Auto body repair is not always as intimidating as it seems. Of course, major collision repair needs to be professionally handled, but car owners can learn how to repair their own fiberglass bumpers quite easily. This way, if you have small holes, dents, dings, and scratches on your bumper, you can fix them yourself and save some money. This article explains the best way to repair fiberglass car bumpers.

Purchasing Fiberglass Repair Kits

The most convenient way to repair any fiberglass surface on your car is to invest in a fiberglass repair kit. These kits come with pretty much everything you need for the job. It includes the actual resin and the liquid hardener. It also comes with a piece of fiberglass cloth, mixing tray, mixing stick, and basic instructions. In addition to these supplies, you will also need a pair of scissors and painters tape.

Prepping

The trick is to prepare the area you are going to patch with a little bit of sandpaper. The sanding shouldn't significantly alter the surface. It is just meant to lightly roughen it up and give it some texture, so the fiberglass resin will stick better to it. Before you do any sanding, you can tape off a small square. This should be the exact size of the square that you cut your fiberglass cloth. So, the sand area will then be covered up by the new patch.

Applying the Patch

Once the fiberglass is cut to size, remove the perimeter tape. You can use smaller pieces of tape to hold the edges of the fiberglass in place. At this point, you can mix the resin and hardener together. The resin will dry very quickly once the hardener is mixed in, so make sure you're completely ready to spread it onto the fiberglass cloth.

As you spread the resin over the edges of the fiberglass, it will hold the cloth in place, so you can remove the tape at the corners. It is best to be very liberal when applying the resin. Don't worry if it is lumpy and sticks out. Later, when everything is dry, you will use a sander to smooth it out. Try to make the patch match with the existing contours of your bumper.

The process of repainting your bumper will definitely be the most difficult part. Some people just use touch-up paint from the dealership and do it on their own. However, even if you do have to pay a professional to touch up your paint, you're still going to save a lot of money if you do your own body repair.

To learn more, talk to auto body repair services near you today.

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