Rust is an ongoing reality for older vehicles in the UK. Road salt accelerates corrosion of steel body panels from autumn through spring. Stone chips in the paint provide an entry point for moisture. Drainage channels that pool water around body seams do the rest. Surface rust on the paint surface is only the visible part. The corrosion below can extend much further. At KITH Bodyworks in Hackbridge, structural and cosmetic welding repairs are carried out to a standard that addresses the corrosion properly.
Structural welding covers the areas of the vehicle that contribute to crash protection and floor rigidity. The sills running along the lower edge of the vehicle between the wheel arches. The floor sections beneath the seats. The outriggers that support the sill structure. These are common MOT failure points and, more importantly, they are part of the vehicle's safety structure. A car with significantly corroded sills is a car that will not protect its occupants properly in a collision.
Before any welding begins, all visibly affected metal is cut back to the point where the metal is sound. Welding new metal onto rusted metal traps the corrosion underneath and the repair fails from within, usually within a year. The clean metal edges are treated with a zinc-based weld-through primer before new fabricated sections are fitted and welded in place. Seam sealant is applied after welding. Underbody protection follows. Paint finishes the job.
Sill replacement is the job we carry out most often. New sill sections are fabricated to match the original profile, positioned accurately against the floor structure, and welded continuously. The quality of the weld is not cosmetic: these sections are structural. After the weld is dressed, seam sealant is applied into every joint, underbody stone chip protection is applied over the sill, and the visible surface is painted to match.
Cosmetic welding addresses perforations and damage in non-structural panels: front wings, rear arches, lower door skins. The approach is the same in terms of rust removal and metal preparation. The weld is dressed smooth, filled where needed, and prepared for painting.
Plastic welding is available for cracked or broken plastic components at £80 inc VAT per repair. Bumper skins, wheel arch liners and interior trim are common applications. In many cases the cost of a plastic welding repair is significantly less than sourcing and fitting a replacement part.
