Hail storms can cause serious damage to your vehicle. Even just one hailstone can cause a major dent, or can break or crack windshields, mirrors, or headlights. According to the National Weather Services, hair damage leaves an estimated $1 billion in damage each year across the United States. However, with the right insurance coverage, you can have all of your auto hail damage repaired at no extra cost to you. If you live in an area that is prone to hail storms or other serious weather conditions, you should consider an auto insurance option that covers the cost of repairs in the event of damage.
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Hail forms when raindrops freeze and form small blocks of ice, often smaller than an inch in diameter. As these raindrops fall through the sky, they can gather more and more layers of ice, growing in size. In rare occasions, these frozen blocks of ice can reach the size of a softball or a grapefruit.
If you are concerned about hail, you can take steps to prevent damage to your vehicle:
Without insurance, hail damage can add up to thousands of dollars in repair costs. If you live in an area where hail and other winter weather is likely, you should consider purchasing insurance to help you cover these costs in the event of damage to your vehicle.
With the right insurance, all of your hail damage can be repaired at no cost to you. For more information about car insurance options and to learn about the best type of insurance to purchase to meet your needs, visit the auto hail repair website of Chicago car insurance agents -- Insure On the Spot.
I have been repairing dents for 15 years as a PDR technician. Running a route I make $85k plus a year consistently now. Just those two statements are enough to tell you paintless dent repair (PDR) works. How can someone last that long in business and earns that kind of money unless the process he/she is involved in works?
The process of removing dents is a simple one, yet difficult to grasp if not taught properly. The PDR process is about massaging the damage out from the panel's non-finished surface. Specialty tools are used, and it takes a technician with a lot of patience and practice to remove dents to perfection. Every ding or dent is going to be different than the next. And although the way we approach each dent repair is similar, the repair process for each one changes as the needs of the repair change.
I use a specialized light to "read" the damage. The light is built to give me optimum visibility of the damage. If I can not see the damage, how am I going to choose the correct tool to repair it, and how am I going to know where to place that tool? The light and vision are important.
So if you need a PDR tech to repair some damage on your car, go to the best body shop in your area (known for quality and integrity) and ask if their PDR tech does retail work. Most are going to tell you yes, otherwise the wouldn't be known for their quality and integrity. You will pay anywhere from 35-60 percent of a body shop estimate (standard body repair involving paintwork) for the repair to be done right with PDR. If someone is willing to charge you less you should question why. The tech is either new, not good, or is not busy. Each of those possibilities are enough to scare you away and find a different PDR tech.
DRY ICE PDR?
The short answer here is no.
The longer answer is every dent is different and dry ice may help you, but the odds are against it working. If the metal (dent) is stretched, the dry ice can not bring the damage back to presentable. Not to mention dry ice can physically damage the paint. If you put something that is naturally sub zero temperature and apply it to something that is room temp, the change is dramatic and harsh.
Dry ice is dangerous and why tempt hurting yourself over fifty bucks spent on a PDR tech fixing it? The time you spend tracking down dry ice, learning to use it and then actually trying it you could have had a PDR guy fix it cheaper.
Last but not least:
How About That Glue Stuff I See on TV?
Does this stuff work? Much like the dry ice idea, this repair technique is very dependent upon the variables of the damage. With the kits you can buy on TV and some websites on line, the variables have to be pretty straight forward to have a good repair.
Dent can not be stretched.
Shouldn't cross a body line.
Do not use is on repainted areas, as it can pull the paint off.
Must be clean of wax and impurities.
You can save some money if you use alternative methods to repair the damage on your own. The best bet to repair the damage on your own would be a "pops a dent" kit or something similar to that...
Good Luck!