Understanding Automotive Paint Correction

touchstonedetailing.com/new-blog/vb

October 21, 2019

Paint correction is a term that is now commonly used by both professional car detailers
and car cleaning enthusiasts worldwide to describe the process of restoring and
rejuvenating the paintwork of a vehicle, mostly through the elimination of surface
imperfections, that dull, oxidize, or haze the surface by reflecting light off in various
directions, therefore detracting from a true and proper, clean, sharp, reflection. These
imperfections include things like swirl marks & fine scratches, bird dropping etching &
acid rain etching, hologramming & buffer trails, and random isolated deep scratches (or
RIDS).

The term paint correction should only really be used if these imperfections are properly
removed and are not just merely covered up or hidden with filler based products. The
actual corrective process itself comprises of a small amount of clear coat or paint being
removed from the surface with the use of abrasive polishes, which are applied and
worked in with appropriate polishing machines, in order to level out the surface.

Before any paint correction is undertaken, a thorough wash and decontamination of the
vehicle is performed. Paintwork is properly washed and cleaned to remove any loose dirt
and debris. After the wash process the vehicle is clayed with a specialist automotive clay
bar, which safely removes any bonded surface contaminants such as tar spots and
industrial fallout.

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It is important these contaminants are removed before the paint correction process
because if they were to become dislodged and caught up in the pad of a polishing
machine, they could easily inflict damage onto the surface very quickly. It also helps to
leave the surface very smooth, which in turn, allows the polishing machine to move
freely over the surface, reducing the possibility of hopping or sticking occurring. Lastly,
claying the paintwork helps you to properly observe the progress of the correction
process because you can see the true condition of the surface as you are working.

The polishing is usually a multistage process as a range of different grades of polish are
used, ranging from heavier cutting compounds, which remove the surface material, to
finer products which then remove any marks that the heavier products may have
inflicted and generally refine the finish. During the paint correction process it is common
for a paint depth gauge to be used.

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This measures the thickness of the paint on the metal panel and is used before, during
and after the process to monitor how much material is being removed and ensure an
excess is not removed which could leave the paint too thin or even cause irreversible
damage such as a strike through the paint. Specialist halogen or LED lamps which
replicate the effect of direct sunlight on the surface are also used during the process to
check the condition of the paintwork and see how successfully the surface scratches and
imperfections are being removed.

Some scratches or imperfections may actually be too deep or severe to safely remove
without risking removing to much surface paint or clear coat and so are minimized and
reduced as best as possible using techniques with the machine polisher and polish
products that round off the edges of the scratches and make them far less apparent in
direct light.

After correction, the panels are wiped down with an isopropyl alcohol which removes
any oils that may have been left over from the polish and reveals the true finish,
including any areas that may have been missed or require a little more work. Once
complete, fully corrected paintwork will shine brilliantly and produce stunning
reflections because there are now no longer any scratches and imperfections to scatter
and reflect the light rays off in different directions.

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Paint correction is a very labor intensive process and is usually the most time
consuming part of the car detailing process. Consequently, it commands high
premiums from professional detailers & car cleaners, and amateurs or enthusiasts
should only attempt to correct their own paintwork if they are completely confident in
doing so or have enough experience to carry it out safely

In conclusion, paint correction is the process of removing surface scratches and

imperfections from a vehicles paintwork, which involves the use of machine polishers
and a range of different polish products. A fully corrected vehicle when viewed in direct
sunlight will show only true reflections and no swirl marks, scratches or blemishes will
be visible to the naked eye.

Lastly, it is important to distinguish between paintwork that has been truly corrected
and paintwork that has been treated with products that are designed to mask and fill
surface imperfections such as an all in one polish for example. This should not be

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referred to as paint correction even if no scratches or blemishes are apparent, because
they have not been genuinely removed and are still present under the products fillers,
which in time, will wash away and reveal them once more.

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