Also known as swirl mark removal or machine polishing, paintwork correction is the reduction or removal of marks in the top layer of paint to produce a more refined finish.
Paint correction can involve either the hand or machine application of varying grades of cleaner, polish or compound. The majority of work is usually performed rotary machine polishers to achieve the best level of correction.
Good paint correction requires a high degree of skill and concentration, but performed properly it can transform the look of a car by dealing with (amongst other imperfections); hard water spots, etching caused by bird droppings or bug squash, swirl marks, scratches, oxidation and fading.
Performed professionally, paint correction is entirely safe and will not cause any issues for your paint.
Why Consider Paint Correction?
A vehicle’s paint deals with many environmental elements:
- Road grime and grit
- Bird droppings, bug squash and tree sap
- Tar
- Water spots
- People brushing against the vehicle with their clothing or bags
- Poor valeting techniques and/or products
- Poor machine or hand polishing techniques
- Auto car washes
Sadly, all of these things can lead to/leave the vehicle’s finish looking less than perfect and at worst; dull, faded and covered in light scratches, swirls and other forms of marring. Not only does this detract from your vehicle’s appearance, but it ultimately reduces its value as well.
For the vast majority of vehicles, paint correction really can make a significant difference and will completely remove or significantly reduce most marks. Not only, but the resulting finish will have an amazing gloss, depth of reflection and slickness.
How does machine polishing work?
This simple diagram illustrates makeup of vehicle paint where the topmost clear coat layer contains a number of scratches or marks.
The red dotted line provides an example of where the clear coat may be reduced to following polishing. As illustrated, some marks will have been completely removed while others will have been greatly reduced and likely much harder to see.
The number of imperfections removed depends on the existing safe levels of paint and which paint correction process is chosen.
Basically, the technique removes microscopic amounts of the clear coat surface in order to smooth away imperfections. It could be compared to the ultra light sanding, but when we talk about microscopic we are referring to a few microns(a micron is 1/1000th of a millimeter)!
A combination of cleansers and polishes of various grades are applied to a vehicle’s paint using specifically designed buffing pads (there are many grades and types available) with either rotary or dual action polishers. Each stage is meticulously controlled and vigorously inspected using specialist lamps (when is a controlled environment/inside) and paint depth gauges.
As you can probably tell, to be able to do the job properly requires being able to judge the existing condition of your vehicle’s paint and foresee likely issues before starting any correction process. This requires not only the use of proper equipment, but also years of experience and understanding of the many different paint systems used on vehicles today as well as years ago.
Machine polishing is also suitable for those older/classic vehicles which may not have a clear coat.
Will removed marks reappear?
In a word, NO. Any marring removed by our paint correction is gone for good.
New marks may appear over time, but we will provide you with free information on how to limit future damage caused by bird dropping to car washes.
Choosing Shade Tree for your paint correction
Many companies and individuals may say that they can polish a car, but sadly the results are often very poor, paint levels may be left dangerously low, machine induced swirls may be left behind, original blemishes are still apparent etc.. When it comes to paint correction a specialist is a requirement.
- At Shade Tree Auto Detailing we have accumulated more than 30 years of experience in machine polishing to concours standards.
- We have extensive detailing and body shop knowledge
- We always take paint depth readings using the appropriate gauge for your vehicle
- We carry a wide range of compounds and polishes to ensure we have the best product for the job
- We are constantly researching new products and techniques
- We ALWAYS work within the safe confines of your paint’s finish
- We use no fillers and actually DO REMOVE the blemishes from your vehicle’s paint
- We are a small professionally run company created by people with a true passion for this work
- It is for these reasons that we truly believe the service we offer to our customers is second to none
