Have you ever wondered how a hail estimate on your vehicle is written? How do body shops and paintless dent repair technicians come up with the numbers that they do? Here’s a short video on a couple of very common questions and just a basic example of how we go about pricing hail damage repairs! The vehicle used in this example was a 2017 Ford F-150 with only 1,700 miles in it! This vehicle is made completely out of aluminum and we have part of it taken apart already for this example.
First off we start by bringing the damaged vehicle inside our shop for inspection. Next we clean the vehicle of any debris and dirt, a clean surface insures us the best possible reflection, this allows us to see every minor detail of the damage. After the vehicle is cleaned off we bring out a specialized Paintless Dent Repair style light to see a high definition reflection of the damage, you can see quite a bit in the natural shop lighting but nothing compares to a professional paintless dent repair light! The damage is then scanned over with the light from multiply angles by the estimator or technician to insure every possible angle is seen and inspected for damage, this insures a proper estimate! After a dent is discovered it is then inspected for the correct size by a sizing magnetic coin or a regular coin will work, the sizing is dime, nickel, quarter, half dollar and any dent that is bigger than a half dollar is marked as an Oversized dent. This probably one of the most over looked issue is sizing in the estimate, some estimators or Technicians will just guess on size and you would be surprised at how inaccurate that is, so make sure the technician uses sizing coins to insure proper size for your estimate! Any damage over a half dollar in size is then marked out as an “OS” or oversized dent on the panel, for the rest the average size of the dents is taken then the panel is then categorized as being that specific size overall. Next the number of dents is then added up along with the specific size of oversized dents is then calculated to figure out a number for the cost of the repairs. Panels of the vehicle require access to push the damage out, we do this by removing certain pieces of trim to access the backside of the damage, the hood insulator was removed prior to the video, it is a pad that protects the hood from heat and offers a form of sound deadening to dampen the sound of the engine, this is installed on the underside of the hood with specialized retaining clips. Also in the video the headlight and headlight trim pieces were previously removed from both fenders to allow the technician access to the fenders to push out the damage. Access is then shown for both the fenders and the bottom side of the hood to give you a little idea of how the technician pushes the damage out.
If you have any questions regarding damage to your vehicle or have damage yourself that you would like repaired please give us a call at: (605) 595-4061
Did you recently receive hail damage to your vehicle? Do the hail dents stand out like a sore thumb every time you approach your vehicle you just stare at them in shock and disbelief? Well if so, we are here to help! From dealing with your insurance company directly, to handling the paperwork and estimating process, as well as the repair process itself, Sioux Falls Dent Repair is here to make your hail damage experience a hassle free and most importantly, a dent free experience!
I have hail damage, where do I start?
Great question! First off contact your insurance company and notify them you have hail damage to your vehicle then you will receive a claim number.
Will a hail damage claim make my rates go up?
Hail damage is classified under your comprehensive section of your insurance. Since claims made under the comprehensive section are referred to as “acts of god” this should not affect your rates. Comprehensive claims are focused on natural items damaging your car, such as the wind blowing an item into the vehicle, trees falling on your vehicle or hail damage.
I have a claim number, now what?
Here comes the easy part! Drop your vehicle off at Sioux Falls Dent Repair, and we will handle everything from there, from the paperwork, to dealing with your insurance company and repairing your damage!
This seems so simple, what’s the catch?
There is no catch, we are here to service you and to make this as pain free as possible, let us handle all of the hard parts so you can get on with your life, dent free again!
Do you have any other questions regarding hail damage? Maybe you want to know about how we calculate the damage and severity, or maybe you don’t think your damage is not that bad, should you even file a claim? These are all great questions that we are happy to answer for you. Just give us a call and we’d be happy to discuss all of your questions!
Today we will be talking about a crease style dent that will be repaired using the paintless dent repair method on a 2013 Ford Mustang. Paintless dent repair can also be referred to as paintless dent removal or as PDR. This vehicle was recently purchased by our customer and he didn’t notice this damage prior to purchasing this vehicle. The customer happened to be washing his vehicle shortly after purchasing his new Mustang and found this damage while drying the vehicle off. After discovering this newly noted damage he had to have it fixed right away, after all who wants to drive around in a newer car like a Mustang and have a big dent in it! He contacted us to come to his home in Sioux Falls, SD and give him a damage assessment. He was very happy to find out we could fix this using the paintless dent repair method rather than take it to a body shop. This customer had prior experience in the paint and body industry and knew of all of the potential issues when it comes to painting a car, from incorrect color matches to adhesion issues, he knew he choose the correct form of repair for his vehicle.
