Keep Your Ride Looking Smooth

How To Fix Paint Chips On Your Automobile

18 November 2015 by Max Day

Over time, it is expected that your car's paint will become chipped and damaged. Whether it be a door ding at the supermarket parking lot or a more serious scratch from road or weather conditions, paint chips are a common occurrence. If left untreated, a paint chip could turn into rust and cause serious damage to the surface of your automobile, which is very expensive to repair. Auto body repair services like this one can be completed at home and should be done as soon as possible.  

To understand how to fix a chip in your paint, it is first necessary to understand how cars are painted. Although your car looks like it is simply a layer of paint on top of a metal surface, there are actually several layers of different materials that make up your paint job. The bottom most layer is the metal surface and on top of that there is a primer product which allows the paint to adhere to the metal. On top of the primer there will typically be several layers of the actual paint and above the paint is a layer known as clear coat, which protects the paint and gives it a shiny visual appeal.

If you notice that your paint has been chipped down to the metal then repair it quickly before the chip gets worse and weather starts to erode the surface.

To begin, make sure the surface is clean and free from any dirt or excess wax, which may have been applied to the car previously. To clean your surface properly, use a medium reducer. Apply the reducer to a clean cloth and with a circular motion, clean the chipped area and its surroundings. Allow it to quickly dry before moving on to the repair job.

Your local automotive store should carry repair kits for small paint jobs like this one. If they don't carry your specific type of paint then it may be necessary to contact the manufacturer. Paint kits come with a small brush used for application.

On your clean surface, apply a layer of paint to the chip. Be careful not to extend the paint onto the already existing paint of your car. Give each layer about 10-15 minutes of drying time before applying the next layer. For a professional looking job, you should apply 3-4 layers of paint.

Once the paint is dry, use a dry cloth to wipe the surface clean. To finish the job, apply a small amount of car wax to the surface in order to protect your new paint job.

For further assistance, contact local auto body repair service professionals, such as those from Custom Kar Tops.

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