Your average car owner is going to spend $400 on repairs every year. And that’s usually if small snags come up with their vehicle. People that experience car body damage can easily get stung for thousands of dollars worth of repairs! In an effort to side-step costs associated with ever-common bumper damages, many have turned to picking up a plastic bumper welding kit with the intention of removing scratches, scuffs, cracks, and even bumper splits. If you’re considering a DIY approach to plastic bumper repair but aren’t sure how best to approach finding/using a repair kit, keep reading.
Below, our team shares an overview that’ll get you on your way.
1. Assess Your Damage
A plastic bumper welding kit comes with everything you need to fix most bumper problems caused by light to moderate impacts. If your bumper is shattered into pieces, your best bet is to buy a new one.
Also, understand that the more damaged your bumper is, even if it’s within the realm of what your kit can fix, the more cumbersome using your kit will be. We’ve seen people toil with their plastic bumper kits for hours, only to not come away with a look they like.
If you anticipate that your bumper repair is going to be hard to manage and you won’t have the patience to follow through on the job, check-in with a pro.
2. Exercise Caution When Buying
For those of you that are adamant about leveraging plastic weld up bumper kits, you’ll want to start shopping around for a kit that’ll work on your car. The good news is that most plastic bumper welding kits are compatible with all plastic bumpers.
What you’ll want to make sure of when shopping for a bumper kit is that the “kit” you’re buying is for repairs. That’s because the term bumper kit is sometimes used to refer to a complete, turn-key bumper you can throw on your car.
The last thing you’ll want is for a new bumper to get delivered to your house when you were anticipating a much cheaper assortment of tools to perform a bumper fix.
3. Buy Paint and Finish
A standard bumper repair kit is going to come with plastic filler, wipes, primer, sandpaper, and maybe a few bonus pieces. What it will not come with is paint or finish.
If you don’t buy paint and finish on your own, when you go to repair your bumper, you’ll be left with a discolored patch. You can buy your car’s paint color and a proper finish from your dealer or an aftermarket seller.
Just make sure what you buy, if you’re going aftermarket, matches the rest of your vehicle.
4. Start With Cleaning
Using filler from your repair/plastic weld kit over a dirty bumper is going to affect your filler’s ability to bond. Avoid that by thoroughly wiping down and drying your bumper before any filler comes into contact with it.
Some kits may come with special wipes for this purpose.
5. Sand Harsh Edges
Damaged bumpers usually have plastic fragments and shards around their impact zones. Those rough edges will inhibit fillers from bonding and will also adversely affect the overall look of your bumper when done.
Fortunately, your kit will include sandpaper that you can use to gently sand down your bumper’s imperfections.
6. Add Primer
Filler from your bumper welding kit should stick to plastic without any help. In certain cases though, there have been reports where filler hasn’t taken well to certain types of bumper damage.
To help offset that possibility, you should find in your repair kit primer that you can put on your bumper prior to adding filler. Primer will help filler get a stronger adhesive grab which will reduce your chances of running into trouble during your repair process.
7. Spread Your Filler
With your primer added, it’s time to start spreading filler over your bumper’s damage.
Filler should be applied to both the front and the back of your bumper if your damage is extensive. Apply filler evenly and smooth out any bumps you find as it begins to dry.
After your filler has dried, gently sand any leftover imperfections on your bumper’s front.
8. Make Sure Everything Is Set Before Adding Last Touches
Never put paint and finish on filler that’s still in the process of drying/setting. As a matter of fact, if possible, give your bumper’s filler at least 6 hours to sit or longer depending on your kit’s instructions
Once your filler has set, you can get to paint over it and applying whatever coat finish your car uses. Chances are, your coat finish will ask you to wait an extended period after painting your bumper before applying. Adhere to those instructions to keep from having to repaint and refinish multiple times.
You Now Know How to Use a Plastic Bumper Welding Kit
Using a plastic bumper welding kit is simple because most of the process is about carefully spreading filler over cracks, scuffs, and the like. With a little bit of patience, we’re confident that even novice DIY tacklers can use kits to repair minor imperfections.
For more serious damage, as we mentioned, consider taking your bumper to a pro. Poor repair work on a severely damaged bumper may put you at a higher risk of facing serious vehicle damage during future accidents.
Curious to learn more about bumper welding, car tips, and other related topics? If you are, we welcome you to check out the latest posts on our blog!
