We’re taught about the four main types of precipitation in school: rain, sleet, snow, and hail. However, weather can be much more complex than that. Hail comes in different forms and severities. Sleet, graupel, and regular hail are all on the spectrum of frozen precipitation, but are very different, especially when it comes to the hail damage they can cause in Sioux Falls. Knowledge is the keye to being prepared for any kind of inclement weather.
Sleet
Smaller than hail, sleet consists of tiny balls of ice that tend to bounce when they make contact with the ground. Sleet can look like a rough, icy sheet when it forms a layer. Due to its size, it is unlikely that sleet will cause significant damage to your vehicle.
Graupel
Graupel forms when a snowflake is covered with a supercooled water droplet. Graupel is balls of ice that are softer than sleet, as well as larger. A ball of ice is considered graupel until it reaches 5mm in diameter. A large piece of graupel could potentially cause damage if it was going fast enough.
Hail
Hail is a ball of ice with a diameter of at least 5mm and is created when thunderstorm updrafts bring water vapor into an extremely cold part of the atmosphere causing it to freeze. Hail can range in size from less than an inch, to golf-ball-sized, to even as large as a baseball. The larger and faster a piece of hail is, the more damage it can cause.
Knowing one type of hail from another can help you better prepare for an incoming storm. If you’ve heard sleet is on its way, your car will likely be fine without protection, but if a hailstorm is approaching, your car could get seriously damaged. Make sure to take precautions to prevent hail damage to your Sioux Falls vehicle.
You may have seen auto hail damage consisting of round dents covering a vehicle’s surface, but that is not the only kind of vehicle hail damage. Hail can come in many forms, and so can its damage. It’s important to be aware of the types of hail damage you can get as well as the best repair option for each type. Being knowledgeable about hail and vehicle hail damage repair can be useful in the long run if you are unlucky enough to be caught in a hailstorm.
There are four main types of hail damage. The two main dent categories of hail damage are cosmetic and severe. Within those categories, damage could either have cracked your paint or left it intact. The type of vehicle hail damage repairs your car needs will be based on the kind of damage it has accumulated.
Cosmetic damage with intact paint
Likely the most common form of hail damage, cosmetic damage with intact paint consist of many small, round dents on your metal panels with no damage to your finish or paint. Cosmetic damage merely impacts the surface of your vehicle but can take away from your car’s appearance and resale value. This kind of damage can be repaired with PDR because there are no paint scratches.
Cosmetic damage with scratched paint
This type of damage also only affects your car’s surface but cannot be repaired with PDR since it contains paint damage. Vehicle hail damage repair for cosmetic damage containing paint scratches could be traditional dent repair or remove and replace.
Severe damage with intact paint
Severe damage affects a car’s external and internal features, which can require more extensive repairs. Dents on the surface of your vehicle can be fixed with PDR because they do not contain paint damage, but any internal repairs will need to be fixed differently.
Severe damage with scratched paint
Because this is the most extreme type of hail damage, it will likely cost the most to fix. Dents with paint scratches cannot be repaired with PDR, so will have to be repaired with another form of dent removal. On top of that, any internal issues must be fixed to ensure your car’s ability to function safely.
Paintless hail dent repair is known to be one of the fastest forms of dent repair, and there are plenty of reasons why. Several elements of PDR come together to make it such a quick process, and people take notice. Customers lean toward paintless hail dent repair over other forms of hail removal because of its speed and affordability.
Here’s what makes PDR one of the fastest dent repair methods out there:
1. No paint
Having a paintless process eliminates a great deal of labor and waiting time. Paint matching takes time, especially when you think about primer, paint, and finish. Then, technicians must wait for the paint to dry before you can get your car back on the road. Paintless hail dent repair’s lack of paint is a huge contributor to the speed of the process.
2. No replacement parts
Other forms of hail dent repair may use replacement parts, while paintless hail dent repair uses existing ones. The lack of replacement parts reduces repair time, as technicians do not have to wait for parts to come in and drivers don’t have to wait for technicians to install them.