We start the video off with showing you the damage in the natural light reflection, this would be how a customer would see the damage if the car was for instance parked in their garage. Next we show what the damage looks like under a professional paintless dent repair light, to a technicians eyes they are then able to see the damage with much more precision, this allows them to fix it at the highest level!
To start this repair off, we roll the window down and install a stainless steel window guard, this protects the window from any damage when we install our tools down though the glass opening. We then will setup our light to allow us to see the damage and start the repair. During this repair process you will see the technician twists the tool with his wrist, this creates a prying motion on the damage slowly pushing it or massaging it back into its original shape. Throughout the process the technician also uses what is called a blending hammer, the blue hammer shown in the video, to slowly blend the damage out. This hammer has specialized tips on it that are highly polished and will not harm the painted finish. When using a blending hammer, every hit that is made on the painted finish sends vibrations into the metal panel, this helps with the metal to move back into its original shape, making for a much cleaner repair. The technician will then go back to using his tool to push the damage out once again. Also shown later in the video is the use of glue pulling. The glue pulling method was used in this case to pull out some of the slightly deeper damage, by using this other style of repair the technician is able to pull out bigger sections of the damage faster then once the damage is pulled out to a satisfactory point, the tech will then switch back to a tool to pin point the low spots and continue to remove the damage.
We finish the video off when showing you the damage completely repaired in both the natural light and with a paintless dent repair light. As you can see the damage turned out great, the customer was very happy with the repair, and happy he choose Sioux Falls Dent Repair to repair his vehicle!
Hailstorms in Sioux Falls can be disconcerting at the best of times.
Loud noises, low visibility, and hail damage are common features, and there is little to nothing that can be done about it, except wait out the hailstorm in safety. The same is not always possible for your car, and it may experience hail damage on its roof, hood, trunk, and other body parts.
In such an event, immediate repairs are very important, and below, we will discuss 5 reasons why you need to repair hail damage promptly.
If your car has experienced hail damage, we highly recommend getting repairs from the experts at Sioux Falls Dent Repair in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
5 Reasons You Need to Repair Hail Damage Promptly
You may need to repair hail damage promptly due to many reasons. Here are the 5 main ones.
Impression
Your car’s condition sends onlookers a message about how well you regard your property, and a hail-damaged car can give the wrong impression.
Deterioration
The dents and dings caused by a hail storm can become very problematic as time passes. They can experience deterioration and cause the paint to crack, which exposes the body to the elements. Hence, dust and water can seep in to cause rust, which is the worst thing that can happen to any car.
Second Hail Event
If your car experiences a second hailstorm while it is still damaged from the first, it can create bigger problems. The dents and dings become even more pronounced, and this can cost you more in repairs or worse, replacement of body parts.
Resale Value
Replacement of body parts and repainting because of lack of prompt dent repairs can cause your car to lose much of its resale value.
Eligibility for Painless Dent Repair (PDR)
The longer you wait to repair the dents and dings from hail damage, the lower your chances of getting a professional Paintless Dent Repair (PDR), which is the best solution for hail damage. It can repair the dents and dings without the need for scraping, fillers, or repainting any body parts.
Benefits of Professional PDR
A professional PDR has many benefits over traditional dent repair, including:
Time Your save time because there is no replacement, repainting, or subsequent drying of paint involved in PDR.
Money The lack of material costs for parts, fillers, or paint means you only pay for a certified technician that performs the PDR, hence PDR costs less than traditional dent repair.
Resale Value Since you are not replacing parts or repainting, the original paint coat of your car is preserved, saving you a ton of money in its resale value.
Why Sioux Falls Dent Repair for PDR?
Sioux Falls Dent Repair is the best place for PDR in and around Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They have the most experienced certified technicians, who are experts in professional PDR on any make and model of cars. They only use the best PDR techniques and tools to repair your car in the fastest possible time.
If you want to learn more about why you need to repair hail damage promptly or getting a free estimate on your car’s Paintless Dent Repair, Click Here today.
