Hailstorms can be pretty intimidating at the best of times, but any North Texas local will tell you that they’re just part of life around here once storm season rolls in. Texas is America’s hail damage capital, so if you leave your car exposed to the elements at the wrong time, don’t be surprised if it ends up covered in golf ball-sized dents.
You might automatically assume that the only way to fix the damage is with traditional bodywork. But while that is an option, it’s usually the more expensive and time-consuming process that involves a whole lot of unnecessary repainting. So if you’re looking to avoid unnecessary overspending, paintless dent repair is often the better alternative for its affordability and speed.
Most People Think PDR Is Only for Tiny Dings
When you hear “paintless dent repair”, you might think it’s only used for repairing tiny dings from your occasional shopping cart mishap or parking lot bump. Actually, though, PDR is used to fix a huge chunk of hail damage repairs all over North Texas every year.
As long as the paint surface is still intact, a professional Texas-based PDR company like TrueForm Dent Repair can usually get rid of dents without doing any sanding, fillers, or repainting.
Modern PDR techniques can often fix up to hundreds of dents across a vehicle and leave the original factory finish still intact. And that’s a really important point, as factory paint will usually hold up far better over time than a dodgy repaint job.
Traditional Bodywork Isn’t Always Better
A lot of folks assume that traditional body shops will always give you a better-looking, more permanent result. But that’s not necessarily true.
Traditional repairs usually mean sanding panels, applying filler, repainting, and blending paint across nearby areas. And that sort of repair work can affect your car’s resale value if the repaint work shows up on your vehicle history reports. Color matching is another problem altogether, especially if you’ve got an older vehicle that has been exposed to the Texas sun for a few years.
PDR sidesteps all those issues because the technician is actually reshaping the original panel instead of replacing or covering it.
Insurance Companies Usually Love PDR
Another big misconception is that insurance companies don’t like paintless dent repair. But actually, in a lot of hail claims, they’re pretty keen on PDR because it’s usually cheaper and faster than traditional bodywork.
PDR also uses fewer replacement parts and repainting materials, which can help speed up the claims process, so you can get your vehicle back on the road even faster in the middle of a busy hail season. And don’t be fooled – just because the insurance adjuster recommends a particular repair shop, that doesn’t mean you have to go with them. You’re within your rights to choose the people you trust.
Ultimately, PDR can be cheaper and faster than traditional bodywork, making it the preferred method of hail repair. That said, it’s not suitable for all situations, so make sure to choose a repair shop that will be honest about when PDR makes sense and when you actually do need traditional repairs.
