What is Paintless Dent Removal or Repair and How Does it Work?
What is Paintless Dent Removal?
Paintless Dent Removal (PDR), is a method of repairing dents in a car’s bodywork by reshaping the panel without using paint. This means there is no need to fill or paint over the damage making it an ideal Paintless Dent Repair solution. During PDR, specialist tools are used to press and massage the damaged panel from behind. As a result, the dented metal is pushed out, to restore its original shape without needing paint. This repairs the bodywork while maintaining the manufacturer’s paintwork finish.
PDR is a popular alternative to conventional dent repair methods using paint, as it can be cheaper and quicker. As the repairs do not require painting and curing, the whole Paintless Dent Repair process is usually completed within a few hours.
PDR can provide efficient results, making them a
popular choice for insurers and car fleet providers.
PDR can be the best option for smaller dents, where the paint has not broken. These may be dents picked up from trolleys, car park dings, or those caused by hail and stones. It can also complement and be the first step in the process for a more wide-ranging dent repair, by preparing a damaged panel for repainting, minimising the use of filler.
What does Paintless Dent Repair involve?
Paintless dent repair is an expert procedure that requires a skilled repair technician. The technician needs to carefully manipulate precise locations of metal to the correct height. This is often done from the inside of the panel, using metal roads and body picks to massage out the dents, returning the panel to its original state in a completely paintless way. A deeper dent will need multiple stages of paintless dent repair to restore the panel to its original condition.
Fluorescent or LED lighting is often used to illuminate the damaged area. This helps the technician to visualise the dent as they work to repair it.
A variety of specialist tools used to gain access to the back
of dented panels. These carefully massage dents out from the inside.
What are the benefits of Paintless Dent Removal?
Paintless dent removal and repair is a popular method of car bodywork repair, due to its many benefits:
- It’s cost-effective
PDR is cheaper, in comparison to other dent repair services. This is due to it being fast, and the fact it doesn’t need any painting.
- You don’t need to claim on your insurance
Paintless Dent Removal is normally cheaper than your insurance excess. This means you won’t need to make a claim, helping you to keep your insurance premiums down.
- There’s no discolouration
With Paintless Dent Repair, you don’t need to worry about matching the paint colour. As your car’s bodywork remains unaltered by the dent and by restorative paint, it’s one less thing to worry about. At ChipsAway, 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 on your car./our-world/blog/2014/september/26/what-colour-is-my-car/
- It’s suitable for any size dent
PDR can work on dents of any size, even very small dings. But, it’s 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.
- It maintains your car’s value
Minor body damage can affect your car’s resale value. PDR is a great way to fix the damage and maintain the value of your car. It’s also ideal for antique cars where paint colour and finish matching can be more difficult.
- It’s used by leading car manufacturers
PDR is commonly used as a method of repair across the automotive industry. It is approved by leading car manufacturers as, an established repair technique.
Can ChipsAway carry out PDR?
In instances where a dent isn’t accessible from behind or has caused the paint to crack, we recommend a ChipsAway SMART repair instead.
Contact us for a free estimate on 0800 145 5118 or complete our online form here.
How Much Does a Paintless Dent Repair Cost?
Paintless Dent Repair and Removal is typically a cost-effective service. Small dent repairs such as the trolley and car park dings we mentioned earlier can start from as little as £50. Bigger repairs, for example, those that cover a large part of a body panel, those with multiple dents, or those near the edge of a panel are naturally more difficult and take a long time to repair. These types of repairs tend to cost a little more because of this.
For an accurate price on your repair get in touch with us now on 0800 145 5118 or by filling out this form to get a free, no-obligation estimate. Our no-obligation estimates take place either over the phone, after seeing photos of the damage, or assessing the damage in person dependent on the damage to your vehicle.
Does Paintless Dent Repair Really Work?
Paintless Dent Repair will be the best way to remove a dent from your vehicle in the majority of cases where the paintwork has not cracked, scuffed, or damaged in any other way. Paintless Dent Repair is also typically cheaper and quicker than other repair services like traditional dent repair, crack repair, and complete body panel replacement.
At ChipsAway we are so confident in and proud of our outstanding repairs that we offer a lifetime guarantee on the majority of our services. You can find out more about this guarantee here.
