One of the most significant pieces of property you own is your car. Mother Nature can be unpredictable, but one thing is for certain: Your car can suffer damage from the elements. Many owners are left wondering how to make their car look as good as new again after a particularly severe hailstorm damages the paint job or surface dents.
Are you wondering how to repair hail damage car? If you have the right equipment and a lot of patience, it might be possible.
The best method for repairing hail damage to your car will be briefly discussed in this guide.
Can I Repair My Hail Damage Car?
Yes, but probably not; hail damage repair is a significant undertaking and is entirely dependent on the extent of the damage, your skill level, and the tools at your disposal. The most popular DIY repair options are listed below if you’re interested.
- Heat Gun Hail Repair – When a car gets a dent—and hail damage causes many dents—the metal surface stretches to some extent. You can use a quick heating and cooling technique to fix the stretch, take out the dent, and restore the car’s surface to its original appearance. Each dent can be heated on a medium or low setting with a heat gun before being quickly treated with a very cold element, like dry ice. The theory is that heat will soften the metal surface, and rapid cooling from the ice will make the metal contract, pushing the dent away from the car. However, this approach is not foolproof because overheating the vehicle’s surface can harm the paint and worsen the situation.
- Suction-Cup Pulling Tools – Suction cup-pulling tools are an additional, more accessible tool for repairing hail damage to automobiles. These tools can be directly suctioned to the dent, as suggested by their name, and then pulled up to smooth the surface of the car. This process can be physically taxing and time-consuming when there are numerous dents, so it must be done with extreme care.
How To Repair Hail Damage Car?
How to repair hail damage car:
Method 1: Heating And Cooling
The fact that car dents always stretch the metal just a little is one of their major drawbacks. For this reason, some people attempt the heating and cooling technique by first applying dry ice directly to the dent after using a hair dryer or heat gun in a medium-low setting. The idea is that heat slightly expands the metal, and rapid cooling quickly contracts it, causing the dented metal to pop back out.
Many experts will advise you against using this strategy because the results are inconsistent in practice. The issue could get worse if you apply too much heat to your paint. Applying heat should be done with extreme caution if you do try this method. Keep the surface of the car from getting any hotter than you can handle.
Method 2: Pushing Tools
For repairing hail damage, most bodywork specialists use long-handled, thin-metal pushing tools. These instruments, which are typically sold in kits, are made to reach inside or beneath body panels and gently, gradually, and repeatedly push on the dent’s underside until it disappears.
These tools are typically made to push in quick, gentle pulses, removing the dent a little bit at a time, as opposed to applying continuous pressure. This is much easier said than done, so if you lack dexterity and don’t appreciate the finesse, don’t try it.
Method 3: Pulling Tools
With pulling-based dent removal kits like this one, many do-it-yourselfers have experienced great success. In addition to a variety of plastic plungers made to anchor to the dented area of the car, they also include an adjustable pulling handle and a glue gun. They are undoubtedly safer and simpler to use than the pushing tools used by professionals in the bodywork industry. However, in order to achieve good results with pulling tools, one must use them with a hand that is extremely gentle and cautious.
The dented area is covered with a plastic plunger that is the proper size and shape and is glued in. After that, the handle is attached to it, enabling the application of light pressure from the outside. Similar to push-based repairs, pulling needs to be done in a long series of tiny pressure applications rather than one continuous pull.
Related Reading: How Do I Remove Fog From My Car?
Why Should You Trust An Auto Body Shop For Car Repair?
Many people fear that visiting an auto body shop will result in overpaying for repairs and leaving them without a vehicle for a long time. Fortunately, that isn’t always the case, and there are several reasons why you should take your car to a reputable auto body shop for hail damage repair.
- Modern Repair Equipment: Professional auto body shops can use paintless dent repair (PDR) to repair the majority of hail damage. During the PDR procedure, skilled technicians must work to push each individual dent from beneath the surface of the vehicle using metal rods of various sizes and shapes.
- Technicians with high certifications: When you allow an auto body shop to repair any dents or hail damage to your car, you are receiving services from highly skilled, qualified, and expert-level technicians who have the knowledge and resources needed to complete the task successfully.
- Repair Guarantee: Depending on where you bring your car, a lot of auto body shops offer repair warranties. In most cases, this denotes a lifetime warranty on the repair’s quality, or for however long you own the vehicle.
- Simple Insurance Claims Although coordinating the entire repair process with your insurer can be a hassle, an auto body shop can. Your freshly fixed car only needs to be dropped off and picked up.
- Several options for repairs Numerous options for fixing the hail damage to your car will be offered by a reputable auto body shop. Your car might need a number of different repairs, including paintless dent removal, crack filling, filler/glazing, or replacement of the affected body panels, depending on the severity of the damage.
Does Hail Damage Fall Under Insurance?
Depending on the policy, an insurer may or may not pay to repair hail damage to your car. However, the most fundamental factor is whether or not you have liability, comprehensive, or collision insurance.
