subject: Paintless Dent Repair [print this page] The old reliable method of repairing these dents is to get a couple estimates from local body shops, which results in sticker-shock over the exorbitant cost of these repairs. The body shop method of repairing even small dents involves sanding the painted surface, filling the dent with body filler, sanding everything down, priming, painting and clearcoating. That's a lot of high-priced materials and paints and it's very time-consuming. But paintless dent repair is an alternative to the old tried-and-true methods. It uses virtually no materials and it is less time consuming, so it is less costly. Often the paintless dent repair technician can perform the repairs in your driveway without the vehicle spending any time in the shop so you don't even need to drop it off and find alternative transportation for a few days. The methods of paintless dent repair are quite simple, which is why it's less costly. The technician must gain access to the backside of the dent. If there is a dent in the hood, he needs to access the underside of the hood by possibly removing part of the underhood insulation blanket. If there is a dent in a fender, he needs to access the backside through the wheel well. If there is a dent in the door, he needs to roll down the window on the door to gain access to the backside of the dent. From the backside of the dent the technician uses plastic-tipped punches to gently but firmly push on the dent in order to work the metal back into a smooth surface, flush with the surrounding sheet metal. Once the dent is repaired, the technician re-assembles any parts that he's removed and the job is complete. Your vehicle is immediately back on the road and looking good as new.
