Those of you living in an area regularly showered by hail storms may have heard of paintless dent repair. In this article, we will give you a thorough overview all about paintless dent repair. Defining paintless dent repair can only be done through sharing a bit of the paintless dent repair history and how it has evolved to the paintless dent repair we know and love today. Denver residents get an extra special treat as we highlight a local paintless dent repair specialist auto repair company in Denver. Here we go!
Table of Contents:
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Definition of Paintless Dent Repair
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History of Paintless Dent Repair
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PDR in 2022
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Preferred Method of Repairing Hail Damaged Vehicles by Auto Insurance Companies
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Local Paintless Dent Repair in Denver
Definition of Paintless Dent Repair
Paintless Dent Repair, often referred to as PDR for short, is a method of repairing automobiles. This method is done by using a variety of specialized tools made for removing dents from vehicles. Specialized lights all paintless dent repair technicians to see the precise curvature in the metal auto body panel. Using metal rods of varying lengths with various end shapes, PDR technicians guide the metal back to its original form. PDR is sometimes called Paintless Dent Removal. However, Paintless Dent Repair is the more common phrase used. Paintless dent repair is often used to remove door ding dents and repair auto hail damage.
While many kits claim to use the paintless dent repair method to repair dents at home, use caution when trying to take out dents by yourself. When dents have already been tampered with, paintless dent repair will not be an available method to repair your car.
Why Is Paintless Dent Repair So Technical?
Using simply the specialized lights, PDR-specific metal rods, and the knowledge and strength of the technician makes paintless dent repair one of the most environmentally friendly auto body repair techniques.
Paintless dent repair is a very technical method of removing dents from the metal panels of your vehicle. Each dent is different, as is the original shape of each metal panel on your car. The PDR technicians have to know what kind of metal your auto body is made of and understand the properties of that specific metal. Some metals retain memory better than others, and paintless dent repair technicians use this scientific knowledge to work the metal at the correct pressure level.
Although paintless dent repair is technical without a doubt, there is an art to the PDR method. No machines can perform paintless dent repair like a highly trained technician. The exact point, amount of pressure, and angle affect the overall outcome of the dent repair.
History of Paintless Dent Repair
Paintless dent repair began around 1931 when Mr. Frank T. Sargent wrote a book called The Key to Metal Bumping. In his book, Mr. Sargent describes different tools used to shape metal and discusses predicting how the metal will react to each device.
Then, in 1960 the annual International Motor Sports Show in New York gave one auto detailer our first taste of paintless dent repair as we know it. Oskar Flaig worked for Mercedes Benz, and each night he would detail and restore the vehicles so they were pristine for the next day’s viewings. Spectators often left minor dents in the car, either from the angle of their pressure or other objects tapping hello as they passed by. Attempting to save some of the filler used to correct the metal panel’s shape, Flaig began using different things he had on hand to push out the dents as much as possible. After working with the dents, Flaig saw that some dents did not need filler or a paint retouch at all!
At the close of the show, Oskar Flaig returned to Germany with the rest of the Mercedes Benz team. He continued to explore his new revelations, and the practice was quickly picked up at all Mercedes Benz factories. Sometime around 1980, a successful PDR technician moved to the United States and began repairing auto dents with paintless dent repair. Dent Kraft is considered the first paintless dent repair company in the United States on paper.
PDR in 2022
Paintless dent repair has evolved quite a bit in the last 90 years since pushing metal dents became an idea. Across Europe, paintless dent repair is a highly sought-after repair technique for dented vehicles. After all, it was invented in Western Europe. Since then, paintless dent repair has stretched across the Americas. As travel becomes more manageable, hail storm chasers and paintless dent repair technicians travel from Canada to Argentina and Brasil (and everywhere in between!) to repair vehicles.
Advancements in technology have greatly aided the growth of paintless dent repair. Specialized lights are often mobile with a rechargeable battery, allowing PDR technicians to get the perfect view of every dent in the panel. The tools used to guide the metal back into shape have evolved from spoons to metal rods with an array of end shapes. A paintless dent repair technician can easily pick up their tools and move to the next storm. For this reason, you may only see paintless dent repair advertisements after your area has been hit with a hail storm. Some cities, such as Denver, Colorado, see several hail storms yearly. In those cities, you will likely find a few brick-and-mortar shops specializing in paintless dent repair.
This ease in transportation encourages many paintless dent repair companies to set up temporary workspaces, often in large parking lots, after severe hail storms. A word to the wise, however. While paintless dent repair can easily be performed in many spaces, the quality of the repair varies based on how well equipped the repair space is. To truly see every curvature of each dent in the metal panels of your vehicle, the vehicle must first be washed appropriately. Then, the PDR lights are required to catch each fluctuation within the metal panels. If you choose to have your car repaired at a side of the road paintless dent repair space, look around and ask questions about the process, your quality of repair depends on it!
Preferred Method of Repairing Hail Damaged Vehicles by Auto Insurance Companies
Another impressive feat for paintless dent repair in the 21st century is that it has become the preferred method of repairing hail-damaged vehicles by auto insurance companies across the United States. Why is that, you ask?
Paintless dent repair reshapes the metal dents to their original form. This means that no substance is added to the vehicle. The ‘paintless’ in PDR refers to fixing these dents without needing to repaint the car afterward. With conventional repairs, dents are filled with a substance, smoothed down to match the vehicle’s surface, and painted over. When cars are repaired with PDR, the vehicle’s parts remain the original ones.
Keeping the vehicle with its original parts increases the value of your car in the long run. For this reason, auto insurance companies prefer PDR to be used on hail-damaged vehicles. Paintless dent repair can maintain the value of your car for years to come.
As summer approaches, the weather patterns shift, and our days get hotter here in Denver, Colorado. Storms traveling by frequently create hail stones that descend on us without warning. One of the best things you can do for your vehicle in Denver, Colorado, is to have a comprehensive auto insurance plan. Most comprehensive auto insurance plans cover the paintless dent repair cost and classify hail damage as an ‘Act of God.’ This means that it was a naturally occurring disaster. Therefore no one was at fault. Your monthly premium will not increase for a paintless dent repair hail damage claim as it could with a collision claim.
Local Paintless Dent Repair in Denver, Colorado
Denver locals have no fear. Colorado Hail Solutions is here for all of your paintless dent repair needs. With hail storms surely on the way, we are here to walk you through the entire hail damage and paintless dent repair process. Our technicians each have over a decade of experience repairing hail-damaged vehicles, ensuring you a top-quality repair.
Our cars can become a part of the family, and that is how you will be treated with us. We will pay up to $1,000 of your auto insurance deductible, making your paintless dent repairs potentially free from out-of-pocket costs. Knowing that life does not stop moving when you have a hail-damaged vehicle, we will cover your rideshare to and from the home and PDR shop. The team at Colorado Hail Solutions can also work directly with your auto insurance provider, allowing you to focus on your day-to-day instead of worrying about passing messages back and forth.
Colorado Hail Solutions is committed to providing you with the best quality paintless dent repair in Denver, Colorado. All of our work is backed with a lifetime warranty. You can rest easy knowing Colorado Hail Solutions is here for all your paintless dent repair needs, Denver! We can also repair door dings in your vehicle using the paintless dent repair method, not just hail-damaged cars! Call Colorado Hail Solutions today at (720) 909-3368!
