If your car body has been dented, it is crucial to do a local car paint repair to restore its aesthetic appeal. While it is recommended to work with a professional to fix your vehicle, some people decide to do it alone to save money. However, they end up making the following mistakes.

Not removing wax and dirt before touch up

Applying your touch up paint on top of wax and dirt will prevent it from adhering to the car properly. You should therefore wash it with some dish soap and water first. The next step is to follow it up with a preparation solvent. The prep solvent will remove road grease, car wax, dirt, and other contaminants from the surface. It will also improve adhesion to the surface.

 

Painting the car in the wrong temperatures

Painting your vehicle in temperatures higher than 80F or lower than 5F isn’t a good idea. As the weather gets hotter or colder, the behaviour of the paint continues to change and this might result in blushing or blotches, gritty texture, or discolouration. The ideal painting temperature should be 72F with a humidity of 50%.

Using the wrong sandpaper

You should use sandpaper that is designed for paint repairs and not just any sandpaper. Regular sandpaper designed for wood or sanding blocks is too rough. It will leave scratches on your car. Car Paint Repair

Not applying primer

You should apply primer on your vehicle because paint does not stick well to bare metal. Using a primer will ensure better paint adhesion to the surface. It will also increase the durability of the paint and provide additional protection for the material being painted. If you do not apply primer, your paint will chip after a while.

Applying paint older than six months

You need to ensure you are using fresh touch-up car paint for the best results. If you use old paint, it will result in chipping and cracking.

Applying layers of paint at once

If you do not give each layer enough time to dry, it might result in a paint bubble. The bottom layers dry slower than the top layer and the drying time varies from thirty minutes to one hour depending on the temperature and the product.

Using nail polish instead of using a clear coat

While this might sound like a good idea, in reality, nail products will last only for one or two weeks. It is different from a clear coat that is designed for protecting your car paint.

Using a paper towel or bath towel on the surface

Paper products’ wood fibres are too rough. They will leave scratches on your car. It is therefore recommended to use microfiber cloth because it is soft with threads that are a hundred times finer than a human hair. Super absorbent weaves will hold up to 7 times their weight in liquid and won’t scratch plastic or paint after your local car paint repair.