An automobile's bumper is the front-most or rear-most part of the car. It is designed to allow the car to sustain an impact without inflicting further damage to the car. Though bumpers do not have the capability to reduce injury to the passenger of the car during high impact collisions, it lessens the degree of injury to pedestrians hit by cars.

If you have damaged your bumper and are considering a bumper repair, these six tips will definitely help you in deciding whether you would want to do it yourself, what does do-it-yourself bumper repair take, and if it is worth doing it yourself. Knowing the answers to these beforehand lets you get the most out of your bumper repair, so read on.

First and foremost is do not attempt to do it yourself, especially if you do not have the proper skills to do it and you haven't done an auto bumper repair in your life. Instead, work with experienced hands of a professional auto repair mechanic. Bumper repair, though it may sound so simple to do, can be fairly difficult to complete.

There are several things to consider when you want to try to do it yourself, and unless you are experienced enough, do-it-yourself bumper repair can backfire and may cost you more money, time, and effort. As a matter of fact, most bumper repairs done by auto repair technicians are botched jobs by DIYers. However, if it is only a scratched or rusted bumper, and the affected area is not too large, an experienced DIYer may be able to repair it with ease.

1.You will need to select a proper location to do the repair. You will need a warm, dry place with adequate ventilation to work on. It is not advisable to do it in the basement because of the risk of inhaling dangerous fumes and odors the adhesives and fillers produce.

2. Bumpers are made of different types of plastic materials and you will need to identify the type of plastic your bumper is made of. You need to know if your bumper is made from polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), polyurethane plastic rigid (PUR) or thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPUR). Each type of plastic has different sanding and workability characteristics; therefore, it is crucial that you be able to identify your bumper type before working on it.

3. Generally, bumpers are attached to the vehicle using different methods. The outer fascia or bumper cover is commonly held in place by tabs and screws that fit perfectly into slots in the body sheet metal. Therefore, you must first find the screws or tabs that hold the plastic shield of the bumper to unhook them. They are usually attached underneath the trunk carpeting, behind the fascia or under it.

4. You will need to follow your car manufacturer’s manual and DIY bumper repair kits regarding priming and painting instructions to a T. You are told to follow instructions carefully since the day you first walked, but it cannot guarantee you won’t be having a hard time doing it yourself.

If you think you are experienced and capable enough to do a bumper repair then do it by all means. Otherwise, it may be a wise decision to just bite the bullet and pay a little more to get the assistance of a professional auto bumper repair technician.