You may have heard many urban legends about fixing hail damage to your vehicle yourself. You will find countless videos on YouTube, for example, touting the benefits of everything from dry ice to hair dryers when it comes to fixing the small but big dents that pieces of hail can cause to your car. And since enough hail slamming into your new automobile can really destroy its value, it’s no wonder that there are plenty of DIY methods for car repair.
Unfortunately, the truth is they simply do not work. The men and women at Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR have broken these DIY methods down one by one for you. Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR would like the people in Columbia, Waterloo, Millstadt, Freeburg, and New Athens, Illinois. to know that there’s not always an easy DIY solution for hail damage.
Sun Exposure
Some sources will tell you that just parking your vehicle in sunny areas will cause the heat of the sun to remove the dents. Common sense probably tells you that this will not resolve your hail damage problem, and it will not. Nevertheless, wikihow insists that seven days of parking in warm sunlight will solve 90% of hail damage. Naturally if this were the case there would be a lot less call for dry ice, hair dryers, and obviously, professional dent repair.
Hair Dryers
This brings us to the hair dryer method. The idea is to apply additional heat the simple sun exposure can't offer. Know that as you apply heat you must watch to ensure you don't damage your car’s paint any more; if you notice any discoloration, stop immediately.
Dry Ice
You’ll read that dry ice can bang out the little yet significant dents triggered by hail. Most sources will tell you to warm the area first with a hair dryer and then cool it quickly with the dry ice. It's this rapid temperature change and the succeeding constriction of the metal which supposedly “bangs” the dent out of the metal. However, if you get this result at all, it won't be complete; you will almost certainly be left with partial hail damage.
Dent Repair Kit
Now, presumably for the remaining damage which has not succumbed to the sun, your hair dryer, or solid carbon dioxide, you can take your chances with a dent repair kit. These include a tool for knocking in metal and a glue gun; sadly they can't impart any professional skill or expertise to whoever may be wielding them. Therefore you should employ these with caution and do not try them with any bigger dents or damage. You must also recognize that whenever you utilize a dent repair kit yourself you risk making the issue worse.
Leave It To The Pros
![columbia illinois paintless dent repair]( "auto body collision repair facility hail damage")
So, if nothing else works and you’re stuck, must you go to an auto body shop? Possibly; in the end it’s your call, but at least you know the damage will be repaired correctly if you go to a professional. Will it cost you an arm and a leg? Not always. A lot depends on the methods utilized. So how do auto body shops fix dents in the Southern Illinois area then? There are several methods.
Remove and Replace
If the damage is serious and the parts that have been damaged are bolted on and can be easily removed, the remove and replace method may be the most effective way to go. In this case the parts in question are simply replaced.
Paintless Dent Repair
Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) is often utilized to repair hail damage. In this process the technician goes behind the dent with tools to massage out the dent leaving the paint surface undamaged. This technique requires a lot of practice and specific tools, so it is not recommended for the do-it-yourselfer. It's especially effective for parts not easily replaced, such as roofs and quarter panels. Of all the professional methods, it is the most cost effective. Actually, in locales where damaging hail is a typical occurrence, it is the repair technique most preferred by insurance companies.
Finish Glazing
This technique is good for little hail damage and is an alternative to PDR. Some individuals try this at home, outside of the professional auto body shop; be sure you know what you are doing before you do.
The main advantage of this method is that you do not need to sand the paint all the way down to the metal; rather, you just sand it coarsely so that the glaze putty adheres securely. A related advantage is that the protective anti-corrosion coat from the factory isn't removed during the repair since the paint is not sanded all the way down to the metal. Though of course this method is utilized to make repairs, other than the hail damage at issue your paint surface ought to be in good condition for this technique to work well.
Here’s how this process works. First, whoever is repairing the damage will have to clean the damaged areas well to locate all of the hail damage. The next phase is to sand the damaged areas, generally using one hundred eighty grit paper on a dual-action sander. This step makes certain that the glaze sticks well to the car’s surface. After the sanding, it is advisable to utilize compressed air to blow all debris from the repair areas. Next, the surface ought to be cleaned again, this time with degreaser and wax. At this point it's time to apply a slim coat of the finish glaze to repair the little points of damage. Next comes a second sanding session, with 150 or 180 grit paper on the dual-action sander. Finally, the repair is done, and it's time to prime, block, and paint the freshly-repaired areas. Clearly, this isn’t a simple fix, but it looks good.
Traditional Repair with Body Filler
This technique is very very similar to the finish glazing technique with just a few exceptions. The main difference is that you need to remove the paint to the metal, and that your grind ought to be really coarse. Clearly anti-corrosion coating is an issue under these conditions. Very large dents cannot be fixed this way.
Traditional Heat Repair
For automobiles with bigger dents and older cars made of thicker metal this is the method your auto body shop will have to go with. This technique uses heat, generally an oxyacetylene torch, to raise the metal. The technician heats the metal around the dent in a spiral motion working from the outside moving inwards; this will raise the metal. Next, to relax the metal, the technician taps with a hammer. Lastly, he or she tests the metal to find out if it's level to see whether the dent is gone. After the metal cools, it is time to feather edge the paint, prime, block, and paint the metal again.
The primary advantages here are that this method is the only one that works for thicker metals and bigger dents, and that for proficient technicians it is quick and fast. It also gets rid of the filler and sanding filler steps. However, as most auto body shops will warn you, newer vehicles aren't always able to take this method because they're made of thin metals that can warp.