- As the name implies, collision coverage only pays for harm brought on by collisions with other cars or objects. Repair of hail damage is not included in this coverage.
- But comprehensive insurance will pay for damage to your car from non-collision incidents like fire, natural disasters, and yes, hail.
- In the event of a car accident in which you hurt or damage another person’s property or another vehicle, liability coverage will safeguard you. Repairs for hail damage are not included in this.
What your deductible is is another crucial thing to look into, regardless of the type of auto insurance you have. Paying out of pocket could be more cost-effective depending on your deductible and the extent of the hail damage.
How Much Does it Cost to Repair Hail Damage Cars?
So, how much does it cost to repair hail damage cars? The amount to be spent on fixing dents caused by hail will entirely depend on their size and severity. Cost estimates generally follow:
- Between $30-45 per small dent
- Between $45-55 per medium dent
- Over $75 per large dent
Who Is Responsible For Repairing Hail Damage Cars?
Basic auto ownership requirements include having auto insurance. Having insurance for your car is a requirement. What sort of coverage is necessary, though, to guarantee that hail damage is also covered?
Since hailstorms are frequent and can appear out of nowhere in states like Texas and Colorado, it is unquestionably advisable to get a comprehensive insurance plan. Because you are covered regardless of how severe the hail damage is, having a comprehensive plan gives you peace of mind. However, if you don’t have complete insurance, you might have to foot the bill for every repair.
A comprehensive plan and a collision-only plan are very different from one another when comparing various auto insurance options. A collision plan will not cover any damage resulting from “acts of nature” or non-collision fiascos.
Also, in Texas and Colorado, it is entirely legal for an independent vehicle repair shop to cover your deductible, which is great news for you! Reputable repair shops, such as storms, can also help you manage the entire insurance claim process.
To the extent that you don’t actually have to deal with the insurance company yourself thanks to our assistance, In order to ensure that the insurance provider pays for the full extent of the damage, as it should, StormWise specializes in and has experience with hail damage.
However, the insurance adjuster’s initial assessment of the damage is frequently wrong. Due to the lack of on-site adjuster inspections of vehicle damage, this has become a recurring theme since the COVID pandemic began. Although trying to complete the process on your own is undoubtedly more difficult, here is a useful guide to help with claim filing.
Where To Get Professional Help?
PDR is frequently available for small ding repair at regular body shops, but they are typically not the best choice for fixing hail damage to your vehicles.
This is due to the fact that when a storm hits, they are not prepared to handle the high volume of hail repair requests.
The wait time can be quite long, with several waiting months before they get to you, as most body shops only have one or two technicians for paintless dent repair. Additionally, the repair procedure itself could take weeks or even longer!
On the other hand, specialty auto hail repair businesses provide quick work in addition to many other advantages.
For instance, storms almost never have a waiting period because we are the top company in the US with a sizable network of PDR technicians.
To ensure that every client’s hail repair experience is as easy as possible, in addition to quick repairs and high-quality results, we provide the following advantages:
1. Unrestricted pickup and delivery: We provide this free service to all of our clients because we recognize that sometimes it’s simpler for us to pick up the car than for you to drop it off at the repair shop.
2. Free rental car: If you don’t have rental car coverage through your insurance, we’ll give you one (up to $35/day rental fee coverage) without charge.
3. Lifetime warranty: For every dent, we remove from your car, we provide a lifetime warranty to demonstrate our commitment to quality.
4. Deductible coverage: Since we are a small business, we want to save our clients money by covering their deductible out of our own earnings for hail damage repair. In Colorado, taxes, and in the majority of other states, this is not illegal.
5. reputable insurance retailer With more than 20 years of experience in hail repair, StormWise has developed a solid rapport with the majority of insurance providers. Because of our reputation and high standards, many insurance companies use our estimate for the insurance claim payout directly, making the filing of your insurance claim a straightforward process.
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FAQs
How Do You Reverse Hail Damage?
Dry Ice. This is most likely the simplest method of repairing hail damage. Due to its extreme cold, holding dry ice close to dents can cause them to pop out. You might see it pop back into place if you move the ice around the dent to make it extremely cold.
Is It Worth Fixing Hail Damage on a Car?
Hail damage significantly lowers the value of your car, as you might expect. It often decreases the value by more than the cost of repairs. So, if you try to cut costs by skipping hail repair, you’re probably going to end up spending more money in the long run.
Can the Sun Fix Hail Damage?
This is due to the metal on your car’s body warming up in the sunlight. If you’re lucky, expanding metal may make the dents pop back out and go away as the metal warms up. Parking your vehicle for just one week in the hot sun may eliminate up to 90 percent of the dents caused by hail.
Why Are Hail Damaged Cars So Cheap?
Dealerships will often have a contract with a company specializing in Paintless Dent Repair, resulting in a “wholesale” price for each car damaged in the storm. Like any other owner, the dealership insures each vehicle, including the deductible!).
