Is Your Car's Plastic Bumper Busted? Learn How To Repair It Yourself

21 August 2015
 Categories: , Blog

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If you recently hit something with your car and managed to damage the plastic bumper, you will want to get it looking great again and have it repaired. Thankfully, it's possible to repair a plastic bumper by following these steps.

Cleaning

When you suffer a cut on your body you are supposed to clean the area thoroughly. The same applies to your car because the area you are repairing will need to be clean before you can start repair work.

You can remove dirt or debris that is lodged into the crack or hole with small tools like a screwdriver or a brush. It may require making the hole bigger to thoroughly clean it too.

Burs along the plastic can be smoothed out using sandpaper with a very high grit. Sand the surface of the bumper to get rid of any imperfections and provide a consistent look when the repair is finished.

Reinforcing

Auto parts stores will sell a mesh or repair cloth that is designed for reinforcing the area where the damage is at. The material needs to be a little bigger than the damage. Cut it down to size, and then soak it with reinforced fiberglass filler. The material is placed on the backside of the hole to give it support for the filler

Filling

With the patch set behind the damaged area, you can now add filler. The filler material is reinforced with fiberglass and highly recommended due to its durability and strength. Apply the filler in layers, making the layers as thin as possible. Allow it to completely dry because adding additional layers.

When there has been enough filler added to completely fill in the damaged area, you should sand the surface until it is smooth.

Painting

Bumpers are typically a common color, such as gray, black, white, or red. The color is sometimes completely different from the car itself, so matching an existing color is not as crucial. If you need help matching the color, work with an auto paint company to match it for you. Simply follow the directions on the paint for application and drying, applying enough coats until you are happy with the overall look.

If you are having difficulties performing the repair, you may need the help of a repair shop for auto body damage. They have the expertise to repair all kinds of damage and can definitely handle a damaged plastic bumper. 

For professional auto body repair, contact a company such as Auto Body By Duie LLC.