A Few Helpful Tips For Repairing Chipped Auto Paint

Posted on: 18 April 2017

If you take a close look at your car's paint job, you will probably notice some small chips. Often, these are defects that you wouldn't have even noticed if you had not looked for them. However, if these paint chips are left alone and not fixed soon enough, you could end up with problems. Often, rust can form and the paint can chip away, creating a much larger hole. Of course, these bigger holes are also more expensive to fix. This is why it is a good idea to use touch up paint to seal your car surface. This will prevent rust formation and cover-up small discolorations.

Fix the Problem ASAP So You Don't Need to Use Filler

The key is to touch up your paint before rust starts to form. Usually, a little bit of rust won't be an issue if you can clean it off. However, if the rest is deeply in bedded in the metal and it won't rub off easily, you will need to use auto body filler. This makes the project entirely different.

Hopefully, you will have caught your paint chip soon enough, so you can easily touch it up without using filler. You can get all the supplies and paint you need from the dealership. Buying the paint directly from the dealership is the best way to be certain that you are able to find the exact paint for your make and model of car.

Using Touch Up Paint

Touch up paint comes in small cans with convenient little brushes that make it easy to cover up chips. These brushes are really small, like a nail polish brush, so they don't work well if you need to paint a large area. For instance, if your paint chip is bigger than a couple of square inches, you'll need to invest in a separate, bigger brush.

One helpful tip for actually applying the paint is putting it on in thin coats, rather than trying to get complete coverage on the first coat. This is the best way to keep a consistent texture. You just need to wait for the paint to dry completely between each coat.

When the final coat is completely dry, you might still need to buff it out. You can use auto body steel wool or a wool buffing attachment for a power drill. This will help polish the patch and make the sheen blend in better with the original car paint. All in all, this is a simple project that can save you money in the long run.

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