How to repair paint damage on a car?

When it comes to your car the paint on your car is more than likely going to get damaged over the years and you may be considering carrying out a paint repair service yourself, but have you done your research on whether this is possible or not? Paint damage on a car can be caused by various factors. The paint could chip off from rocks or debris, the sun could cause it to fade, or you might have been in an accident and your vehicle’s paint was damaged. 

Sometimes there is no way to know what happened without going over the car with a fine-tooth comb looking for clues. Our team here at DW Motor Services have put together a few things you should consider when thinking about how to repair car paint damage on your car, you may think you want to do it yourself but read our latest blog post first. 

There are different ways that you can go about fixing this problem but here are some tips that will help you get started: 

Whether you have been washing your car or the paint damage is that bad you have simply noticed it, you might think to yourself that you can repair the paint damage as a DIY job. It goes without saying this can work and can be done well, but our team here at DW Motor Services would only recommend doing this for small paint damages. 

When it is only a small area it is less noticeable and therefore you can carry out the repair by yourself without causing too much more mess. But there are without a doubt a handful of reasons you should take your car to a car paint repair specialist, these are; 

• When to stone chip has caused enough damage to expose the metalwork 
• When the paint damaged area has rust spots 
• When your car has been damaged by a number of chips or large chunks are missing 

 

When it comes to fixing car paint repairs yourself it does truly depend on the level of damage, but we would always recommend going to a professional car paint repair shop if you haven’t done it before. Especially if rust is involved, this is because rust stops the paint from adhering to the car, and it will continue to spread underneath any paint that does take, inevitably causing more damage. 

The type of paint repair damage we suggest you try and fix yourself is stone paint chips, these are manageable if you take your time.

If you find your car has stone chips in your paint and you want to try and fix the paintwork by yourself as a DIY project we have put together a few top tips you should follow, just bear in mind you need to take your time, make sure you get the right paint colour to match your car and finally, you need a surgically steady hand. Think you can give it a go? Here are our top tips; 

• Make sure you clean the damaged area with soap and water, once you have dried the area, rub it with white spirit. Do not skip this step as it will make sure the surface is clean of any grease and will offer the paint a surface to adhere to. 
• If there are any raised edges around the stone chip make sure you sand them down, the area needs to be smooth, try T-cut or sandpaper, this needs to be done extremely carefully so you don’t cause more damage. 
• Apply a primer or base coat. 
• Now it is time to add the paint, you need to add thin, fine layers. Your car will of been painted in multiple layers the first time so you need to replicate this process now. 
• Make sure you allow EVERY layer to dry! 
• Once you have finished painting make sure the layers equate to the same amount as the original paint around the damage. 
• Apply a lacquer and allow to dry. 

 

If you follow this step by step guide on how to fix stone paint chips on your car you will more than likely succeed, but should you feel you would prefer to use a specialist, our team here at DW Motor Services can help you.

Unfortunately, there is no clear way on how you can protect your car from stone chips, this is because general wear and tear will occur on your car, with stone chips being the most common due to driving on roads. You can choose to use a paint protection film, this will offer layer protection for your cars paintwork, although it is not guaranteed to stop every stone from damaging your paintwork. 

We recommend protection film if you have a car with a bespoke or custom paint job, this will protect it more than without the film. It is a clear plastic vinyl sheet that is almost invisible on your car, making it the perfect option.

When it comes to stone chip paint repair kits there are multiple options on the market, ranging from £10 through to over £50, the biggest tip we can give you is to not choose the cheapest option you find, it might not offer you what you are looking for, they also have a limited colour range. You get what you pay for when it comes to car paint repair kits, you need to find the exact colour which can be harder than you think. Take the time to shop around and do your research on each different brand. 

An alternative option is to take your car to your local car paint repair garage, they will more than likely be more expensive than a paint kit, but you are guaranteed a paint repair that is seamless and will match your car perfectly.

If you have found paint damage on your car, do not worry! Our team here at DW Motor Services is on hand to help you, we can take the time to repair your car using our car paint repair service, our team can make your car look brand new. We offer a wide range of services for repairs on all types of vehicles including cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, boats and RVs.

Our experienced mechanics are happy to give advice about what type of service will be best suited for your specific issue or need no matter how big or small so contact us today for more information! DW Motor Services is always more than happy to offer your car paint repair services.