How to Repair Hail Damage in Arlington, TX

Hail Damage Repair Arlington TX has serviced a lot of hail damage appraisals and fixes in the Houston and Dallas area. It is unfortunate to see a car get damaged by the weather but we know that does not mean the car cannot be repaired. To begin, get yourself started on the appraisal process!

Average Appraisal Process

Whether you are in the Fort Worth or Frisco area,  Hail Damage Repair Arlington TX  can help get you started on appraisals. The first thing you need to do for repairs is getting an appraisal done. Processes will vary depending on insurances but here’s a list to give you an idea:

1. Contact your car insurance provider to see if the repairs may be covered by your policy.
2. Through an appraisal company that your insurance provider approves of, have the damages appraised.
3. Clean the exterior of your car so you can get the best estimate possible.
4. Be prepared to be without a car – depending on the severity of the damage – because you can be without your car for a few days to a few weeks.
5. Send the appraisal to your insurance company and see if they are willing to pay for any of the expenses.
6. Your insurance company may require you to pay a deductible.

An appraisal for Hail Damage Repair Arlington TX can take 30 to 45 minutes normally. Before getting an appraisal, make sure to follow step three. Dirt can hide damage and hinder your total estimate. So, how much does hail damage normally cost?

Hail Damage Repair Cost

The final cost of repairing hail damage can vary on the type of insurance you have and the extent of the damages. However, Hail Damage Repair Dallas TX has an average breakdown that you could reference as a guideline:

• Small sized dents: Small dents can cost about $30-$45 per dent. These dents would normally be located on parts of the car such as the trunk, hood, corner panels, front doors, and fenders.
• Medium-sized dents: These dents could potentially cost around $40-$55 per dent.
• Large-size dents: Approximately, you’ll be spending $75-$80 per dent for larger ones.
• Certain repair techniques used in hard-to-reach areas can range from $60-$65 per dent if they are relatively small.

Once the appraisal has been done and finances have been arranged, next up will be to fix the car. Hail Damage Repair Arlington TX knows of multiple techniques that can be used to repair hail damage in DeSoto and the surrounding areas!

5 Hail Damage Repair Techniques

Hail Damage Repair Arlington TX understands that a one-size-fits-all mentality is not how it works for repairing damages. In fact, there are at least five techniques that can be used!

1. Paintless dent repair (PDR): PDR is one of the most common techniques used for hail damage repair. Basically, the process begins with getting behind the dent using special tools and massaging the dent out without having to paint the outside of the surface of the car. The method is mainly used on parts that are not commonly replaced such as roofs and quarter panels. The tools needed for this method are not cheap and it requires much practice to perform PDR.
2. Body filler: Another repair technique is using body filler. There are a handful of steps to correctly perform this technique:
   1. The repair area needs to be cleaned well.
   2. With a dual action sander, grind metal on the repair area to remove coatings.
   3. The paint edges would then need to be feather edged.
   4. Prepare the repair area for the body filler by blowing compressed airing it.
   5. Apply the mixed body filler on the repair area that is metal, not the paint.
   6. With grit sandpaper, block sand the body filler.

Here’s a tip from Hail Damage Arlington TX – it is important to not overheat the metal when grinding. Using body filler is best for small dents.

3. Remove and replace (R&R): Is not uncommon for most parts to be replaced instead of repaired. This is alright since the removal of parts instead of repairing them can be more cost efficient. Some parts that are more easily removed than repaired include fenders, trunks, hoods, and lids.
4. Raising metal with heat: This is an old-school method that is fast. However, it’s best to use on older cars instead of newer vehicles. The metal on new vehicles is a little too thin and overheating can make the metal wrap. Carefully follow the process below:
   1. In a spiral motion, use a torch to heat the metal around the dent.
   2. Make the spiral motions start from the outside of the dent and work towards the center.
   3. When the metal has risen, use a body hammer to lightly tap on the high area to relax the metal.
   4. Determine if the dent is gone by examining the metal level with a body filecross-filee.

You’ll know that the dent has been repaired if there is not a dimple with paint in it. The area will be high right now but it will flatten back out to a flat level surface once the metal cools.

1. 1. Touch up the repair by priming, painting, blocking, and feather edging the paint.
2. Finish glaze: This is a common hail damage repair method that is alternative to the PDR method. It doesn’t take much practice and it can be learned very easily. Again, this is best for small dents. The method focuses more on putting glaze putty onto the paint proper adherence instead of grinding down to the metal.Take it from us at Hail Damage Repair Arlington TX that before you begin, you should make sure the paint service is in good condition. You don’t want to sand through a clear coat. One of the best reasons why this is a common method to use is because it saves time from grinding and feather edging. Another bonus is that the corrosion protection from the factory e-coat is not removed. That way, you don’t have to worry about using primers for corrosion protection. There are several steps to this process:
   1. Make sure the repair area is properly clean.
   2. Identify all of the hail damage.
   3. Be careful to not sand through the clear coat, use a dual action sander to sand the hail dense areas down to ensure proper adhesion.
   4. With compressed air, blow off the repair areas.
   5. With grease remover and wax, clean the surface.
   6. Take finish glaze and apply it to the surface in a thin coat layer.
   7. With the grit sandpaper, block sand the finish glaze.

The techniques used at Hail Damage Repair Arlington TX can make a small scratch to a golf-ball dent disappear!

Don’t Let Hail Ruin Your Car
It can be a bummer to find that your car has been damaged by hail. Despite the frustration, you can feel confident in knowing what to expect, the cost, and methods that will be used to correct the issue. At the end of it, your car will look brand-new!

If you are in Plano or surrounding areas, stop by Hail Damage Repair Arlington TX to see what we can do for you!