How to Prep a Car for Paint – Step By Step Guide
Do you ever think if your car needs a change or not? Do you think your car to be colored again? If you don’t think about it then you must. It is because if you recolor it or redesign it then you can get a different look of your car.
But what should you do before painting it? This might be a question that rolls in your mind. And to color it like a PRO, the car has to be prepped well.
And for that, you should know some techniques to keep your car’s color last longer. Let’s check out what these are!
Methods of Prepping a Car for Paint
Cutting
The cutting process is something that can use an abrasive compound which basically removes thin layers of paint. It is important before you apply any kind of paint. To apply a cutting compound, first, you should tap off to the surrounding areas.
Be sure if it won’t spread all over the area. It usually happens when you do it with a machine. And to get rid of that, you should be careful. You should use safety clothes, protective glasses, and gloves as well. It helps not to get dirty during this process.
For use, apply the compound with your hand. You should do it with sufficient pressure. Make sure you pause every now and then to get the best result of it.
Choosing the Correct Paint
Not just prepping your car before painting is enough. The selection of perfect paint is also necessary. And that’s why you should be careful of the fact.
No matter if you paint your car in a completely different shade than before or you paint the same color as before, you should choose the right shade of it. Not every color is suitable. So, that’s why choose wisely before painting.
Timing
Maintaining time is equally important just like maintaining the right shade of a car. You must have knowledge about the time of spraying color on it.
Well, according to the research, early morning is the most suitable time for painting. Summertime will do too. And in winter, the afternoon is preferable for painting the non-painted car.
Sanding
When you are going to paint a car, sanding it will be a must before it. And for doing it, you can use a scotch-Brite pad. This will help to grab the paint in a rough way.
This process helps to remove the upper layer of the car. It is the best and need-able process which you absolutely apply. This is quite a lengthy process but it is worth doing it for getting a professional look in your car.
Priming
Before using any topcoat, priming is important. It’s a protective barrier which creates a surface that can protect the color coating and helps to stick on it. That’s why you should definitely prime it first.
And as a primer, you must choose a high-quality automotive primer that can give you better results. You should also clean it before using any primer on the surface.
To ensure the full security or as you can say, fully-covered surface, use more than one coating if needed. Make sure you will cover up all the areas you want to paint.
Compatibility
As you paint a car for several numbers of times, make sure your primer is being suitable with the color you are going to apply. There are many different brands around us.
But the fact is, if you switch from one to another brand for several times, you might face compatibility issues. Further, the paint won’t stick nicely to the car surface. So, be careful of this fact.
Quality of the Surface
If your car has scratches or some other things like this, you might think you should paint it and everything will cover up easily. But the actual fact is, it WON’T cover-up.
In fact, it will look worse than ever. When you paint or spray on your car, it covers the scratches but not look smooth at all.
So, that’s why you should be sure about the fact that the surface will look smooth. If you are done with all these, then you can hope to have a nice finishing of the paint.
Cleaning
Not only prepping is important. Before and after doing all the processes, cleaning up the surface is also an important thing which you should do. Before spraying color on the surface, it’s very important to clean it up. It is because it helps to stick all over it and make it long-lasting.
You should do two things that will help you more. The first thing you will do is to remove all the grease. And the second one is to wipe out. These steps will help to give the car a smooth texture and a clean finish. So, cleaning is much important.
Final Verdict
Do what makes your car looks beautiful. Apply the methods perfectly so that your car can look beautiful and smooth enough. You have to do it because if you don’t, you can’t get the perfect look of your car. And if your car has scratches, you must follow the processes to get rid of those things.
So, do those things that make your car looks more glamorous. Be careful of your car, do these methods, give the car a nice, different look at what you actually want!
