Hail damage is repaired in one of two ways, either with Paintless Dent Removal or with traditional body shop repairs. Let’s talk about both and the pros and cons of both when repairing your vehicle.
Hail damage is an act of God- “an instance of uncontrollable natural forces in operation (often used in insurance claims).” There is nothing you can do to prevent it from happening.
Hail can happen at virtually anytime and anywhere. The weather has to be right, and although it is more prone to occur in warm seasons, it can occur in the Spring and Fall as well.
When hail damage happens to your car, there are two ways to repair the vehicle.
The first is with Bondo. Bondo putty is an automotive body filler and a brand name used by 3M for a line of products for auto repairs. (The term Bondo is trademarked by 3M but is commonly used to refer to any automotive repair putty brand.) The paint is sanded down, metal tabs are welded to the car, and the dents are pulled out. The Bondo, or putty, is then put over the dent’s remainder and sanded down to mimic the vehicle’s original shape. Pro: this is an excellent repair method when the paint is cracked on the car or when the dent is too large to repair with Paintless Dent Repair. The drawback is that the car’s original factory paint job is lost, and the repair timeline is sometimes months rather than days or weeks. Bondo can crack if hit with hail or is damaged again.
The best way to repair hail damage is with Paintless Dent Removal or PDR. PDR is the art of manipulating metal to get it back to the factory shape before the vehicle’s hail damage. Using different kinds of metal tools, the dents are virtually rubbed or pushed out slowly, and the body of the car is brought back to its original factory shape. The pros of this repair are many! 1. You get to preserve the original factory paint job, which can never be duplicated at any body shop. 2. The turnaround time for repair is quick! We do our best to return your car as quickly as possible. We both have an investment here and there is no time to waste. 3. The repair is virtually undetectable. There are no sand marks, trash, or putty on your car. The panel is the same as it came out of the factory. 4. It’s less evasive. 5. In some cases, the repair can cost less than traditional body shop repairs.
If you live in the area of Annapolis Maryland and you find your car hit with hail damage, information is free and we are here to walk you through the process of repairs. We pride ourselves on working hard and making you our customer for life, not just for one repair. We can walk you through the process, evaluate your vehicle, talk about what repair process is best for the damage to your vehicle, and show you why you should choose us. We want you to be comfortable when you choose RPS to restore your car to pre-hail condition. It is our goal to be the best we can be. Please come and see us and let us make this process seamless.
