Ways You’re Sabotaging Your Own Car’s Paint Job Without Realizing It

Paint doesn't just give color to your car and make it look like new, but it also protects it from premature rusting and corrosion. This is why it is very important to protect your paint from things that fades it sooner than it should like ultra-violet rays, chemicals, and natural pollutants. More importantly, car repainting can be expensive! The thing is, sometimes it’s not those things that causing damages on the paint but the car owners mistakes and carelessness.

If you don’t like to spend a huge amount of money trying to fix your car’s paint, then better do a better job at protecting your car’s paint before you end up with nasty blistering and rusting as well as a huge car repair bill.

You Don’t Have A Car Cover Ready In Your Trunk

There will be times when you won’t be able to find a covered parking lot. Times like this calls for a car cover but if you don’t have it on hand then you end up getting your car get soaked in the sun. 

You Get Lazy When Looking For A Covered Car Park

Even a warm covered parking lot beats being parked in the sun all day. So whenever there’s an available one, use it. Not only that your interior will stay cool, but your paint job won’t suffer to premature damage either. I know it can be difficult to find a parking spot sometimes let alone a covered one, but this is exactly why you should have a car cover. This way you can be lazy and park at the first spot you find and just whip it out to protect your car paint.

Spraying Water From The Hose Equals Car Wash To You

People don’t just seek car servicing in Singapore due to engine problems, more often than not it’s due to exterior damage from different kinds of dirt like grease, grime, and bird poop. When left unattended for extended period of time, they can cause serious paint damage on your car. Avoid the stress and unnecessary expenses by keeping your vehicle clean. 

You Don’t Think Wiping Your Car Dry Is Necessary

Yes the sun and wind can easily dry your car, but letting your vehicle dry that way will leave unsightly water marks which renders your hard work useless. Use a microfiber towel or preferably a weave drying towel to absorb the water and dry the car.

You Haven’t Discovered Clay Bar Yet

Washing your car with water and car specific cleaning agent is a great way to prevent any dirt from causing damage on the paint. However, even after washing, some contaminants still cling to the paint. To totally get rid of them, using a clay bar is the way to go. Using this product is very easy but time consuming. First, use a good quality auto detailing shampoo to wash the paint and get rid of dirt and grime as much as possible. After that, you can use the clay. Many clay bars in the market come with a lubricant but if it does not, there are products that you can purchase separately. It is extremely important to lubricate the surface first to enable the clay to glide easily across the surface. You’ll know it’s working because the clay gets dirtier as you go because of all the contaminants it’s grabbing.

You Skip Car Waxing

Remember that a good wax will easily last 8 – 10 months on a car that will protect the paint of the car from external elements like scratches, dust, contaminants, and UV rays. To be on a safer side, apply a coat of wax every six months on your car to keep it clean and smooth. 

For Some Reason, You Had Misconceptions About Car Polishing

Polishing is one of the most misunderstood paint care procedures and as a result many individuals skip this important step. Polish is an abrasive compound, which, when worked into the paint using the hand or a polisher, shaves off imperfections of the paint. It levels out the surface and makes it smooth, thereby preparing it for the next step of applying wax or paint sealant. If you wax without polishing the surface first, not only will the paint look dull, but you will also notice that the wax layer will wear off quicker than usual. So ultimately it is a huge waste of your time and resources. Because polish is abrasive as mentioned above, it is important to master polishing techniques especially if you are using a rotary buffer, or you risk burning right through the paint.

You Get Stingy And Forgo Applying A Clear Coat Protector

Most new cars come with a clear coat over the paint layer to keep the car shiny and protected from external elements. The clear coat offers a more glossy finish to the car, and will keep harmful elements like UV rays and dust at bay to protect the paint of the car. Any minor issues can also be buffed out, if the car has a clear coat. However, clear coats are sensitive to scratches and are prone to oxidation. It is still not a substitute for wax and needs to have a wax job to protect the shine of the car.

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What You Should Check Before Trusting Your Car To A Detailer

What You Should Check Before Trusting Your Car To A Detailer

Whether you like it or not, your car is bound to get damaged or look less pleasing at some point. So, despite religiously following your regular maintenance schedule, you will need a car detailing shop that you can trust. You’d want to find one that you’ll stick to whenever you need to have your car serviced. Here’s how you can tell that it’s “the one”.

Location

Well, this isn't exactly a must, but it’s definitely a plus if it’s near your place or the place you work from. This way, you won’t have to go out of your daily route if your need to drop your car to or retrieve it from the shop. Aside from that, this way you can actually check their actual working space because those detailer who couldn't give you a physical address and just offers to pick your car up and deliver it when they’re done just doesn't sound like they’ll do a satisfactory job. You want to be able to easily identify their business, and they shouldn't hesitate if you want to see the products and tools they've brought with them to ensure you’re getting a quality detailing package. 

