How does paintless dent removal work?

It’s a familiar scenario for many of us; we're out on the road as a big storm rolls in, pelting the defenceless car with golf ball-size hailstones that make the roof and bonnet panels also look like (flattened-out) golf balls.

Hail damage is increasingly common. So too are dents from shopping trolleys or doors of adjacent cars flung wide open by over-exuberant children.

For the owner of the damaged vehicle these small dents are a source of anger and frustration. And savings dwindle as owners fork out continuously to cover their comprehensive insurance excess. There's the inconvenience too, leaving the car at the repair shop for days at a time.

But wait, there is a solution.

With small-dent damage seemingly on the rise, the paintless dent repair (PDR) guys are also rising to the occasion.

Focussing mainly on small (but disfiguring) damage, PDR looks like a godsend to car owners faced with a decision whether to repair superficial damage, or simply swallow it and accept the tarnishing and the reduced value that comes at trade-in time.

Simply, PDR enables the repair of a dent varying from a pin-prick to dinner plate-size quickly, cheaply, and without need of a workshop or painting facility. And, done properly, there is no indication whatsoever of repair work.

Tools used by PDR practitioners include metal rods and body picks to access and push out the dent from the inner side of the damaged panel. Access from the rear, for example in a door with intrusion barriers, can often be an issue. Special lighting is often used to illuminate and spot ripples in the surface of the panel as it is being repaired.

The system enables the repairer to virtually push the metal back to its original shape in a non-invasive manner that leaves the paint intact and the dent nothing but a sour memory.

That’s in an ideal case. Unfortunately, not every situation, when it comes to any sort of panel repairs, is ideal. There are limits to what can be repaired by PDR, relating to both the scale and location of the damage.

While it is pretty certain that a small dimple with no paint damage can be repaired without any sign that is was there in the first place, more complex – but still seemingly small – damage such as creasing, heavily scratched paint (light scratches can often be polished out), location at the edges of a panel or in awkward places where the metal has been significantly stretched, limits or even prevents the use of PDR.

Generally, PDR is most effective where the paint has not been damaged, the dents are easily accessible from behind, and no previous repairs have occurred in the same place.

Although the outcomes are not always perfect, and the skills are not necessarily available to owners of older – but still valuable – cars, PDR is the first option to explore if you think the damage might be repairable using this minimally invasive technology.

The main advantages of paintless dent removal

There are a couple of things to consider before commissioning a PDR practitioner to fix your car: It might not always be possible, but many repairers offer a free assessment and quote which is a good idea if you want to have an idea of the expense involved. It will invariably be a lot less than a full body-shop repair, and you should ensure there is a lifetime guarantee on the work. Reputable repairers offer this as a matter of course.

PDR can actually be traced back something like 80 years when systems were developed to fix small damage caused on production lines, usually on high-price prestige brands.

Modern PDR is a little different, because it more or less relies on current paint and panel technology to work effectively. That is why most PDR practitioners say that cars built more than 20 years ago are less likely to be responsive to their techniques because of less resilient paints and the use of thicker sheet metal in the body panels.