What is Paint Correction?
One of our most popular services here at Max Protect is paint correction, but what exactly is it? In today’s blog post we reveal all the details.
Put simply, paint correction is exactly what it sounds like – the process of correcting paint. Whether damaged from overexposure to the elements or a bad washing technique, or more fundamentally bringing a slightly neglected coat of paint back to its factory fresh finish, it’s correcting an issue. It often helps to visualise these processes, highlighted in the photos above. As you’ll see from the before and after images, there’s a massive difference between the paint’s quality, and this displays perfectly the effects of a well performed paint correction process.
There are several important steps to achieve a result like the one shown above, and these are listed below. These are by no means exhaustive, and we can tailor any treatments to include what you need:
Full Paint Correction Process
- Pre-wash – a chemical decontamination stage to shift super tough grime before hitting it with the sponge
- Full 2 stage safe wash process using filtered water and two bucket method
- Blow dry to remove any residual water and drips
- Hand dry with microfibre towels
- Final chemical decontamination
- Clay bar scrub – to remove very fine and tough contaminates not removed by chemical decontamination and wash stages
- Cutting stage machine polishing (correction) – a very abrasive stage that removes most of the deep scratches and defects. Can be anywhere from 1 to 10 and over passes in this stage
- Degreasing stage to remove all carrier oils and silicones present in polishing compounds that can be masking up tiny swirls, which will become visible after a few washes or if ceramic coating is applied
- Refining stage machine polishing (correction) – This stage uses much finer compounds and less abrasive polishing pads and removes imperfections left behind by the cutting stage. Usually requires 1-2 passes in this stage
- Degreasing stage to remove all carrier oils and silicones present in polishing compounds that can be masking up tiny swirls, which will become visible after a few washes or if ceramic coating is applied
- Final stage machine polishing (correction) – this is the polishing stage where true magic happens – it can be very slow and can take many passes to achieve that mirror finish you just can’t not look at once you see. Only the finest compounds / polishes / glazes and the softest pads are used in this stage.
- Final degreasing stage after which paint correction is completed
Why does your car need a paint correction? Cars lead tough lives, whether used regularly for motorway commuting, as a ‘daily driver’ for running local errands, or even a toy for regular spirited weekend drives or track visits. The result is the same: adverse weather effects, grit and debris from the road or track, impurities in the atmosphere, and even general washing and polishing will all ultimately take their toll on your car and its paintwork. A combination of these will often end up chipping, marking, and scratching the paint surface, and before too long the damage can need a more robust solution than a visit to the local car wash.
It’s not only used or older cars that can benefit from a visit to our workshop; even new vehicles fall victim to paint damage. Sometimes, this is down to being incorrectly detailed at a dealership or trade supplier who may not have the time, products, or skills necessary to provide a precision finish. This can result in buffer trails, swirl marks, scratches, or even differently coloured panels if the damage is severe. As more and more companies offer vehicle delivery services as part of their sales process, we in turn see more cars being damaged during transportation. It’s easy for a car to pick up knocks or drip stains during a long journey across country. We even see some paintwork problems which originate in the factory, such as surface marring, machine marks from sanding or buffing, or metallic fallout. As we said, cars lead tough lives.
Whatever the cause, all is not lost. These common issues can normally be corrected by a professional inspection and treatment. This is where we come in, offering our expertise and experience in applying a professional grade paint correction package. The process takes several days, but the effects are long lasting and as you can see in our lead image, make a clear difference.
Get in touch with Max Protect UK today for more information about any of our paint correction services, products, or to get your vehicle booked in with one of our specialists. Reach us by phone on: +44 (0) 1923519682, email us at: info@max-protect.co.uk or by using contact form below.