3. No complex repair processes
PDR is relatively simple for technicians and it has just a few major steps. Traditional dent repair tends to be a more extended process, involving sanding, fillers, and paint. Paintless hail dent repair requires simple tools and techniques that are performed by certified technicians.
As a hail dent repair method, PDR is fast and affordable compared to other processes. Depending on your damage, it can be done in as little as a few hours. Mobile hail dent repair is even available in some locations, which can help you fit dent repair into your busy schedule. If you’re in a time crunch, PDR is your best bet for hail dent removal.
Did you know that dents in the body line of a car can be repaired using Paintless Dent Repair. Even at the depth of this dent shown. In his Repair of the Week, a customer from the Sioux Falls area dropped a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu in at the shop. It had a sizable dent in the left quarter panel directly above the wheel. The customer did not know how the damage occurred. They just noticed it when they came out to the parking lot at school and saw it. Access to this damage is very limited. The tail light pocket and trunk area access is minimal. The majority of the repair was done through glue pulling.
So how did the repair go?
One of the biggest challenges in this repair was that there was a small paint crack. This paint damage area which would remain even after the dent was removed. After informing the customer that the shop would not be liable if the paint was to be pulled off. They were understanding and knew this was still the best choice for them. The customer seemed more concerned about not having the car painted.
The body line took a major hit and severe crowning (this is displaced metal that is raised up above the dent) is visible above the impact area. The crowning or raised area, is one of the biggest factors in settling on a pricing structure. Other factors such as whether the bumper needed to come off or not, and whether the tail light needed to be removed to gain access. Did you know in order to remove the tail light on this vehicle the bumper needs to be removed first? Fortunately, the inner trunk trim was the only thing removed for the repair work.
Before starting the repairs, the customer was made aware that if these extra parts had to be removed, the cost of the repair would increase. We even make sure to give them an exact dollar amount if this is the case. As always we always make sure to disclose the customer with this info before starting the repair.
About the Minor Paint Fracture
Customers facing the same dent related problems should know that for minor fractures in the paint work, paintless dent repair is still the best option. The repair is faster when compared to a body shop. There is no diminished resale value or negative carfax history report when going with paintless dent repair. Why is this such a problem? Because when you go to sell the vehicle, a negative carfax report and repainted panels greatly diminish the vehicles resale value. With Paintless Dent Repair this dent was removed and the car was handed over on the same day, a body shop would have taken 5 or more days because they would have painted the quarter panel, removed the tail light and bumper, removed components from the left door and painted it. They would also charged the customer significantly more than this paintless repair cost.
I have similar damage, how can I contact you?
If you have any dent damage that needs repairs in the Sioux Falls area, contact Sioux Falls Dent Repair by calling or texting 605-595-4061.
Sioux Falls hail storms can leave your car covered in small, round dents, creating an unsightly vehicle in need of repair. Not all hail dent removal costs an arm and a leg. Paintless dent repair is the best method of hail dent removal and is available at select body shops.
What is PDR?
Paintless dent repair, also known as PDR, is a process that repairs your dents without using filler or replacement body panels. Auto technicians use a range of tools to pull, push, and pop your dents out, eliminating the need for new parts or filler, which can be expensive. The cost of these supplies and their shipping can make your bill larger than you’d hope, and these extra steps can add unwanted time onto your repair process.
Repairs Without Losing Your Paint
Regardless of the side of the body panel they work from, Sioux Falls PDR technicians will not damage your paint. They are specially trained in PDR and know which tools to use when, as well as how to protect a car’s finish. PDR training ensures consistent results every time, making this form of hail dent removal extremely reliable.
Apart from all that, PDR is also great for the resale value of your car. Removing your dents will increase your car’s value, and paintless dent repair does not show up on service reports. Seeing that a car has been serviced could deter potential buyers, but with no record of your PDR, buyers will see nothing but your flawless vehicle.
If you’re in need of hail repair, paintless dent repair is undoubtedly your best option. Traditional forms of hail repair are expensive and time-consuming compared to paintless dent repair. PDR is a superior form of hail dent repair and should be your first choice for your dent needs in Sioux Falls.
