How to Do Paintless Dent Removal at Home

Paintless dent removal is a process of pushing dents and dings back into place without the need for repainting. Whether you’ve been in a minor collision or suffered damage from stray shopping carts in parking lots, this repair method can save you money and time over traditional repairs. It also preserves your car’s resale value, prolongs the life of your vehicle and is environmentally friendly.
However, not all dings and dents qualify for paintless dent removal, but the vast majority do. To see if your car’s damage is a good candidate for this type of repair, bring your car to an auto body shop and have them take a look. They’ll check the depth and shape of your dent, as well as how much the metal has been stretched, to determine if it qualifies.

If your car has deep creases, has a puncture in the metal (even though it may not be physically damaged) or if the paint’s integrity has been compromised, it isn’t eligible for Paintless dent removal. In addition, if the area behind the damage isn’t easily accessible, this process can’t be used either.
The only other caveat is if your car has been previously repaired using another method, such as sanding and painting. This could cause the underlying metal to become damaged or weaken. It’s important to bring your vehicle to a professional for a paintless dent repair , to avoid causing further damage to your car.
How to Do Paintless Dent Removal at Home
You can attempt paintless dent repair at home, but it’s not something that everyone should try. You’ll need special tools, and unless you have a lot of practice, it’s likely you’ll make a few mistakes that lead to more damage than you began with. For example, you might apply too much pressure to the area of the dent, stretching the metal and preventing the repair from working.
It’s best to leave the work to professionals who have a lot of experience with this technique, since they know what to do and how to do it quickly and correctly. They also have a keen eye and can spot problems before they occur. A pro can tell if the damaged area is difficult to access or if it would be better to remove a trim panel instead of trying to access it from underneath.
If you’re confident enough to do the work yourself, there are a few kits that can help. The most popular is the Dent Buster from Amazon, which comes with a bridge dent puller, a set of glue puller tabs and two glue shovels. You’ll also want to consider buying a tool kit that includes a plunger, as this can be useful for popping plastic dings from your bumper. This trick involves pouring boiling water over the damaged area and then pushing gently on it. This makes the pliable plastic easier to manipulate, so you can pop the dent out. If you do this, make sure the plunger is clean and free of rust to prevent further damage to your car.