If you’re considering car paint correction services in Vancouver or Richmond but are thinking that instead of hiring a pro, a little do-it-yourself paint correction could save you some money, you may want to read this blog post first. Do-it-yourself paint correction has risks, big risks, for your vehicle and your wallet.
Paint correction is best undertaken by trained professionals who have experience with the subtleties of the art (it really is an art!). For a novice or even an experienced weekend tinkerer, there is too much that can (and does) go wrong when undertaking your own paint correction or scratch removal.
First Things First. What Do We Mean by Paint Correction?
Paint correction reduces or eliminates light to medium scratches, swirl marks, spider webbing, fading and acid etching from chemical contaminants such as road salt and oil, bird droppings and tree sap. Paint correction falls into two categories: top coat (a.k.a clear coat) correction, where the damage is restricted to the vehicle’s factory coating, and repainting or paint touch-ups. Much of the visible damage to your car’s surface is contained within the clear coat. Fixing those imperfections will improve the look of your vehicle dramatically.
Top Do-it-Yourself Paint Correction Mistakes
The following risks to your vehicle can cost you more than hiring Gleamworks trained paint correction specialists.
- Cut polish too deeply or not deeply enough.
We use special lights and measurements that help reveal the depth of surface damage. This way, we know how far to go. You do not want to cut polish too deeply, because doing so leaves the paint beneath the top coat unprotected. - Mistake paint scratches for clear coat scratches.
If you think a paint scratch (a scratch that goes through the top coat to the paint beneath) is top coat scratch, you may cut polishing to no avail, or cut polishing too deeply. - Use inferior cut polishing compounds.
We use professional grade cut polishing compound. - Use the wrong tools or inadequate tools for the job.
You need the right compound, polish, buffers, lights, UV lights, finishing cloths, clay towel or clay bar, non-residue soaps, finishing waxes or ceramic coating. - Assuming your garage or even outside is okay for paint correction.
You need a dust-free environment to correctly perform paint correction. - Assuming that cut polishing is enough.
While cut polishing alone can sometimes work miracles, finishing with a quick ceramic wax or ceramic coating, is the icing on the cake. Ceramic coatings blend slight imperfection, create depth and an amazing shine. - Finish polish with inferior waxes or ceramic coating.
Car polishing with wax may look great in the end, but it doesn’t provide protection. They may contain polymers but don’t prevent common wear and tear scratches. Ceramic waxes and ceramic coatings applied by a trained paint protection specialist ensure that your car resist wear and tear damage.
We have corrected the damage caused by do-it-yourselfers many times in the past. These well meaning, but unlucky souls waste their own time doing the work and buying materials and then must pay more to undo the damage they caused. In the end, they would have saved money if they had brought their vehicle to Gleamworks in the first place.
Convinced that DIY Paint Correction is a Bad Idea?
If we’ve managed to convince you to not “throw good money after bad”, contact us for a free paint correction assessment or call 778-554-6822 if you have any questions.