As time passes, the coat of paint on a car’s surface can start to lose its lustre; it becomes increasingly dull, completely unrepresentative of the initial seamless and vibrant coat of paint which once adorned the car’s exterior. Compounded by an extensive amount of scratches and dents which are par for the course if a car is used daily, a car can really lose its shine over time. Fortunately, this is a completely salvageable situation, with the help of meticulous and detailed car paint restoration. When it comes to car paint restoration Singapore has no shortage of workshops which offer this service – this article will thus briefly touch on some of the various steps and techniques which are most commonly used by these workshops to restore the shine of a car.
Some of the basic steps and procedures of a standard car paint restoration process are as follows:
- Step one – washing the car
- Step two – analysing the car’s surface
- Step three – using a clay bar to treat the car surface
- Step four – using the right polish and technique
- Step five – waxing the car surface
Step one – washing the car
Most of the time, the first step when it comes to car paint restoration is to give the car a thorough wash. This involves using specific types of car shampoo (usually pH balanced shampoo) to remove dirt, grime and any other unwanted objects from the surface of the car before the actual car paint restoration process begins.
This is an extremely undervalued part of the entire car paint restoration process, and many individuals tend to overlook the importance of this first step. However, it is crucial to give the car a detailed rinse and wipedown to keep the surface clear of any foreign objects, as these foreign objects can ultimately undermine the smoothness and overall quality of the finish. Where spots such as dust, dirt or grease are present, the car’s surface will automatically be uneven, which means that when the car is eventually polished these marks can become permanent, resulting in a less than ideal finished product. Therefore, it is important to make sure that at the end of the washing process there are absolutely no more remaining specks of dust or unwanted objects on the car’s surface, so as to facilitate a smoother car paint restoration process.
Step two – analysing the car’s surface
After all the dirt and grime is removed from the car itself, the next step would usually involve a detailed analysis of the car’s surface. This helps to provide a better idea of the extent of the car’s paint damage, and provide insights as to which specific processes are needed to achieve a more flawless finish.
The majority of car paint restoration will be for scratches and hard marks on the car surface which are difficult to remove. In this case, polishing will usually be the easiest way of getting rid of the various scratch marks. These imperfections can be smoothed out, thereby creating a more seamless surface where these small anomalies will not be as easily spotted.
However, in the event of environmental damage caused by natural factors such as acid, rain, treatment will be slightly more complicated, and will generally require the usage of a clay bar to remove these contaminants on the surface of the car.
Step three – using a clay bar to treat the car surface
As previously mentioned, certain environmental factors can cause contaminants on the car surface which might not be as easily removed using standard polishing practices. In this case, the usage of a clay bar to treat the car surface beforehand can greatly help to remove any unwanted marks or stains on the surface which might not be easily removable via soap and water.
Clay bars are generally made of a synthetic polyester material which can easily pick up and remove these stains and surface marks more easily, while providing a smoother surface as a base for any subsequent polishing work.
Step four – using the right polish and technique
After completing the aforementioned steps, the actual car paint restoration process can now begin. At this stage, the previous analysis of the car’s surface and the overall damage can help to determine the type of polish which should be used – in most cases, it involves choosing between a lighter and heavier polish. Usually when it comes to car respray Singapore workshops will help choose an appropriate method of recovering the shine in the car – the table below illustrates some of the key points which are taken into account when choosing between a lighter and heavier polish.
| Light Polish | Heavy Polish |
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Then comes the actual polishing process – most workshops utilise a dual action polisher as it usually results in a more even finish that is indistinguishable from the rest of the car’s surface. A small amount of polish is usually applied to the polishing pad, and the polisher is used to slowly apply the polish across the surface of the car. Over time, the speed of the polisher is increased while more pressure is applied on the car’s surface, to ensure an even and seamless final output.
Step five – waxing the car surface
After the polishing process, most workshops and experienced individuals will opt to apply a layer of wax onto the surface of the car for various reasons. Usually this is to enhance the shine of the car, but more importantly adding this additional layer of wax also acts as an additional layer of protection to ensure that the surface of the car is well protected against any external particles. This further enhances the durability of the car’s finish, allowing for the vehicle’s shine to last for an extended period of time. This is even more important for cases where spray paint is used, because for car spray painting Singapore workshops will generally want to be more cautious about environmental elements by adding an extra layer of defence for the paint layer.
Conclusion
To sum up, there are many pointers to take into account when it comes to restoring the paint of a car. When it comes to car paint restoration Singapore auto repair and maintenance workshops generally have an extensive general procedure, which is reflected in the number of steps taken to achieve a perfect finish. Car owners are encouraged to consult a car paint shop Singapore drivers trust and recommend, so as to have a peace of mind when entrusting their vehicle to competent and qualified employees to get the job done.
