Paint correction is a meticulous and skilled process that leaves your car looking like it did the day it rolled out of the showroom. Not only does it look great, but it protects your vehicle like armor plating against future damage.
It is important to thoroughly evaluate your car’s condition before diving into paint restoration. Taking notes helps you choose the right method of repair and achieve the desired results. Scroll down to explore more about Auto Paint Restoration.
Scratches are one of the most common auto paint damage issues and can be extremely difficult to correct. It is important to understand the different types of scratches so that you can repair them properly, preserving your car’s value and appearance. It is also important to know when professional help is needed so that you can protect your car and avoid compromising its resale value.
Surface scratches are shallow abrasions that affect only the top layer of your vehicle’s paint. These scratches are often caused by light contact with bushes, rocks or other debris. If you have a minor surface scratch, it is likely that you can fix it using a rubbing compound. To test the depth of the scratch, gently drag your fingernail across it. If it does not catch, the scratch is most likely just in the clear coat.
If you have a deep scratch that goes all the way through your clear coat and into the base coat or even the metal, you will need to use special materials and a more labor intensive process to repair it. Deep scratches are often caused by more significant impacts and can significantly compromise the value of your car. If left untreated, they can allow moisture and corrosive substances to seep into your paint and cause rust.
To repair a deep scratch, begin by cleaning the area around it with water and a mild solvent to remove any grit or dirt that is present. Next, use a rubbing compound and rub over the damaged area in a circular motion, changing to a finer grit as necessary. If you have a deep scratch in your clear coat, it may be necessary to use masking tape to prevent accidentally sanding off an un-damaged area nearby.
When sanding, make sure to work with a friend and use a damp cloth to wipe away the dust frequently. Once the abrasion is smooth, apply touch-up paint to the affected area. This step is crucial, as you want to make sure that you are using an exact match for your car’s original paint. After the paint is dry, sand it again with a finer grit and then polish it.
Holograms
Holograms are a phenomenon that can occur in clear coat paint. These appear as circular scratches in the paint and may be seen from different angles. These can be caused by a variety of factors including incorrect machine polishing, using a wool pad rather than a foam one, or just from the natural wear and tear of the car in its everyday use. Generally, these holograms are not too noticeable when viewed from straight on and can be seen more easily in sunlight as the light reflects off them.
If you look at a hologram from different angles, it will show you a view of the object located behind the hologram. The object will seem to move and can even change color, depending on how the hologram is created. When you look at a real object and the reflection of that object in a hologram, it is called a virtual image and is only visible when the hologram is viewed from the correct angle.
A hologram is actually made of a series of layers. Each layer contains interference fringes that are recorded as an object is reflected off of it. The fringes are then bleached out of the hologram to produce a clear image. The object’s image appears to jump right off the hologram, and your brain interprets the interference fringes as a three-dimensional image.
There are several types of holograms in your vehicle’s paint. Some are abrasion holograms, also known as buffer trails or machine marring. These are small circular scratches in the paint that resemble a hologram when viewed in the sun. They are typically caused by an improper polishing process (using a rotary with the wrong type of pad or compound) and need to be corrected by hand with a high-quality, fine finishing polish/pad.
Another type of hologram is a solvent hologram. These are oily products that soak into mildly UV damaged clearcoats and can leave them hazy or dull. These need to be buffed off, but it can be difficult because of the oils that soak into the paint.
Oxidation
Oxidation is the result of your car’s paint being exposed to the elements. It makes your car look chalky and worn, and it also causes the color to fade. While oxidation can be caused by many factors, including heat, atmospheric oxygen and air pollution, the most common cause is sun exposure. The harsh UV rays that are produced by the sun can damage the surface of your vehicle’s paint and clear coat, eventually causing it to break down. The best way to avoid oxidation is to protect your car from sunlight by parking it in a covered area or using a car cover as much as possible.
Once your car’s paint has reached the stage of oxidation, it is usually too late to salvage it without repainting. You’ll be able to see the metal under the paint, and you won’t be able to get it back to its original shine without a new coat of clear coat. However, you can prevent the oxidation process from getting too far by regularly washing your car and protecting it with a quality wax or sealant.
In addition to protecting your car from the effects of oxidation, regular washing will help to eliminate contaminants that can lead to premature wear and tear of your vehicle’s paint. Washing your car often will also help to prevent scratches and swirl marks that are caused by dirt, grime, and other contaminants.
If your vehicle has been exposed to severe oxidation, it will likely require wet sanding and compounding to restore its appearance. The process of wet sanding involves applying high-grit sandpaper with a lubricant to the surface of your car’s paint and sanding it until it is smooth. This is a messy and time-consuming process, but it can be effective in removing stubborn oxidation.
Once the surface of your car’s paint has been smoothed out, you will want to polish it for a mirror-like finish. The last step in paint restoration is buffing, which is done with a buffer or by hand. Buffing your vehicle will help to bring out the rich, deep colors of its paint.
Water spots
Water spots are the unsightly white blotches that appear on your vehicle paint (clear coat) when water evaporates. They can be very difficult to remove and can cause serious damage to your car if not removed quickly enough. If left to dry on your vehicle, they can actually cause chemical etching of the clear coat and even some metal surfaces.
These water stains are caused by hard water that evaporates leaving behind minerals on your car’s paint surface. These minerals, when left on the paint for an extended period of time, can etch into the surface causing irreparable damage.
If you have been washing your car with hard water and have developed water spots, you can try using a liquid spot remover to break down the minerals in the spots and then wipe them off with a soft cloth. If you do not see any results with this method or the spots persist, then we recommend consulting a professional detailer as they may require more aggressive methods of removal and/or chemical etching treatment.
It is important to understand that water spots can only be fully eliminated by removing the contaminants and minerals from the paint, glass, and sensitive plastics of your vehicle. This is why we strongly recommend regularly applying a quality wax, sealant, or ceramic coating to your vehicle’s paint and clear coat to protect it from future contamination and the need for more extensive correction treatments.
We recommend that you only use a high-quality professional water spot removal service that has a solid reputation and good reviews. It is also a good idea to make sure that they have industry certifications or affiliations with professional detailing organizations.
If you are looking to hire a detailer for water spot removal or other automotive restoration services, be sure to request an estimate from them before agreeing to the work. A reputable and experienced detailer will be able to provide you with an accurate cost for the work that is needed to be done. If the paint needs to be wet sanded and buffed then you can expect the price to go up substantially.