Paint Correction & Polishing

Paint Correction

 

Paint correction refers to a process of removing deeper scratches and swirl marks with an aggressive polishing machine used for the process in combination with wool correcting pads and abrasive correcting compounds. Following a paint correction pass around the vehicle, a second less aggressive polishing pass is performed to removes micro marring (light scratches), halos and hazing caused by the initial correcting phase.

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Paint Enhancement Polishing

 

This service is for vehicles with dull or faded paint. It is 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 as the paint is being polished resulting in a refined mirror-like finish. Many people don't realize how dull their paint is until after we perform this service.

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Deciding Between Paint Correction and Enhancement Polishing Services

 

Does or vehicle's exterior need paint correction or enhancement polishing? The fact is paint correction and polishing are for cosmetic purposes and are not needed to preserve the integrity of the paint. If appearance is important to you, which it should be, please read on to discover why you still may need or want this valuable service.

 

Our vehicles are in part a reflection of who we are and we all know that. And speaking of reflection, if you cannot see yours in the paint on your vehicle, these services will hands-down dramatically improve the appearance and reflect well on you for a relatively low cost.

 

Bet you didn't know brand new vehicles straight out of production can benefit from polishing too. After spending all that money, 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 in the painted surfaces that's unavoidable. Enhancement polishing on a brand new vehicle remove any haze that exists and surprisingly adds a new level of gloss that you may not realize was even possible.

 

If paint is not well protected it inevitably will loose it's gloss and luster over 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 as it wears down the paint goes unprotected and will over time 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 is old school and inferior to many other options available. As a personal opinion... the main reason car wax is still sold is because people still buy it.

 

Sooo... Paint Correction Or Enhancement Polishing?

 

Lets start with enhancement polishing. Enhancement polishing is a single step process that removes 70-80% of the minor scratching, swirl marks, and oxidation resulting in drastic improvements to gloss and depth of color. With enhancement polishing we may correct a few significant imperfections as we see them, but for the most part it is a single pass process from start to finish. We use a foam polishing pad and a medium grit compound that starts out by removing the swirl marks and then as it breaks down to a finer grit while it's being worked it further refines the polishing to a high gloss reflective finish. If you want is to see significant improvements and to be able to see your reflection in the paint, enhancement polishing is likely for you.

 

For vehicles that are heavily swirled and scratched a 2-step paint correction process is certainly an option to consider. This process starts with a wool correction pad and aggressive correction compound on the first step and is followed up with enhancement polishing. If you are the type of person who is concerned about seeing swirl marks and scratches when you are looking at the suns reflection in your paint and want them gone, paint correction is likely for you.

 

Show Car Finish

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If you truly want a show car finish resulting in absolute minimal defects, during the correction phase we will inspect for imperfections 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. We will also add a 3rd final step of ultra fine polishing that is often referred to as jeweling to result in the highest levels of gloss and depth of reflection possible. If you are the type of person who only wants the best, then this level of paint correction and polishing may be for you. If this is for you, please inquire about having us evaluate your vehicle to determine reasonable expectations for time and cost required to result in the best correction/polishing service available.

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