Hail damage car roof repair. What are my options?
When your vehicle gets damaged in a hail storm, it is hard to know what happens next.
Especially if that damage has covered what seems like every square inch of the roof of your car! Like most people with access to the internet, the first step is to head to the internet.
To put it simply, you will find 3 options. We say this because if you search on Google for “repairing hail damage on car roof,” this is what you will see.
- DIY auto dent repair methods.
- A few listings of auto body shops in your area.
- Paintless dent repair companies in your area.
The Hail Shop USA will explore all 3 of these options and help you decide which direction you should take.
Before we get started, if you have a lien on your vehicle, you should always begin with an inspection from an insurance adjuster. To get one, file a claim with your insurance company. Ultimately, they will be the ones issuing the check for the repairs.
They will also give you a good “road map” to follow when considering repair options. Remember, an insurance adjusters estimate is more of a guide, not the end-all.
Can I repair the hail damage at home?
DIY Dent Repair Methods
The top result when we searched Google using the phrase Repairing Hail Damage On Car Roof took us to a website called “Cars from Japan.” In the article, they shared 3 ways to DIY hail repair.
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- Using dry ice to repair the dents. This does not work. There is no proven scientific research that supports this theory. In fact, you can do more damage.
The huge change in temperature can force the dents to pop out. Everything for you to do is just moving the dry ice around the damaged area to cool the area rapidly. But be careful as the dry ice will damage your skin if you don’t wear gloves when handling it.First, if dry ice will 100% cause damage to your skin, why is it safe for your vehicle. There is a thin layer of very durable paint over the metal panel that can be damaged with dry ice. The very next sentence states, “fixing hail damage by dry ice can be a cool solution, but sometimes it can not remove all of the dents”. So in this case, you will need to do additional repairs. - Parking your car in a sunny place. This is their second suggestion. For us, this translates to “do nothing.” “Do nothing” and mother nature will reverse the damage she has already caused. They follow up this statement with this, “The longer you park your car in a sunny area, the more likely this way will work.
- Using hot air to repair the dents. This was literally copied and pasted from their article. I think that sentence pretty much covers it. DIY car roof hail repair is nothing but hot air. You can read the article here and form your own opinion.
- Using dry ice to repair the dents. This does not work. There is no proven scientific research that supports this theory. In fact, you can do more damage.
Here is another article put out by News 9 of OKC. They put many DIY car dent repair theories to the ultimate test. Check it out here.
The Auto Body Shop Method
Before the advent of paintless dent repair, collision repair shops/auto body shops were your only option for ALL categories of dent repair. When it came to hail damage on a car roof, roof replacement was usually a car owner only option. In fact, this was the predominant option for any car panel with severe hail damage. Some of the dents could be banged out but still not 100% effectual. Even if the dents could be hammered out, the paint would become damaged during the process.
Today, Auto Body Shops will hire paintless dent repair technicians on a temporary basis to come on board to perform auto hail damage repairs after a major hail occurrence.
More than 50% of the general public has never even heard of paintless dent repair. You can learn more about the technique here.
Insurance Companies Prefer the PDR Method
In fact, we still hear people say that it is “too good to be true.” In all fairness, it is hard to conceptualize a technique that can literally reverse any trace of hail damage. Today, insurance adjusters praise the paintless dent repair technique. If your insurance adjuster thinks paintless dent repair is the best choice for repairing hail damage on car roof, this is how they will write up the estimate.
This isn’t always the case though. Some insurance adjusters will only pay for a complete car roof replacement not knowing that most car roof hail damage CAN be repaired with paintless dent repair.
The Paintless Dent Repair Method
As mentioned above, you can probably find a paintless dent repair technicians in an auto body shop. Most likely, any paintless dent repair technician working in an auto body shop is a temporary hire to help during a hail catastrophe occurrence.
As with any contract work, there is always a “mark-up” that happens between the auto body shop and the customer. The paintless dent repair technician that was hired to work at the body shop is not being compensated what they would if they were working in a paintless dent repair shop.
Again, most hail damage on a car roof CAN be repaired with paintless dent repair ALONE. There are many perks that come along with paintless dent repair but the #1 benefit is an intact manufacturer’s warranty.
Before you replace your car roof, read this article from Auto Consumer Info.
Knowing what coverage major auto manufacturers offer under their factory warranty is critical. Whether it’s a bumper-to-bumper warranty, a powertrain warranty, or even corrosion, or emission warranty coverage, it’s important to know what’s covered on your make and model vehicle.
Learn more about your vehicles manufacturer’s warranty here.