• Clearcoat Paint Finish

Here is the technical explanation of clearcoat. A thin transparent layer of paint applied over a pigmented layer of paint, or basecoat, to provide a deep, rich, shiny finish. The way I like to describe it is: a sprayed on plastic that is easily scratched. It can be damaged by enviromental substances such as acid rain or bird droppings. It is sometimes referred to as a two-step paint process. The clearcoat can contain a pigment to help enhance the basecoat/colorcoat. The dealer does not apply clearcoat. It is painted on the vehicle by the car maker or a body shop.

• Scratches/Swirl Marks/Enviromental Damage

With the advent of clearcoat finishes on most vehicles, the way to clean and protect them has changed.

Remember that beautiful new dining room table. How nice it looked when you first bought it. A couple of months later, you get that first scratch in the surface. After years of use, the table starts to look worn and not as shiny. Most of the worn look is from light surface scratches. To remove them permanently would mean re finishing the surface.

The scenario is the same with your vehicle. Extreme measures must be taken to remove damage. There is NO magic formula. Glazing or waxing only covers or masks the scratches. A soon as the wax or glaze starts to wear off the scratches will be back.

• Maintenance

The new clearcoat finishes make it more difficult to tell when your car needs wax. It may need it far sooner than it appears. Most manufacturers recommend waxing the vehicle at least twice a year. There are two methods to determine if your car needs wax.(1) Gently rub a clean, dry, 100% terry cloth towel along a clean upper surface. If it tends to drag across the surface it probably needs wax. The more drag the less wax on the surface. (2) After washing and drying your car, run your dry palm along the upper surface of the hood or trunk. Again if you detect some drag you need wax.

If you feel rough spots on the surface of your car it may need a clay treatment. This requires more than just the normal wax service. Please contact me with your concerns.

• Conventional Paint

This is the traditional way of painting vehicles. It is usually a lacquered, acrylic or enamel paint finish. Multiple colorcoats of paint are applied over the primer with no clearcoat. It is sometimes called a one-step process. This finish is still being used on a limited basis for black, white and red non-metallic pigments.

• Detailing

It is the meticulous cleaning and restoration of your vehicle, both inside and/or out. By using the most up to date cleaning methods and environmentally-safe chemicals, we try to provide you with the best service available.

• Hand Polishing and Waxing

Hand polishing and waxing is provided for the best protection for your vehicle's finish. I have found, through experience, that hand application of polish and wax helps eliminate problems such as, light scratches, swirl marks and burnt paint.

• Glazing

When a glaze is applied, it leaves a glossy appearance by polishing and coating the paint surface. Because of the high oil content it will hide wheel marks or swirl marks. The degree of protection will vary.

Technically, when you see a scratch, your eye is picking up the prism effect of moisture that is present in the scratch. By glazing or waxing, you replace the moisture with oil thus eliminating the prism effect and masking or hiding the scratch.

• Paint Sealant

A protective product applied to the paint, which coats, seals and protects the surface. Normally contains high amounts of silicone to maximize protection. I do not believe in sealants because the paint surface on your vehicle has to breathe so that it can contract and expand with the other materials it is applied to.

• Clay Treatment

Clay or a polymer clay block was designed for the newer clearcoat finishes. Because of it's adhesion properties, it is ideal for removing topical problems from a vehicle's surface. Paint overspray, tree sap or mushroom spores, embedded road dirt or rail/transportation dust are only some of the things that can be removed by claying the vehicle's surface. On virtually all surfaces that this removal process is done on there is no damage done to the finish. It will make the vehicle's surface feel like glass.

• Compounding

It is a harsh abrasive designed to remove heavy surface contamination and deep scratches. Compounding reduces paint thickness quickly with minimal effort and will leave visible scratches and/or swirl marks in the paint finish. These marks may be hidden or removed by machine application of a cleaner, polish or machine glaze.

If used on a clearcoat finish, it will leave permanent damage that can only be corrected by re-painting the area.

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