Paintless Dent Repair vs. Traditional Dent Repair

Is your car sporting a fresh dent? You can either get a paintless or traditional dent repair to fix it. If you're not familiar with either and aren't sure which procedure is best for your vehicle, read our guide about the pros and cons of paintless dent repair vs. traditional dent repair.

What Is Paintless Dent Repair?

Let's begin with what paintless dent repair means. The "paintless" term comes from how professionals don't have to sand off the paint and reapply after fixing the dent.

How Is Paintless Dent Repair Done?

The process of a paintless dent repair requires special tools and training, so it should always be done by a professional. Essentially, the vehicle's metal is massaged back into its proper shape with the tools, so it's practically good as new. Paintless dent repair can be used for small and big dents but may not be suitable for sharper dents.

What is Traditional Dent Repair?

We know what paintless dent repair is, but what about traditional dent repair? The traditional, also known as conventional, dent repair system is a longer process than the paintless and is primarily used for sharper or deeper dent repairs.

A traditional dent repair generally requires sanding off the paint of the dent, banging the metal back into shape, and then filling the remaining spaces with putty. The putty then has to be sanded down, and then the dented area repainted, including primer, base coat, and final coat.

As you can see, a traditional dent repair is a much more extensive process as it involves removing and then reapplying your vehicle's paint, which is not necessary if you have a small car in need of dent repair.

Which Repair is Better for My Car's Dent?

Which dent repair system you should use will depend mainly on the size and shape of the dent for your car. Paintless repair can fix small and big dents alike, which is why most people choose the paintless route as it's faster and more affordable.

But, if you have a more obscure or sharp dent, you may have to go the traditional route to fix it properly.

That's everything you need to know about paintless dent repair and traditional dent repair. If you need a dent repair in Chicago, be sure to check out River North Collision Repair, where their professionals can do whatever kind of dent repair is required to get your car looking new again.