up minor dents and dings swiftly, but will it work on your car? Let’s find out.
What is Paintless Dent Repair?
Paintless dent repair (PDR) is a cost-effective means of repairing dents in vehicles. It can only be used on lesser damages, but the process is much faster and leaves the paint smooth. You won’t be able to detect where damage has been unless you’ve seen the panel or door before PDR. So if your car has been scratched or dinged by a light impact, like a door ding, paintless dent repair will work for you.
How Does Paintless Dent Repair Work?
Paintless dent repair has a straightforward process that involves first analyzing the damages to see if PDR will work. If the issue is deemed fixable, the technician will begin removing body panels to gain access to the problem. Once they have found the dent, the technician begins to work. Slow pressure is applied using a special tool. Gradually, the smoothness of the metal is restored without disrupting the paint.
This whole process is time-efficient. You can expect to have your car back within the same day of dropping it off at the auto body repair shop. However, the time it takes to complete a PDR session varies, since the size of the dents and creases, as well as the severity, differs from vehicle to vehicle.
Advantages of Paintless Dent Repair
Do you want to remove unsightly dents from your vehicle? Paintless dent repair is a quick and easy solution. Since this is a method that requires an in-depth understanding of bodywork, it’s essential to choose a reputable auto body shop near you. Paintless dent repair provides impressive results as well as the following benefits:
- Convenient. Paintless dent repair is a faster way to remove dents. Sometimes, you only have to wait a few hours for PDR to be finished.
- Vehicle value retention. When the original paint job remains intact, the trade-in value will be much higher.
- Reasonably priced. Since you don’t have to worry about sanding, body fillers, repainting, and other costs associated with labor, PDR costs significantly less, even when the job is extensive. Traditional bodywork is much more expensive.
- No worries about color matching. No paint is needed for paintless dent repair. You don’t have to worry about inaccurate color matching.
Limits of Paintless Dent Repair
PDR will only be effective if the paint in and around the dent has not been chipped or cracked. Any deeper damage than that is too severe for this method to work. Also, if the dent is bigger than a balled-up fist, or if the indentation goes into the panel more than half an inch, alternative dent repair would be better.
There is a reason you don’t want to use paintless dent repair on larger dents. The process of working the panel from both directions can overstretch the metal, causing more imperfections rather than lessening them. Any deep cuts or creases also make paintless dent repair impossible.
Can PDR Damage My Car?
No, PDR won’t damage your car—in most cases. If you try paintless dent repair on damages that are beyond the scope of what the technique can do, then you run the risk of worsening the damage. Assuming your dent is small enough and that the proper tools and skills are used, you won’t be able to see the damages once the process is complete.
Furthermore, if you go to an auto body shop where everyone has been well-trained and certified, like at Elmer’s Auto Body, you have nothing to worry about. Our technicians have seen all kinds of dents and will know whether PDR is a good choice for your vehicle.
Ready For Paintless Dent Repair? We’ve Got You Covered
If your car is speckled with minor dents and dings, it’s time to consider paintless dent repair. The non-invasive technique smooths out the metal, making those dents disappear. Soon, you won’t even remember that your vehicle had been damaged! But in order to get the most out of PDR, you need to find a professional and reliable auto body shop.
Elmer’s Auto Body has highly trained staff with plenty of experience in paintless dent repair. Have questions about the process or our services? Give us a call today to find out more.