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auto body repair

Auto Body Repairs in Cold Weather

By December 30, 2021No Comments
collision repair

During the winter, vehicle collisions are common on the Twin Cities’ icy, snowy roads. As vehicles are more susceptible to rust after a winter collision than after a spring or summer accident, timely auto body repairs are imperative to prevent further damage.

In colder weather, it can be more difficult to repair damage to a car’s body. Cold weather makes the process more challenging. Therefore, you should seek out a repair shop that understands how cold weather affects your car and what steps need to be taken to ensure that repairs are done properly. When it comes to auto repairs, Bill’s Auto Body in Forest Lake knows how cold weather can cause damage. Our company takes steps to prevent this from happening. Below are some ways cold weather can affect accident repair and how we deal with it.

Bill’s Auto Body experts explain below what every vehicle owner should know about getting auto body repairs during winter.

Temperatures below freezing cause paint to crack

After a collision, if your vehicle needs a major dent fixed and a touchup paint job, be aware that the freshly applied paint can crack in cold weather. It is even possible to crack the paint on a fully intact automobile even at freezing temperatures! The (unfortunate) situation is more likely to occur on vehicles that have a previously poor paint job.

Do your due diligence to prevent paint cracking. Ask the auto repair shop whether it performs its work in a temperature-controlled environment before you have the body of your vehicle repainted or even touched up. Don’t park your vehicle in your driveway when you bring it home! Whenever possible, park it in your garage.

 

Getting rid of dents can damage metals

In cold weather, one of the biggest problems one may face during car accident repair is metal damage. The metal can crack if it is pulled or pounded out when it is cold, or even if the paint around the metal is pulled off. In either case, extensive repairs may be necessary. Ideally, you should heat up the metal before you attempt to remove the dent or ding. Heat should not be applied to the metal too much, as it can cause the metal to become soft. To prevent further damage, we slowly heat up the metal to ensure it can be pulled or pounded out without causing more damage.  

The paint can crack or take a long time to dry

In cold temperatures, paint can take longer to dry, which can affect accident repair. In addition to cracking and flaking, freezing weather can also cause paint that is drying to not fully cure. It is best to place freshly painted cars in a temperature-controlled garage and allow them to dry a bit longer than they would normally require. Even though you may want your car back right away, waiting a few extra hours to allow the paint to fully cure ensures that it will not flake or chip in the future.

Your car needs to be repaired by an experienced auto repair shop if you’ve been in an accident. Bill’s Auto Body serves Forest Lake, MN and the surrounding areas with full-service auto body repair. Regardless of the weather, we can fix your car right. Schedule an appointment with us right now.