Paint Correction

Paint Correction is the process of restoring the paintwork of a vehicle, through the physical elimination of surface imperfections that occur on the paint from neglect as well as normal wear and tear. These defects can be focused and caused by a particular event, such as being bumped by a shopping cart, or long-term and environmental, like oxidation from the sun. All of them keep you from enjoying the proper clean and sharp look of your car’s paint, and can even cause more problems if not taken care of.

Types of imperfections include scratches and swirl marks, which are shallow scratches in the paint caused by various factors, which catch the light and bother me greatly. There’s also holograms, a particular kind of swirl mark caused by improper paint correction technique, which has such a uniform pattern that it appears as a large moving hologram on the paint. Then we have marring, a hazy or gummy look typically caused by people trying to rub things off the paint, and etching, which is caused by very acidic (bird bombs and bug guts) or very alkaline (hard water from sprinklers) substances sitting on the paint and eventually eating their way into it. Even when the deposits are removed, the patterns they left in the paint can be difficult to remove or even permanent. Finally, there’s oxidation, which is a overall haziness in the paint caused by the sun and the air reacting with unprotected clear coat, causing it to oxidize much in the same way that rust forms on metal. This is especially bad on dark colored cars, not only because they get much more hot in the sun, but also because the oxidation forms as a powdery white or grey substance which stands out on dark colored paint.

Before we do any paint correction, we thoroughly wash and decontaminate the paint to remove any foreign substances we don’t want to be dealing with while correcting. This is typically accomplished through a hand wash and a clay bar treatment, which removes any surface contaminants that have become bonded to the paint, but we have also had to chemically treat hard water spots, tar, and bug guts.

Our correction typically consists of a multistage process of various cutting compounds and application methods, beginning with a heavier compound to remove surface material, and finishing out with progressively lighter compounds which finish the paint into a high gloss.

We have years of experience correcting paint. We have worked on all types of cars, with hard and soft paint, single stage paint, and correction requirements varying from a one-step to a multi-step wet sand. We have the correct equipment and products to take care of any issues you might have.

There are many different levels and intensities of paint correction, and most vehicles on the road can benefit from some form of it.

First, it will add years to the paint. All of these paint defects leave your clear coat exposed. They compromise the protective abilities of your paint by creating more surface area for reactions, and by allowing pollutants to collect within them, further eating away at your paint. A car which is regularly corrected and protected will oxidize much less over the years, and will be much more resistant to further damage.

It can also greatly increase the resale value of your car! Having the exterior of any type of car look like new will make it appear newer and more well taken care of, and can easily pay for itself during a sale.

And of course, the shine. I can’t overstate the shine, folks. If you like looking at your car, and want other people to like looking at your car, keeping the paint in good shape is the best way to make that happen. When corrected, the shiny, wet, and clear appearance will return to the paint. Your car will look young again, as the paint will look newer, brighter, and more vibrant.

It depends! Our Gold Package, a one-step correction, is typically sufficient for putting a fantastic finish on a new vehicle, and will greatly restore color and clarity, in cars that are in decent shape, of any age. It will remove the majority of swirl marks and light oxidation, and leave your car with a glossy finish.

Our correction past that is up to quote, dependent on how extensive the problem areas on the vehicle is, and the expectations of the customer. Give us a call at (951)234-9099 for a no-obligation quote! Paint correction is typically 3-10 extra hours of work on top of our gold package, and can range anywhere from $250 to $1500 additionally.