Car Scuff Repair For Vehicle Scratches
The term car scratch refers to any type of damage to your car. Common car scratch damage includes dents, nicks, chips, small dings, breaks, and gouges. Though many things can cause car scratch damage, the most damaging forms are auto repair or paint scratch accidents. Unfortunately, almost every vehicle owner will eventually suffer from some form of auto repair or paint scratch damage.
There are basically three types of car scratches, and they each requires a different approach to repair. Dented or chips scratched auto repair, like so many other problems, can be fixed by removing the damage with a little elbow grease. Clear coat scratch occurs when the outer layer of the skin or paint is eroded away by the scratch, leaving behind the original dark colored area. This sort of scratch repair can be a bit tricky because the vehicle’s paint doesn’t always go perfectly with dark colored chips or dents. Though they can still be successfully repaired, it is a good idea to avoid dent and scratch repair in favor of auto repair and paint scratch removal techniques.
When a scratch occurs in the middle of a colored layer of car paint, called the clear coat layer, it can create a ring of light rust or dark rust around the repaired area. In this case, the repair will be much more visible and pronounced because the rest of the color layer has been compromised. When the outer layer is compromised, the repair will need to be done in white or black. Sometimes darker rust can be hidden under the lighter discoloration, so careful attention to detail is essential to make sure that the rest of the car is not compromised by the new scratch. Auto repair or paint scratch removal techniques for this sort of car scratch usually involve some sort of chemical compound that physically removes the dark rust layer and leaves behind a clear, white layer of paint.
A “bumper pad” technique is used for the most severe cases of damage. In this case, a metal-based plastic compound is applied to bare metal damage, which can be scraped away. Because the damaged area is exposed to bare metal, this repair method can be slightly more expensive than the previous method. A bump pad is also useful for smaller scratches on vehicles, such as bird droppings.
Scratches can also be made invisible using a layer of plastic film. The first layer of paint can be covered with a thin plastic layer that leaves just enough exposed metal for paint to flow. With this method, car repairs for small paint scratches will usually take just a few hours to complete. For larger scratches or entire paint jobs, it may take several days to finish. This type of repair is best suited to minor all-weather car repairs, not so much for paint scratches on light-colored vehicles like gray or silver.
Scratches can be repaired by steel wool, but this is a more labor-intensive way to repair damage. A steel wool pad is applied to the area, followed by a layer of sandpaper-coated metal. If possible, the area should be shaded to avoid overheating the area. After the sandpaper is able to fully dry, the repair is done. If the damage is very big and covers an area larger than the width of the front fender, sandpaper will probably have to be applied in even bigger layers to repair it properly.
If you decide to go with this method, it is important to remember to apply the sandpaper evenly. Otherwise, you will end up making the problem worse by leaving parts of the scratched area uneven. If the damaged area is smooth, it can be difficult to see where the shavings or damaged feathers originated. To make sure that all parts are even, you will need to use a magnifying glass. It’s a good idea to make sure the repaired area is fairly large, so you will not risk it being smaller than the original damaged area.
This process is very easy, but it does require some time and patience. In most cases, it is recommended that you choose to have the repaired part replaced rather than repairing the entire scratch. While it may take some time to come to your senses and realize you’ve damaged your vehicle, you will save yourself a lot of money by replacing the damaged area with a new one. You can buy car scuff repair kits for under $50 at auto stores and online, or you can hire a contractor to come in and do the job professionally.