Hail Damage Repair: How Hail Affects Your Car & How DKN America’s Body Shop Can Help

A hailstorm can transform a car in a matter of minutes. Small ice pellets may seem harmless when they land on the ground but when they hit a car at speed they can leave dents across the bonnet, roof, boot and doors. Larger hail can crack glass, chip paint and do damage that is not always visible upon a quick inspection. The frustrating aspect for vehicle owners is that hail damage can happen even when a car is parked safely outside. After the storm, the next step is to assess how much damage has occurred and what needs to be repaired. Body Shop Auto Hail Damage Repair at DKN America ensures your car is expertly evaluated and restored.

What to Do When Hail Hits Your Car

The amount of damage caused by hail will depend on a number of factors such as the size of the hail stones, the force of impact, wind conditions and the part of the vehicle that is struck. A light storm can leave some scattered dents but a more serious one can affect almost every exposed body panel. Usually the roof and bonnet are most vulnerable because they are pointing upwards and are hit directly. Dents can also be made in the boot lid and upper parts of the doors. A car that looks relatively unscathed from a distance may have a huge number of little dents that become apparent when sunlight glances across the paintwork. Glass is another worry. Large hailstones can chip or crack windshields or damage side windows or break other exposed glass surfaces. When the glass is broken, the damage is more than cosmetic. Cracks can impact visibility and potentially worsen with changes in temperature or vehicle movement. Don’t overlook paint damage either. An impact can chip the paint or damage the protective finish, possibly exposing the underlying material to moisture and corrosion. The seriousness of the problem depends on the type of effect and the condition of the existing paint.

Why You Should Not Ignore Small Dents

Not all hail damage needs a lot of bodywork, but it's worth having the vehicle checked out before you assume the damage is only cosmetic. A shallow dent with undamaged paint can possibly be repaired without repainting the panel. A deeper impact, a sharp crease or damage with chipped paint may require a different repair technique. When a vehicle has been in multiple impacts, the repair process can be more than one area, but multiple panels. Then there’s the resale value question. Visible dents can affect the look of a car to potential buyers especially when the damage is across the roof and bonnet. Professional repair can improve the vehicle’s look and help to address the damage before the owner chooses to sell or trade it in.

How Car Hail Damage Repair Works

Repairing hail damage is more than just pushing dents out of the bodywork. The technician will have to check out the damaged panels, check the paint and decide how to replace the shape of the vehicle. If the paint is still good, then appropriate dents may be repaired using paintless dent repair. This process uses special tools to gently persuade the metal back into its original shape, without the need for conventional filling and repainting. If the damage and panel condition allow, the factory paint finish can be preserved.

DKN America’s Body Shop - Bring Your Car Back to Life

Hail damage can be minor, such as a few shallow dents, or extensive, affecting body panels, paintwork and glass. If it is not evaluated the small problems may become more difficult to handle especially if the paint has been compromised or the glass has a crack. DKN America’s Body Shop provides specialized auto hail damage repair using the latest techniques to help repair the look of vehicles impacted by hailstorms. If your car has been damaged in a storm, call the shop to get a free estimate and talk to the team about the damage. A professional evaluation will help you to determine what needs to be looked at, what repair methods might work and what it will take to get your vehicle looking its best once more.