Is It Worth Getting My Car’s Paint Corrected?

Your car’s paint and panels are the most expensive areas of your exterior, and make a massive difference when they’re clean, glossy and well-presented. Over time, trips to the drive-through automatic car wash, improper wash techniques, animal droppings, dirt accumulation and debris impact the overall appearance of your car’s paintwork.

Every car comes out of the factory with a certain amount of clear coat, acting as a sacrificial layer to protect the vehicle’s base coat. When you polish your car, you are removing slight layers of the clear coat with the help the polish’s micro-abrasive additives. This creates a fresh, smooth clear coat layer that reflects light more evenly, resulting in a shiner finish that boasts paint depth and gloss. When a surface is scratched, it is more difficult to achieve a proper shine as the scratches absorb the reflective light, “diluting” the shine.

There are different forms of paint correction, as well as different methods of conducting it. Polish or wax can be applied by hand or by machine, the latter being a much faster method, and capable of providing better results. Wet sanding is also an option for heavily scratched vehicles, to correct some levels of paint fade and to address “orange peel”, the wrinkly effect that can be on paint, which affects the chances of achieving a mirror-like finish.

Prior to polishing a vehicle, the paint must be fully prepped. This can be achieved by a combination of an iron decontamination, wax/sealant remover and a clay bar treatment. Once finished, the car should be masked up to prevent areas from being polished that shouldn’t be. Polishing can have different levels of aggressiveness, depending on the severity of the scratching or micro-swirls on the paint. The construction of the polishing pad and the type of polish both contribute to how aggressive the treatment is. Typically, polish is applied in order of most aggressive treatment to least aggressive, also known as “finishing”.

Once the polishing process is complete, the freshly corrected paintwork can be protected with a wax application or a paint sealant. We prefer Nv Car Care’s Lustre, topped with AutoGlym’s Polar Seal as a sacrificial paint topper, replenished monthly. A step further would be to preserve the pristine paint by applying either a ceramic coating, a PPF wrap, or a combination of the two for the ultimate level of protection.

Polishing paintwork is not something that needs to be done regularly, and once fully corrected, if properly maintained, may not need to be done again for many years to come! Who doesn’t love the feeling of having a fresh, shiny exterior? For best results, it’s ideal to consult a professional detailer’s expertise to handle the paint correction process for you from start to finish. There is only a finite amount of clear coat available, and without the right tools, equipment and knowledge, there is an inherent amount of risk involved.

In summary: yes, it is definitely worth getting your paint corrected and enjoying the clean, mirror-like reflection for years to come. Whether it be a restoration after years of neglect, getting the car ready for a sale, or just to get your car looking the best it possibly can, there’s no reason not to invest in looking after your pride and joy! O’Keefe’s Prestige Detailing provides paint polish and wax services near you, so you can enjoy your car looking as it did when it was on the dealership showroom floor.