Hail damage can be very significant in parts of the country where the hail is large, and storms that produce it are common. Dealing with the aftermath of a storm that has caused a lot of damage to your car may mean working with an auto body shop that can offer hail damage repair.
Glass Damage
One of the most common parts damaged by large hailstones for most cars is the glass. Many times, hail repair can include replacing the windshield, the rear glass, or in some cases, the side glass in a car after a hail storm. If large hailstones hit the glass at the junction between the glass and the body of the vehicle, the body may need some hail repair to ensure that the glass will seal properly with the car body.
If the glass is the only thing damaged by the hail, you can have a glass company replace the glass for you. Hail that is large enough to break the glass often leaves some dents behind as well, but it can depend on where the car was parked and how large the storm is, so take the time to look the car over for other damage.
Body Damage
Hail repair involves removing small dents from a car and can require significant bodywork to return the vehicle to its pre-storm condition. Sometimes small dents all over the vehicle can be difficult to fix because so much of the sheet metal is deformed by the dents. There are some shops that specialize in removing the dents carefully, using special techniques that can include supercooling the metal so that it contracts as the dent is removed.
In extreme cases, the car can be damaged so severely that the hail repair includes replacing body panels like the hood or rear deck lid because all the dents will not come out. The value of the car can dictate how much work should be put into hail damage repair. For older cars or even new cars with heavy damage, the cost of the repair can quickly exceed the value of the vehicle.
Paintless Repair
For cars with light hail damage, there is a hail damage repair method called paintless dent removal that can pull the dents out of the body and not damage the paint on the car. If the paint is damaged as a result of the hail impacts, this will not work. Still, for a vehicle that has been lightly damaged, this may be a viable hail repair option, and the cost is lower than traditional repairs because the car does not need repairing after the work is complete.
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