The Bottom Line
Unless you actually know what you are doing, repairing hail damage is no easy feat. The good news is that hail damage repair is most likely covered by your insurance. Because average hail damage repairs range between $2,500 and $3,500, and can often run much higher, it's well worth making a claim for the repair. If you'd like a professional opinion on your hail dented vehicle, go to Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, Illinois. They have got lots of experience using all of the latest dent repair methods.
Unfortunately, the truth is they simply do not work. The men and women at Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR have broken these DIY methods down one by one for you. Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR would like the people in Columbia, Waterloo, Millstadt, Freeburg, and New Athens, Illinois. to know that there’s not always an easy DIY solution for hail damage.
Sun Exposure
Some sources will tell you that just parking your vehicle in sunny areas will cause the heat of the sun to remove the dents. Common sense probably tells you that this will not resolve your hail damage problem, and it will not. Nevertheless, wikihow insists that seven days of parking in warm sunlight will solve 90% of hail damage. Naturally if this were the case there would be a lot less call for dry ice, hair dryers, and obviously, professional dent repair.
Hair Dryers
This brings us to the hair dryer method. The idea is to apply additional heat the simple sun exposure can't offer. Know that as you apply heat you must watch to ensure you don't damage your car’s paint any more; if you notice any discoloration, stop immediately.
Dry Ice
You’ll read that dry ice can bang out the little yet significant dents triggered by hail. Most sources will tell you to warm the area first with a hair dryer and then cool it quickly with the dry ice. It's this rapid temperature change and the succeeding constriction of the metal which supposedly “bangs” the dent out of the metal. However, if you get this result at all, it won't be complete; you will almost certainly be left with partial hail damage.
Dent Repair Kit
Now, presumably for the remaining damage which has not succumbed to the sun, your hair dryer, or solid carbon dioxide, you can take your chances with a dent repair kit. These include a tool for knocking in metal and a glue gun; sadly they can't impart any professional skill or expertise to whoever may be wielding them. Therefore you should employ these with caution and do not try them with any bigger dents or damage. You must also recognize that whenever you utilize a dent repair kit yourself you risk making the issue worse.
Leave It To The Pros
Remove and Replace
If the damage is serious and the parts that have been damaged are bolted on and can be easily removed, the remove and replace method may be the most effective way to go. In this case the parts in question are simply replaced.
Paintless Dent Repair
Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) is often utilized to repair hail damage. In this process the technician goes behind the dent with tools to massage out the dent leaving the paint surface undamaged. This technique requires a lot of practice and specific tools, so it is not recommended for the do-it-yourselfer. It's especially effective for parts not easily replaced, such as roofs and quarter panels. Of all the professional methods, it is the most cost effective. Actually, in locales where damaging hail is a typical occurrence, it is the repair technique most preferred by insurance companies.
Finish Glazing
This technique is good for little hail damage and is an alternative to PDR. Some individuals try this at home, outside of the professional auto body shop; be sure you know what you are doing before you do.
The main advantage of this method is that you do not need to sand the paint all the way down to the metal; rather, you just sand it coarsely so that the glaze putty adheres securely. A related advantage is that the protective anti-corrosion coat from the factory isn't removed during the repair since the paint is not sanded all the way down to the metal. Though of course this method is utilized to make repairs, other than the hail damage at issue your paint surface ought to be in good condition for this technique to work well.
Here’s how this process works. First, whoever is repairing the damage will have to clean the damaged areas well to locate all of the hail damage. The next phase is to sand the damaged areas, generally using one hundred eighty grit paper on a dual-action sander. This step makes certain that the glaze sticks well to the car’s surface. After the sanding, it is advisable to utilize compressed air to blow all debris from the repair areas. Next, the surface ought to be cleaned again, this time with degreaser and wax. At this point it's time to apply a slim coat of the finish glaze to repair the little points of damage. Next comes a second sanding session, with 150 or 180 grit paper on the dual-action sander. Finally, the repair is done, and it's time to prime, block, and paint the freshly-repaired areas. Clearly, this isn’t a simple fix, but it looks good.
Traditional Repair with Body Filler
This technique is very very similar to the finish glazing technique with just a few exceptions. The main difference is that you need to remove the paint to the metal, and that your grind ought to be really coarse. Clearly anti-corrosion coating is an issue under these conditions. Very large dents cannot be fixed this way.
Traditional Heat Repair
For automobiles with bigger dents and older cars made of thicker metal this is the method your auto body shop will have to go with. This technique uses heat, generally an oxyacetylene torch, to raise the metal. The technician heats the metal around the dent in a spiral motion working from the outside moving inwards; this will raise the metal. Next, to relax the metal, the technician taps with a hammer. Lastly, he or she tests the metal to find out if it's level to see whether the dent is gone. After the metal cools, it is time to feather edge the paint, prime, block, and paint the metal again.
The primary advantages here are that this method is the only one that works for thicker metals and bigger dents, and that for proficient technicians it is quick and fast. It also gets rid of the filler and sanding filler steps. However, as most auto body shops will warn you, newer vehicles aren't always able to take this method because they're made of thin metals that can warp.
The Bottom Line
Unless you actually know what you are doing, repairing hail damage is no easy feat. The good news is that hail damage repair is most likely covered by your insurance. Because average hail damage repairs range between $2,500 and $3,500, and can often run much higher, it's well worth making a claim for the repair. If you'd like a professional opinion on your hail dented vehicle, go to Charlie's Columbia CARSTAR in Columbia, Illinois. They have got lots of experience using all of the latest dent repair methods.