The more that you look at collision reports and study the frequencies of automotive accidents, the more you begin to realize that roadways are warzones, and even the most defensive of drivers will have their hands full trying to steer clear of damages. Whether you find yourself inching through chaotic car-parks, or struggling to keep your wheels pointed straight as storms savage your car’s exterior, you are very likely to take a ding or dent to your vehicle at some point in your life.
Dings and dents are very similar entities, with the only difference between the two being their respective severity. Dings are usually small, and difficult to notice without direction, strong squinting, or powerful lighting. They can often be smaller than the size of an eraser’s head. Conversely, you will notice a dent. Dents are the result of moderate collisions, stray shopping carts, or carelessly careening into a tree or light post. Dents are never pleasant to look at, and can reduce the value of your vehicle significantly. Worse still, auto body shops‘ attempts at dent removal can be costly, and risk leaving you with a poor colour match when the stock paint used to cover the damage doesn’t quite meet the original hue. If you need a dent removed and are considering a paintless dent removal technician, read on for a discussion of some of the process’s pros and cons.
PDR Pros
• Paintless dent removal costs less -The paintless dent removal (PDR) process typically requires less tools, resources, and manpower than a conventional autobody shop would recruit for the job, and this difference is reflected in the cost. Not needing to find the perfect paint hue also helps minimize the cost of effort and material incurred by the customer. By cutting out sanding, painting, priming, and clear-coating, you cut costs as well.
• Paintless dent removal is fast – Many people neglect to have damages to their cars repaired because they cannot afford to limit their mobility by locking their car in an autobody shop for days. With PDR, there is no need to make this sacrifice, as the job can often be completed within a single day. You can even opt to pass the time in the waiting room, and be driving your car out of the shop in no time.
• Results are often equal to traditional bodyshop methods – Though this process is gentle and non-intrusive, PDR still packs enough punch to knock out the deepest of dents. PDR techniques are so effective that they often render dings and dents completely invisible.
• PDR keeps your car’s frame intact – PDR techniques involve the use of specialized tools to slip behind damaged panels and gently massage them back into their original shape. Because you are avoiding the need for any intrusive body-work or disruption of the original panels, your resale value won’t budge, and your car’s structural integrity will stay as strong as ever.
PDR Cons
• Surface scratches are unaffected by PDR treatments – Paintless dent removal is sought after because it avoids having to re-paint your vehicle, but this also means that any scratches or scuffs caused by friction from the denting impact will remain. Many PDR companies will be willing to correct these damages, but these services will often be offered in addition to their dent-removal.
• Plastic bumpers are ineligible for treatment – Plastic may be a universally adored material, but it does car owners little favours when trying to fix plastic bumpers. Because stiff plastic is more prone to crack and break than bend, PDR is rarely a viable option for treating damages to plastic bumpers.
• You can only fix what you can reach – Many body panels will not be accessible to special PDR tools, and in these cases there is little that can be done aside from traditional intrusive replacement methods.