4 Useful Tips When Doing Body Repairs: A Guide for Car Owners
Whether it is a minor scratch on the door, a dent to the side or full-blown body damage due to an accident, damage to your car's bodywork is not only visually unappealing but also costly regarding repair. Notably, you are likely to pay high insurance premiums if your vehicle has glaring dents. This article offers some useful tips when doing body repairs.
Paintless Dent Repairs (PDR) -- Small dents or scratches can always be repaired without the need for painting. You also don't have to apply body fillers or sand the surface; therefore, you should save a lot of time and money on this form of repair. Surface imperfections are removed without disturbing the exterior panel of the vehicle. You should look for a skilled technician if you want an excellent PDR since all repairs do not pan out the same. However, this fix is only limited to smaller areas below three inches or the width of a debit card. PDR can be completed in one day, and it is environmentally-friendly because no toxic paints are discharged into the environment.
Compare Auto-Body Repair Rates -- Car repair companies charge different rates for almost similar repairs. Notably, fabricated innovations in body panels have made auto body repairs more expensive. Therefore, compare prices online or by visiting several repair shops. After settling on a repair shop, make sure that your final bill reflects the quoted amount.
DIY Repairs or Scratches -- Minor scratches and chips can be repaired by car owners without taking a vehicle to a garage. For example, sand the surface with fine grit sandpaper and clean the surface with soapy water. After the surface is dry, apply touch-up paint that should match that of the vehicle body panel. The paint code is often found on the door jamb. After the paint has dried, apply a thin coat of rubbing/polishing compound using a circular fashion.
Replace Damaged Parts -- Most repair services charge hourly rates for auto body works. Like sculpting, such repairs can take a great deal of time running into thousands of dollars in repair costs. An alternative is to replace the entire part if the value of the purchase is less than that of repairing. Also, a repair expert might find out that after performing the bodywork, the damaged area does not blend flawlessly with the rest of the exterior panel. In such a case, you might be advised to consider replacing the entire part.