Have you ever noticed a small dent or ding on your car and wondered how it got there? Or maybe you were in a minor fender bender and now your car has a few dents that need to be repaired. Rather than taking your car to a traditional body shop and getting the entire panel repainted, you may want to consider using a process called paintless dent removal, or PDR.
PDR is a specialist skill that requires an expert with experience to achieve the perfect dent repair. The PDR technique can also be used to help prepare the damaged panel for a paint repair. Keep reading to learn more about how PDR works and whether it’s right for your car.
How Does PDR Work?
Car dents are skilfully removed from the vehicle by massaging them out of the panel using specialist tools. Alternatively pulled out using an advanced pulling system. The technique used to remove the dent, will depend on the location and type of the dent. There are large panel dents, shallow dents, sharp dents, crease dents – occasionally a combination of these which requires different techniques to repair.
PDR vs Traditional Body Shop Repairs
PDR is not only a viable alternative to traditional body shop repairs, it’s also often much cheaper. So if your car has a few unsightly dents and dings, rather than taking it in for a full repaint, consider using PDR to have them fixed up instead.
Paintless Dent Removal
Paintless dent removal is an effective way to remove minor dents and dings from cars without the need for filler or paint. This cost-effective alternative to traditional body shop repairs is often performed by specialists who use massaging or pulling techniques to remove the dent from the panel. If your car has some unsightly dents, consider using PDR to have them fixed up instead of getting a full repaint at a traditional body shop.
There are two common methods of paintless dent removal: using metal rods to manipulate the panel, and using a pulling method.
The first method, often used by professional technicians, involves gently massaging the dent out from beneath the panel. This can be done if the underside of the dent is accessible. If not, the second method may be used.
The second method involves gluing a specialist piece of plastic to the dent, which is then removed with a gripping tool. This will fix the dent and leave the paintwork looking as good as new. However, if the dent is not accessible from the underside of the panel, this method will not work.
Paintless Dent Removal, or PDR, is a popular method of car bodywork repair for many reasons. One main reason is that it is cost-effective; PDR is cheaper than other dent repair services because it is fast and doesn’t require any painting. Another reason to choose PDR is that you don’t need to claim on your insurance. Paintless Dent Removal is normally cheaper than your insurance excess, meaning you can avoid making a claim and keep your premiums down. Additionally, there is no discolouration with Paintless Dent Repair – because your car’s bodywork remains unaltered by the dent and by restorative paint, you don’t need to worry about matching the paint colour.
At Storm Dents, all our paint colours are mixed on-site to match your car’s bodywork, so if the paint is needed you can be sure it won’t be a noticeable difference. PDR is also suitable for any size dent; it can work on dents of any size, even very small dings. However, it is most suited to larger, shallow dents where the paint has not been broken. If your paint has been damaged when you dented your car, you will also need a paintwork job as Paintless Dent Repair isn’t possible. Finally, PDR maintains your car’s value; minor body damage can affect resale value, but PDR is a great way to fix the damage and keep the value of your car high. It is also ideal for antique cars where paint colour and finish matching can be more difficult. All in all, there are many reasons to choose Storm Dents’ PDR expertise for your car bodywork repair needs!
