In this picture, Mike was asked to remove dents on a freezer door that had been damaged in transit. The back side of the door had great access as the panel was not installed yet. Mike was able to get a tool to the dents and work them out. However, the greater challenge was the extra time required to complete the job, as the metal was very thick compared to auto sheet metal and did not allow for easy pushing.

Granted, this refrigerator door did have some open panels since it offered easy access, but keep in mind that we generally do not work on household appliances. It’s often very difficult if not impossible to get a tool onto the backside of such items. And glue-pulling is hit or miss, on stainless steel especially, if the dent is sharp.

In this 1961 Cooper, Michael was asked to remove a crease in the hood panel, and found the work to be quite easy thanks to the large access points at the wheels. The bigger challenge was with the paint, as it was fairly brittle and could have cracked easily if not careful. The metal on some of these classic bodies can be quite sensitive as well.

Great care was taken on this repair, and another satisfied customer is running around in circles once again.

In this picture, Michael had an opportunity to work on a1956 Maserati racecar, with a dent in the back that was about the size of a dinner plate. Of course, once you get past the idea that you’re working on such a special vehicle (estimated value at that time was around $1,000,000), it’s easier to get the job done correctly. This car had an aluminum body, and favorable access to the dent, so pushing the dent out would be similar to any other car you’ll work with. The obvious difference, of course, is that when you complete the work, you’ll have a much better story to tell.

Some things to keep in mind when considering having your hail claim repaired. Most people don’t really take a lot of time when considering a repair facility when they’re ready to bring their vehicle back to pre-incident condition.

Often, after a damaging hail storm, storm chasers from out of state descend upon the community to repair hail damaged vehicles. Your insurance company may even try to force you to take your vehicle to a specific body shop where they may have favorable pricing agreements. In certain shops, they may have out of state hail technicians that travel from storm to storm. These hail-chasers often are not concerned about quality and will be gone should you need to contact them for any issues concerning the repairs or if there is a problem. The worst kind of places to take your vehicle are temporary shops that set up in makeshift conditions. These techs are simply looking for a piece of the action and often are not concerned with doing quality work, and may just be hoping to make your car look different enough to get your money. If a technician tries to deliver your vehicle outdoors in the bright sunlight, insist on inspecting the vehicle inside, under fluorescent lighting. It’s much easier to see any imperfections under proper conditions.

At Dents By Hand, we will continue to be here after the storm and we have numerous local references available. Our workmanship is guaranteed and we are fully insured. Feel free to stop by our shop and see just how we do our repairs. We would be happy to answer any further questions for you or demonstrate the process.

We have been in the hail industry since 1996 and are experienced in dealing with insurance claims as our process is widely welcomed by the insurance community. We will be glad to give you a written estimate for the repair of your hail damage and work directly with your insurance company.

My car was damaged in the hail storm. How do I proceed?

The first thing to do is to contact your insurance company and start a comprehensive claim. You will be informed where to take your car or truck in order to have the damage assessed by an insurance adjuster. If the insurance company is overwhelmed with claims, they will set up a CAT (short for ‘catastrophe’) site to offer estimates. In those cases, having a previous estimate before you visit the CAT site will generally be ignored by the adjusters. They will address any discrepancies through a supplement process once the vehicle repairs are initiated.

I am meeting with my adjuster, now what?

Allow the adjuster to inspect your car and write an estimate to repair the damages. This estimate may not be accurate, as it is just an estimate. When you have your car repaired, any difference between the amount of the estimate and the final invoice will be resolved between the repairing vendor and the insurance company by means of a supplement.

The insurance adjuster will most likely encourage you to have your car repaired by one of their preferred vendors. Remember, it is your choice to have your car repaired by the person or business of your choice. It is illegal for an insurance company or their representative to require you to have your car repaired by any specific vendor. It is not uncommon for the preferred vendors to have representatives present at insurance company claim centers. Do not be pressured into using one of these vendors if you are not comfortable with them.

I’ve got my check, now what?

Most insurance companies will issue you a check once they have estimated the damage to your car. It is not uncommon for the amount of the estimate/check to be substantially less than the actual cost of repairs when repaired by a reputable vendor not on the insurance companies’ preferred list. It has been speculated that this is a tactic of insurance companies to minimize the cost of the claim. If you do not repair your car and you cash the check, you are, in effect, settling the claim for the amount of the estimate, when the actual amount could (and probably should) be substantially higher.

While it is tempting to just cash the check and not have your car repaired, there are consequences to consider before doing so. One consequence could be that in the event of a future damage claim the insurance company may reduce the amount paid on that claim by the amount previously paid for hail damage not repaired. Also, if the claim amount is not applied to any liens against the vehicle, then the vehicle value would not be sufficient to satisfy the lien in the event the vehicle is sold or traded.

Because the technician is working the dent from the painted side, the condition of the paint is a very important factor. The paint must be its original factory finish with no chips or scratches in the dent.

We generally use this technique only when we can’t get a tool on the backside of the dents. It’s especially effective for hail damage. Other factors that make glue pulling difficult is the sharpness of the dent and any irregular shapes to the dent.

The timeframe can also be important, as bumpers that have only been damaged for a short time are much easier to fix. The longer the dent is in, the more difficult the repairs will be. This is due to daytime heating and overnight cooling, as the bumper tends to harden into its new shape. Also, if the damage is severe enough to actually crack the bumper, or too much of the paint has been damaged, then normal PDR techniques will offer little hope of returning the bumper to its original condition. However, if the dent is in a good spot for a tool, the first push can typically be the best one.

In this example, the dent was in the corner of the bumper, as you can see, so getting a tool behind it wasn’t too difficult. After heating up the bumper to make it more flexible, I worked the dent out carefully as I didn’t want the tool to slip onto the back of the fog light. Once there, it just needed a few more pushes to relieve the area around the dent, and then the final product looks as good as new.

So basically, as long as the dent on the corner of a plastic bumper is fresh and the paint is undamaged, then PDR is a great solution for bumper repairs. Prices will range from $75 to$100.