How to paint repair

Paint can be repaired in several different ways. Some of these paint repair techniques can be done by most people, others should only be done by professional painters. The method needed to fix the paint depends on the severity of the paint imperfection. Some forms of repair are most expensive then others.

Spot repair

This is a technique where the painter tries to respray an area in such a way that you can’t see where the repair starts and the original paint ends. This can often only be done if the paint defect isn’t very deep and the area allows for fading the new paint. This technique is normally done by a professional painter and might require the use of a paint booth with temperature control and air filters. This technique can be very effective on smaller imperfections that are to deep to be polished out.

Filling in chips

Stone chips can be filled in by touching it up with touch-up-pens. With a very small brush or soft tip, a drop of paint can be laid in the chip and left to harden. After wards the area can be polished to make it invisible. This option can be done by people themselves and rarely requires special equipment or professional tools. The chips needs to be cleaned as thoroughly as possible and the drop of paint can best be applied via a tool with a very small tip. A nail painting brush or needle-point can be used for this delicate task. Give the paint enough time to cure before you polish it, or apply more paint.

Respray

This form of repair means that the entire panel gets a complete respray. The old layer needs to be sanded down and the painter sprays a complete new layer of paint or clear coat over the panel. This form of repair should be done by a professional and requires professional tools and equipment. If done correctly, the finished job looks as good as new. It might be necessary for this task to disassemble certain parts of the exterior such as trims or bumpers.

Polishing

In some cases the scratch can be removed or made less visible by polishing the area. Polishing can be done fairly easily, however, knowledge and experience will play a big role in the end result. This job can be done indoors and in some circumstances also outside. Polishing only removes a very thin layer of paint.

Wetsanding

If polishing isn’t enough, wetsanding the area can be enough. In this technique, you use wet pieces of special sanding paper to remove a layer of paint in a very controlled way. This step needs to be followed up by polishing. Wetsanding is less easy then polishing and will need experience and knowledge to be done correctly. If done properly, the end result can be a flawless area of paint. Wetsanding removes more paint then polishing, which should be taken into account. A paint depth gauge can help to prevent going through a layer of paint.

Wrap

Not really a form of repair, but a form of covering the imperfection. A wrap is a big sheet of thin, flexible plastic foil. It is applied on top of the old surface and can be made in various colors or patterns. Applying a wrap is not easy and needs to be done by experienced people. The surface needs to be cleaned properly and the wrap needs to be applied with great care. After the wrap is applied, it can be removed at any given time, and the paint underneath should be un-affected. Wrapping can be a good way to conserve the original layer of paint, or if a respray in another color is to expensive.