For a car, a paint job is more than just looks; it helps keep your vehicle stay scratch-free and the steel beneath safe. Just like everything else on your car or truck, it requires maintenance to work best.
But what does that mean for paint?
Some experts swear by car care products ranging from futuristic paint to outrageous protective coating techniques using nanoceramics. These don’t even scratch the surface of the options available to consumers to keep their pride and joy clean, brightly shining, and even better — safe from harm.
Here are some insider tips on how you can protect your paint and, by extension, your car. Consider incorporating some of these factors into how you care for your car, through your own efforts or by reaching out to the right people to help you.
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Neglect, The Number One Enemy
However, we all lead busy lives, and while thoughts of maintenance we’ll get to later linger, real harm could be happening to your vehicle that is just below the surface.
When surveyed, automotive paint experts said the most common error car owners make is not washing their car enough. Ideally, this would be once a week to keep the paint and polish adequately cared for. This makes the car more resistant to external influences, preventing more extensive repairs in the future.
Getting the Perfect Carwash
When you take your car to the car wash, you see many options offered, such as the wash using brushes or cloths, and even some self-service bays for high-performance and specialized vehicles. But how do you know which one is right for your car?
Paint specialists warn that in automated car washes, the car wash’s maintenance is an essential factor. You wouldn’t use a dirty bathroom at a gas station, would you? Make sure the carwash looks to be well-kept to make sure brushes aren’t full of debris that they’ll drag across your hood.
Layers of Protection
When your car came off the assembly line, it had a clear coat of paint applied to keep all those layers of protection sealed and safe. This topcoat protects your car from the elements, but it can’t do that without a little help.
To keep the sun from damaging and weakening your paint, use car wax. Just as you would put on sunscreen when going to the beach to keep the sun’s heat and bright light from hurting your body, wax does the same to protect your car’s body. It’s suggested you wax your vehicle every three months, or at least get a wax treatment at an automated car wash.
And should you wax? Yes, absolutely! Weather is the most crucial factor when deciding if you need a fresh coat. If rainwater is beading up and dripping off the paint, then you’re all set. If not, maybe it’s time you treat yourself and your car to a new coat of wax!
It All Adds Up
It’s easy to ignore a couple of scratches in the paint when there’s no body damage and waiting until you can justify going to the shop. As tempting as this is, short-term procrastination includes the risk of longtime damage. If a dent or scratch causes any breaks in the paint job, it can allow moisture to creep in, causing rust to spread and create severe damage over time.
Using specialized tools and training, the PDR process (Paintless Dent Repair) can remove the offending dent better than filling it in, as the surface no longer requires any repainting to protect it, other than regular wax and seal. This means repairs can be done cheaper and faster, and there’s no paint mismatch or filler that could later fall out. Better yet, taking care of dents when you spot them can prevent you from having to deal with worse damage down the line from weakened steel panels being warped or even exposed to the elements!
Know When To Call In the Pros
Using specialized tools and training, the Paintless Dent Repair or PDR process can remove the offending dent better than filling it in, as the surface no longer requires any repainting to protect it, other than regular wax and seal. This means repairs can be done cheaper and faster, and there’s no paint mismatch or filler that could later fall out.
Your local car guy can handle the little things, but if you have an issue with paint, you’re going to want to go to a garage that specializes in paint. While you’d think this would mean added expense, letting the pros handle it first may reduce the number of times you need to fix the issue.
So if you have a hard-to-remove crease dent, those “door dings” that you’re sure would “buff right out,” or you’re ready to trade up for something new and want to give your vehicle a polish before it goes, then contact your local paint pros.
Safeguard Your Investment
Despite all your efforts to protect your investment, dents are sometimes simply out of your control. Don’t worry — at JM Dent Repair, we know how much it means to you to get your car looking new again, and that’s why we’re trusted in the Lafayette area for affordable paintless dent repair.
Paintless dent repair eliminates the worry of a color mismatch or uneven fading, and preserves your vehicle’s appearance and resale value. If you’re driving a leased vehicle, it also helps you avoid expensive “wear and tear charges” on your lease return. Contact us for a quote and see why we’re the best around.