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What You Need to Know About Paintless Dent Repair

30 May 2019

Tommy Perkins

Paintless dent repair refers to any process where a defect in the body of a vehicle may be corrected without having to repaint the spot. There are a number of techniques that professionals use, although there will be some questions about the location where the damage occurred. Here are three issues you should consider when asking about the paintless dent removal process.

Where Is the Dent Located?

The actual place where a dent is will dictate how easily it can be dealt with. Generally, the spots where repairs will likely be most effective are on large and relatively straight panels, such as you see on the doors and the corners ofr your car. The roofs of cars also tend to be repairable, and some hoods will be too. As more creases and curves appear in the original design of the panel, the harder it will be to restore the spot to its original appearance.

What Are the Paint and Finish Like?

If the paint and the finish are still close to their original conditions, the probability of fixing the situation using paintless dent repair is higher. Modern paints and finishes are designed with chemicals that allow them to be fairly flexible. When dealing with an older vehicle, it's wise to be cautious about using paintless processes because the paint may chip or flake when pressure is applied.

Take time to note whether the paint has already been damaged. If there are lines, points, spidering, or chips where the paint has been visibly removed or compromised, you may be better off using a more traditional auto body repair process, such as filler, or just replacing the panel.

Minor paint defects can often be buffed out. A professional technician can give you a better idea of whether the paint is suitable for buffing and polishing.

How Is the Dent Shaped?

The more irregularly shaped a dent is, the harder it will be to just pop, pull, or hammer it out. Fairly circular dents have the best chances of being fixed. If there are unusual and angled creases, you're going to have trouble fixing dents.

Some technicians use fluorescent lights or LED-based systems to assess what the shape of a dent is. This ensures that they don't miss a small defect during the initial look at the shape of the dent. It also allows them to locate the best spot to apply their tools.

Contact companies like Auto Hail Repair Group for more information about paintless dent repair.

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