Working on your car’s paint job can be one of the most relaxing, it can also be the most frustrating. We know how it is to be a DIY’er – when even the slightest ding shows up on your work, you want to instantly repair it and when you see flaws immediately after application, you may be tempted to throw up your hands and say ‘forget it, I’ll get someone to do it for me!’
Let’s put your mind at ease these problems can be solved. Here are three common paint problems and how you can address them:
Chemical Etching / Staining
Caused by everything from tree sap to bird droppings, chemical changes to your paint can cause discolouration if left standing on your car’s surface.
Your first method of solving the issue is to clean the spot or do your full car using hot water, detergent and thorough drying. If you are seeing blemishes after this, however, polishing and other blemish solutions should be used, potentially preceded by using sandpaper.
Cracking
This can occur either in a clear coat or in a paint’s base colour – either way, it’s unsightly.
Cracks can begin to appear for a variety of reasons, not the least of which structural issues in your car’s sheet metal.
To fix cracked paint, first clean off the space using a degreaser, then sand the surface (without reaching the sheet metal beneath) then begin the paint application first using a primer.
Chipping
These may be the most eye-twitching of all problems. Chipping can occur from something as simple as debris on the road, or, unfortunately for Canadians – cold weather conditions (both from the cold itself and kicked-up road salts).
Often, paint chips if dealt with early can be easily worked on through buffing or a rubber compound, but the key is to catch and repair early, lest rust appear, at which point more series work is needed. Touch-up paint is also an option, but remember that the colour must be an exact match.
For more car paint tips, visit the Rondex location nearest you and speak with our experts.
