Paint Correction Packages
Paint correction, polishing, and buffing are loosely related terms referring to processes used to remove or reduce scratches, swirls, oxidation and other defects on automotive painted surfaces.
Light is refracted off every imperfection resulting in duller paint when such defects are present in the paint. The worse the defects are, the duller the paint gets. And when the defects are minimized the resulting mirror finish is simply stunning.
Paint Correction
This service involves the process of removing deeper scratches and swirl marks from the paint with an aggressive machine such as a buffer or forced dual rotation polisher, aggressive cutting pads, and aggressive cutting compounds. Following this initial paint correction pass around the vehicle, a second less aggressive corrective pass is performed generally with a random orbital polisher, medium density foam pad, and moderate grit polish that degrades to a finer grit as it's being worked to remove micro marring (light scratches), halos and hazing caused by the initial correcting phase. Finally, a third and final"Jeweling" pass is made with a light density foam pad and non-aggressive polishing compound to refine the finish to a super glossy reflective finish. Target level of paint correction: 95% or better
Enhancement Polishing
This service is for vehicles with dull or faded paint and is intended for owners who would simply like to see it shine once again and look better, but are not necessarily concerned with perfection. It's performed with a minimally invasive random orbital polisher in combination with a medium soft foam pad and a polishing compound that starts with a moderately aggressive abrasive that degrades to an ultra fine grit as the paint is being polished, resulting in a more refined mirror-like finish. Many people don't realize how dull their paint is until after we perform this service. This is basically the second step of the three step paint correction service. Target level of paint correction: 70% or better
Brand New Vehicles...
Brand new vehicles straight out of production can certainly benefit from enhancement polishing. After spending all that money on a vehicle with less than 100 miles on it, believe it or not, it's still not perfect! As factory paint cures, solvents in the paint off-gas and during this process a level of haze develops on the painted surfaces that's unavoidable. Additionally, new vehicles do not have adequate protection to protect against scuffs and scratches while the vehicles are on the car lot, moved around, test driven, etc. Enhancement polishing on a brand new vehicle removes all defects and hazing that exists from the normal course of being in existence between the time the oem paint cures and when the keys are placed in your hands, and it surprisingly adds a new level of gloss that you may not realize was even possible. On top of that, if no other services are required, we finish it off with a coat of 1-year rated graphene sealant for 12 months of premium protection.
Vehicle Aging
If paint is not well protected it inevitably will loose it's gloss and luster in short time. To protect the surface of the paint we apply waxes, sealants or coatings to create a sacrificial barrier between the paint and the elements. If we do not reapply this sacrificial barrier often enough, it wears down and the paint goes unprotected. It will quickly become hazy from oxidation, road contaminants, industrial fallout, sun, acid rain, bird droppings, insect guts, automated car washes, and even gentle hand washing. So many people apply wax when they get their new vehicle and don't realize it only lasts 6-8 weeks before it no longer is protecting the paint. As a side note, Progressive Detailing does not use wax. It's old school and inferior to other options available. As a personal opinion... the main reason car wax is still sold is because people still buy it.
Show Cars
If you truly want a show car finish resulting in minimal defects, as a regular part of the three step paint correction service, we inspect for imperfections throughout the process with a special light that makes even the most insignificant defects stand out so we can focus on each one individually with more attention to detail. If you are the type of person who only wants the best, then three step paint correction is for you.
So, does your vehicle's exterior need paint correction or enhancement polishing?
Our vehicles are in part a reflection of who we are, and since you are interested in this service it's pretty safe to assume you know what I'm talking about. And speaking of reflection, if you cannot see yours in the paint on your vehicle, either of these services will hands-down dramatically improve the appearance and reflect well on you!
With enhancement polishing we may correct a few significant imperfections as we see them, but for the most part as previously mentioned, it's a single pass process that starts by removing swirl marks, and as the compound breaks down to a finer grit, it further refines the polishing to a more reflective finish. This is like the middle of the road of paint correction - so to speak. It lightly addresses deeper scratches and refines the gloss and reflection to a very nice finish... but not quite to it's potential. Three step paint correction however, addresses all the scratches and refines the finish down to that of a finely polished piece of jewelry.
For owners who appreciate having nothing but the best, or vehicles that are heavily swirled and scratched, three step paint correction is certainly something to consider. And for everyone else, single step paint correction will reflect very well on you!
*Paint Correction pricing listed below includes everything that is also included in a complete exterior detail, which is a necessary part of the process to prepare your vehicle for the best end results. To see what's included in the exterior detail you can CLICK HERE.
Sedan
(2&4-Door Cars)
Exterior Detail plus...
Enhancement Polishing: $421
Paint Correction: $857
Large
(Non-lifted Trucks & Small SUVs)
Exterior Detail plus...
Enhancement Polishing: $484
Paint Correction: $985
XL
(Large Trucks and 3rd Row Vehicles)
Exterior Detail plus...
Enhancement Polishing: $547
Paint Correction: $1,114