Time Commitment

If you’re the type who needs to be in a lot of places every day or simply have public transportation, you would want your car to be done in the shortest amount of time. But if the detailer works alone, chances are it will take hours before your vehicle will be ready. You don’t even know if you’ll like the finish work because a tired and rushing worker can make a lot of mistakes or straight up just cut corners on his work. Compare this to a detailing shop with a couple of workers, you’d be more likely to get a high quality detail in probably just an hour.

Are Fully Equipped?

How will a car detailing shop be able to work on any car if they don’t have necessary and appropriate tools to guarantee a professional finish on your car? Sandpaper and spray paint are basic, but they should also be equipped with tools like high-speed buffer. 

They Are Well Experienced And Capable Of Doing Wide Range Of Detailing Work

Car washing won’t be the only detailing work your vehicle will need, especially if your vehicle has been with you for quite some time. So, they should be able to do things like car waxing, polishing, car sealant application, paint protection coating, etc.

Their Services Pricing

Price shopping is normal, but a price that is significantly lower than other detailer in the area is often a reflection of the quality of work you’re going to get. It is truly a situation where you’ll get what you pay for: inexperienced, low-quality products and tools, and not enough time spent to get the job right. For instance, there are detailer won’t touch a paint correction job for less than $500, because polishing is a very time-consuming project and takes a lot of training to get it right. Another thing you should expect from a professional detailer is a request to see your vehicle before finalizing their quote. Don’t expect a detailer to give you the final price over the phone because they need to see the vehicle in person and in the right light to assess if your vehicle has any unique problem areas that may require extra time or equipment.

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Invest In Paint Protection For Your Car Exterior

Invest In Paint Protection For Your Car Exterior

Rusts on your car is not only unsightly to look at but also means your vehicle’s value drops as the damage develops. If the area affected by rust is very small, repairing it on your own is still an option. But if the rust has eaten through the metal or if the damage is extensive, you’ll need to seek professional car repair services. But you can also do the paint job on your own provided that you prepare carefully and study the techniques thoroughly.

How To Do A DIY Paint Job

· Wash the exterior of your car using the bucket of soap and water. This will keep any dust and dirt from causing any more abrasion on your car’s paint or get in the way of a smooth paint job finish. Don’t forget to wipe it dry.

· If it's just the exterior you're looking to improve, then simply mask the areas you don't want painted.

· Sanding the area is an important step you can’t skip out because it smoothens the area you want to work on which allows a consistent look when you apply the new paint.

· Scuff the surface. To further break down the area you want to work on and prepare it for new paint, use a scuffing pad. Scuffing pads create a rough surface, which is easier for the paint to stick to. Rub the scuff pad along the surface back and forth until the surface feels rough to the touch.

· Wipe the whole surface down with a clean rag and thinners to remove dust, and wait until residue from the thinners evaporates completely before continuing.

· Apply primer. But don’t forget to mix the primer with thinners using the ratios recommended on the paint can instructions. It will vary for different paints. Let the primer dry overnight before you begin painting.

· Practice priming if you haven’t done it before. When you've got your technique down, start applying the primer on the car, working from the roof down. Apply the primer in thin, even coats. It will usually take two or three coats to cover the surface completely.

· Don’t forget to mix the paint with thinners using the ratios recommended on the paint can instructions. Apply the paint the same you did with the primer.

· Each coat will take about 10 minutes to apply per panel and between 20 minutes to an hour between re-coating for the paint to cure.

· It usually requires three to four coats of paint to cover the surface completely. Make sure you’re following the recommended drying time specified on the paint can instructions between coats.

· Before applying the last coat, remove any powdery residue with 2000-grit wet-and-dry sandpaper and wipe down with a clean rag. Repeat the last two steps with the clear-coat lacquer.

· While the clear coat is still wet, slowly remove the masking. Let the clear coat cure for the recommended time. Once that time is over, check for any imperfections. If you find any, use the 2000-grit wet-and-dry sandpaper to sand that area and respray.

· Buff paint in circular motions with a buffer, being careful not to burn the paint by holding the buffer in one spot too long.

It sucks to find that rust has slowly developed on your car right? Well, even getting an unsightly scratch on your car’s paint is never fun because touching up even the smallest one cost time and money. So why not invest in a paint protection film for your car and avoid paint damage in the first place? We can’t really help the kind of weather you’ll have in the place you live. Whether you have four seasons or two extreme weathers, all you can do is take extra step to protect your car from these. Paint protection in Singapore’s tropical weather will prevent your paint job from fading fast, it also keeps it from expanding and contracting which results to cracking where water or moist can seep through the cracks and create rust.

But for paint protection, it is highly suggested that you seek a professional to do it! Okay, maybe you’re a bit reluctant to avail custom installation because you know it costs more and you want to save money as much as possible. But, remember that smart investments, in terms of paint protection, are those where you spend quite a bit but offer better fit and best coverage which you know will last longer.

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