A car’s exterior appearance is important – it’s what most people notice first, after all. So, it makes sense that any customer is going to want their car to look incredible after a new paint job. That being said, there are countless factors that can affect the appearance of your paintwork and leave your customer dissatisfied.
In order to ensure you’re providing the highest quality service and keeping your clients happy every time, the team at Haltec have come up with a list of common mistakes people make when refinishing a car’s paintwork. Avoiding these will have you inundated with good reviews in no time!
Inadequate cleaning
While this mistake might seem fairly obvious, it’s one that many people overlook. Proper cleaning at the start of the process is a crucial step in any paint job, as the car needs to be completely stripped of dirt and wax in order for the new paint to stick properly.
If wax and dirt remain on the exterior surface of the vehicle, they will form a barrier that prevents the paint from sticking. This will likely result in the paintwork chipping or sagging in future.
Using the wrong sandpaper
Another common error is using the wrong type of sandpaper to remove the existing paint. Sandpaper blocks or sheets can be incredibly rough, but they aren’t designed to be used on metals. In most cases, using these incorrect types of sandpaper will just end up scratching or damaging the vehicle – and doing a shoddy job of removing the paint in the process.
Even if you buy the right type of sandpaper, you might accidentally use it incorrectly – trust us, this has tripped up even the best of us. Be sure to check whether your sandpaper is supposed to be used wet or dry, as this can make the world of difference.
Painting at the wrong temperature
As a professional, we’re sure you’ll know that cars need to be painted within a certain temperature range. But, believe it or not, this is another common mistake made when refinishing a car. Ideally, you should aim to carry out any paint jobs in an environment that sits between 13℃ and 26℃. If you do this, your paint should stick properly and you should manage to avoid the paint looking bubbly or gritty.
Waxing too soon
We cannot speak highly enough of wax when it comes to protecting a car’s exterior – it really is the holy grail of paintwork. However, applying wax immediately after refinishing a paint job is something to avoid at all costs.
Wax is a great barrier for protecting the paint but, if applied too soon, it’ll lock in all sorts of solvents that are found in car paints. For this reason, we suggest waiting at least a month before applying wax to a freshly painted vehicle. This is so that the paint has time to dry and release all solvent gasses before any wax is applied.
If you want to ensure you’re providing the highest quality service and making your clients happy every time, why not invest in a paint spray booth from Haltec? We can meet your requirements with a bespoke design, using our years of experience in the industry to satisfy your every need. Additional features such as external waterproofing, corner vehicle doors and extended height are also available. Contact us today to discuss your requirements or visit our website to find out more about our products.
