What Is Paint Correction?
Paint correction can involve either hand or machine application of varying grades of cleansers, polishes or compounds. The majority of work is done with rotary machine polishers to get the best level of correction.
Good paint correction requires a high degree of skill, concentration and time, but if done properly, it really can transform the look of a car by dealing with hard water marks, etching caused by bird much or fly squash, swirl marks, scratching and fading amongst other things.
Why Consider Paint Correction?
A car's paint has to deal with a lot of environmental challenges:
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Road grime and grit
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Bird muck, fly squash and tree sap
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Tar
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Water spots
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People brushing against the car with their clothing or bags
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Poor valeting techniques and/or products
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Poor machine or hand polishing techniques
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Auto car washes
Sadly all of these things can leave the finish of a car looking less than perfect and at worst, dull, faded and covered in light scratches, swirls and other marring. Not only does this detract from your car's appearance but it ultimately reduces its value as well.
For the vast majority of cars, paint correction really can make a substantial difference and will completely remove or significantly reduce most marks. Not only this, but the resulting finish will have an amazing gloss, depth of reflection and slickness.
How Does Machine Polishing Work?
This simple diagram illustrates the typical make up of modern car paint where the topmost clearcoat layer contains a number of marks or scratches.
The red dotted line provides an example of where the clearcoat may be reduced to following polishing. As illustrated, some marks will have been completely removed while others will have been made much smaller and are likely to be harder to see.
The number of marks removed depends on the existing safe levels of paint and which paint correction service is chosen.
Basically, the technique removes microscopic amounts of the surface in order to smooth away problems. It could be likened to ultra fine sanding but when we talk about microscopic we are referring to a few microns (a micron is 1/1000th of a millimetre)!
A combination of cleansers and polishes of various grades are applied to a car's paint using specifically designed buffing pads (there are many grades and types available) and either rotary or dual action polishers. Each stage is meticulously controlled and vigorously reinspected using specialist lamps 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 car's paint and foresee likely issues before starting work. This requires not only the use of the right equipment, but also years of experience and an understanding of the many different paint systems used on cars.
Machine polishing is also suitable for paint on older or classic cars which may not include a clearcoat.
Will Removed Marks Reappear?
In a word, NO, not the way that we do it. Any marring removed by our paint correction is gone for good. New marks may appear over time (we can't stop future scratches), but we'll provide you with free, simple advice to help limit future damage caused by valeting and keep the paintwork in top condition.
In addition, because we have a very sympathetic approach to correcting paintwork (not only by using very high-tech polishes, but also in the processes we use), we'd be able to polish your car again whenever you felt it was needed.
Choosing Aston Automotive for Your Paint Correction
Many companies and individuals will say that they can polish a car but sadly, the results are often very poor - paint levels can be left dangerously low, there may be visible marks left from the buffing itself, the original marks may still be present but just temporarily filled, etc. When it comes to machine polishing, you really need a specialist.
At Aston Automotive we have years of experience in machine polishing to concours standards.
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We have extensive detailing and bodyshop knowledge so truly understand car paintwork
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We always take paint depth readings using the appropriate gauge for your car
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We carry a wide range of different polishes and compounds to ensure we have the right ones for the job
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We are constantly researching new products and techniques
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We guarantee the results - if the finish isn't as described, then you don't pay us!
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We ALWAYS work within the safe limits of your car's finish - we aim to give you results that last!
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We actually reduce/remove marks and don't use temporary fillers
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We provide free, no obligation quotes
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Once we have quoted, that is the price, there are no hidden extras
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We are a small professionally run company created by people with a passion for this work
It's for all of these reasons that we truly believe that the service we offer is second to none.