PDR

In this blog we will go through some of the frequently asked questions regarding Paintless Dent Repair, or PDR for short.
What is PDR?

As mentioned, PDR stands for Paintless Dent Repair (or Removal). This is a specialist technique for removing dents rather than the traditional repair method of filling and respraying a panel. Although an excellent repair technique, it can be very limited.

What is the limitations of PDR?

It depends on a few things. The dent mustn’t be too severe, otherwise it might be more economical to repair and respray the dented panel. Sometimes the PDR technician doesn’t have the access behind the dented panel to repair the dent. Issues such as a double skinned panel or a dent which is too close to the edge or possibly a door crash bar which is in the way of the tools.  Even if there is access behind the panel, the technician still needs to be able to work comfortably on the dent otherwise the repair won’t be acceptable.

How long does it take for a dent repair using PDR?

Again it depends on all the above factors. Providing we gain access with no issues and the dent is small and non complex, then it could be repaired within an hour. Or if the panel is aluminium it takes longer to remove dents. If the dent has a crease and fairly difficult to get into, then these contribute also and sometimes it could take hours to repair or more.

Is the cost of PDR cheaper than respraying?

Almost always. Although we have customers who want to keep their original paint on the car. This is understandable of course. They are prepared to spend the correct money to prevent it being painted, but 99% of the time it’s cheaper. The reason being, is that we only focus on the dent rather than the full panel if paintwork was required. Along with this, any adjacent panels that would need time spent for blending colour if it was a repair to paint method. Learn more about body repair, blending and respraying in our blog here.

Will Paintless Dent Repair completely remove the dent?

That’s the aim, unless otherwise agreed with the customer. Sometimes the customer is happy knowing it may not be perfect, providing it’s a lot cheaper than repairing and painting their car again. When we agree this with a customer, we always aim to get the dent looking pretty good, to a point where you would need to be searching for where the dent used to be.

I see glue pullers for sale online or in some auto shops. Do these work?

Not really. There is a lot of training and practice needed to become competent in the art of PDR. Once trained, you will need to spend weeks or even months before being able to master PDR.

If it’s too good to be true, then it probably isn’t. But the reality is, if you pay cheap, you pay twice. Not only that, but if you make a mess of the dent, then it could take the technician longer to fix.

What I would say though, is if you have a larger dent and you wanted to ‘take the eye’ of the damage, then sometimes you can pull most of it out, but it won’t be perfect. Usually though, you can ‘pop’ a lot of damage out of a bumper because it’s plastic. However, you can’t ‘pop’ dents out of metal unless in the odd occasion they are very large, hollow dents. But again, it will still need tidied up but most occasions it will need painted.

 

Looking for high quality car repairs near you? We offer numerous services to keep your car looking great and running smoothly from our headquarters in Cambuslang, Glasgow.

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Call us on 0333 002 0128 or visit our website for more information www.dentzap.co.uk

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