Everything You Need To Know About Paintless Dent Repair
Paintless dent repair (PDR) is a way to repair dents where the paint surface is unbroken. Those dents appear after low-speed collisions and dings, such as after hitting a shopping cart. They most often go unnoticed until the next collision or ding on the same spot damages the paint and exposes the metal. The purpose of Paintless dent repair is to fix those dents and restore the appearance of the car before the paint or the metal are damaged.
Diamond Auto Body located at 1396 Utica Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11203 can be reached by walk-in or phone call at normal business hours Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM for all paintless dent repair inquiries.
How Does PDR Work?
Paintless dent repair fixes the dent from the inside out by gently bending the metal. There are several methods to fix one such dent and they all work the same way — a tool is used to grip the dented metal and gently bend it to the original shape. The simplest dents may take only a few minutes to fix; those that come from crashes may be unfixable. We can only tell when we see them from up close and from several angles.
The first step is to assess the dent and carefully remove the car elements that are in the way. Not opening the access to the dent up and thus leaving it only partially fixed is the most common mistake of DIY PDR fixes. After the dent is fully exposed from both sides, we use special lights to see the dent in full. We then work as a team to push and pull the metal back to its original shape. It takes special tools, skill, and patience to push and pull the metal without stretching it or breaking the paint.
Stop searching for “repair my car dents”. Give our auto body repair center a call at 718-629-6400 for paintless dent repairs. We can repair 100% of such dents to restore the original shape of the metal. The sooner you act, the cheaper the repair. Keep in mind that paying for paintless dent repair through your insurance may increase your insurance premium. We recommend paying for PDR with cash since the cost is often affordable.
DIY Paintless Dent Repair? Not Recommended
Beware of DIY paintless dent repair — not even the most expensive DIY tools can replace skill in dent repair. If you push or pull the metal a bit too much, you will make it flabby. The metal will stretch and sag, becoming thinner across the treated area. Once that happens, you can no longer fix it using DIY tools. The area might look fine but another soft collision or ding in the same spot can cause a bigger dent or puncture the metal.
The most important skill for avoiding flabby metal patches after PDR is a steady hand that uses the right tool. Even if you have both, you need the experience to fix any dents larger than a dime without overcorrection. If there are several large dents in the same area, you will overestimate your ability and overcorrect and then still need to call a pro.
Do PDR right by calling pros from the start. We have years of experience, skills, and tools that help us perfectly fix dents, no matter their size or shape. We actually have a dedicated tool for fixing dents in each nook and cranny of a car.
It’s not enough that PDR looks good; it has to be perfect underneath the paint as well. We look at the dent under different angles to make sure we understand the dent shape and correct the dented metal to its original shape. Do not settle for superficial dent fixes because they can ruin your car’s value in the long run.
How Do Dents and Dings Affect My Car?
Untreated dents and dings on a car make it look like a wreck. That lowers its resale value but also exposes it to corrosion when the paint finally breaks. The paint strips and the weather gets to the metal beneath, causing scratches and rust that turn the car into a wreck. The sooner you react to a dent, the better the chances of your car staying in top shape and serving you for years to come.
You can see paintless dent repair as a long-term investment in your car. That investment will pay dividends when you decide to sell the car. That applies even more if the dinged car is a collectible or rare car with original paintwork that can no longer be replicated.
Perfect Paintless Dent Repair
Perfect PDR largely depends on the car’s current state and repair history. If the metal or the paint have been worked on, either might refuse to cooperate during PDR. The ideal situation is if the metal is untouched and the paint is a solid, even layer. There are workarounds for slight damage to the paint layer though they result in a finish that resembles the original one.
Aluminum panels used on some car makes and models are also a challenge to do perfectly. Aluminum is softer than steel and doesn’t readily spring back to its shape like steel does. It tends to overcorrect more than steel, which warrants extra caution.
How Big of a Dent Can PDR Fix?
If there are no sharp points, PDR can fix any dent up to the size of a clenched fist but depth matters too. The deeper the dent, the more attention it needs to fix so it stays fixed. If we can’t access it from behind, we can use the pulling method where we attach a special tab to the dent and lift it up.
The dents with one or more sharp points are some of the hardest to fix or might even be unfixable. BB gun pellets are the most common cause of such dents. They leave small but deep dents with a sharp point.
The reason why sharp points cause so much trouble is that it’s difficult to find the center of the dent. Without knowing the exact center, it’s hard to bring the metal back to its exact shape.
Conclusion
Your best bet is to leave it to the auto body professionals in Brooklyn – Diamond Auto Body repairs dents seamlessly on a daily basis and has hundreds of satisfied customers. Please give us a phone call if you are in need of paintless dent repair or would like an overall diagnosis of your vehicle to see how we can help.