Let's Talk About Scratches...

Before we get too far into scratches, how we all hate them and how we all somehow manage to get them, it is important to first understand exactly what the anatomy of your car's paint job is.

Most cars are painted in a two-stage process. After the primer is cured the first stage is applied. This is the basecoat - the actual color of the car. Once the proper number of coats is applied, the second stage begins. This is the clear coat. This is the final stage that gives your base coat a shine and a layer of protection. So, once the job is complete you essentially have three layers between you and the metal of your car. Ok, now on to scratches.

Scratches come in many forms. Some appear to be swirls, some appear white or are discolored, and others go all the way to the paint. All of these can be addressed and repaired to varying degrees.

There is a general rule that you can easily use to see what your scratches will need in the way of repair. If you drag your fingernail across the scratch and it catches, the scratch is usually too deep to buff out. Otherwise, a combination of cutting and buffing can be employed to fix the scratch because this generally means that the damage is limited to the clear coat.

Cutting and buffing are two separate techniques. “Cutting” means a wool pad on a buffing machine is used to “cut” down some of the clear coat to smooth out the edges and spread out the scratch. This process actually eliminates the scratch, where as light buffing and waxing tend to only temporarily fill the damage and hide it. Buffing is then used to polish out the damaged area making the scratch disappear for good.

There are some times when wet sanding or “color sanding” is used to repair deeper scratches. This technique is very sensitive and should only be done by a professional. It is very easy to do more damage if you have never done this before. This will usually make the scratch disappear or minimize it to the point where you are happy with it. Again this is usually only used on scratches that are very aggressive.

Finally, when the scratch is all the way down to the metal, you are left with two options. Touch-up or re-paint. Touch-up is a great alternative to expensive re-painting although is not perfect. You will still be able to see the damage but the color will be the same and the metal will be protected. It is also important to understand that no amount of sanding and buffing will make this repair appear any better than a touch up job.

Each scratch is unique, and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. We will offer honest and thorough answers that are beneficial to you. Please feel free to call us at 253.474.7274 or comment below - we're here to help!