3 Ways To Fix Hail Damage On Your Car
Posted on: 16 September 2015
If you were driving in a hailstorm or your car was parked outside while it was hailing, you might find several small dents or holes in the car. Larger dents need a professional, but if the damage is minor, you should be able to fix it yourself.
Find Direct Sunlight
The first way you can try removing the hail damage from your car is by looking for direct sunlight. If you are in the middle of winter, this might be difficult. However, if you have a sunny day coming up, use it to your advantage. Small dents often release and straighten themselves out with a good amount of heat. If you live in a hot climate that gets a good amount of sun during the day, drive or park your car in the direct sunlight. Do this for a few hours, and hopefully the dents will expand as they heat up.
Use Heat From a Hair Dryer
You can also choose to use heat from a hair dryer when repairing hail damage. Hail dents are small and are often released when heat is involved. If you can't leave your car in direct sunlight since it is currently in the middle of a cold season, this is a great alternative. Park your car in the driveway as close to a power outlet as possible. Plug in your hair dryer to an extension cord that is plugged into your garage or other nearby outlet. Turn it on to the highest heat setting and point the dryer directly at the dents in the car. Leave it pointing at the areas of damage for a few minutes, letting it heat them up. Let the dent rest for a few seconds, then repeat the process. You may notice that the dryer alone helps some of the damage to correct itself. Just be sure the hair dryer doesn't actually make contact with the car.
Add Dry Ice
Your last option is to use dry ice in addition to the hair dryer. Some damage from hail won't be corrected with heat alone. You might need to use a combination of hot and cold. To do this method, start by placing dry ice directly on the damaged area of the car, holding it there for a minute or so. Make sure your hands are protected by gloves. Once it has accumulated frost over the dents, remove the dry ice and point the hair dryer at the area. This can often help lift the dent when using a combination of frost and heat.
For professional auto body services, contact a company such as Ray Donch Body Werks Inc.
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