Painting a car: how to do it, methods and features

If you update the coating of the car body, it looks like a new one. To do this, several types of paint are used. It is applied in different ways, using suitable tools and equipment. There is a general procedure for painting the body and features that are important to consider. Let's consider some of the nuances of painting a car.

Types of car painting

Depending on the condition of the body coating, its painting is of these types:

• In full painting, the paint on the entire surface of the body is replaced. Any color can be used.
• When painting partially, the coating on a certain area of the body is restored. The paint is chosen of the color corresponding to the basic shade of the body.
• Local painting of the body is performed on a small element: bumper, doors, sills.

Full body painting is not always performed for restoration. Quite often, you just want to refresh the coverage or change its color. In such case the works are more voluminous and expensive. Partial painting is cheaper. However, it is sometimes difficult to find the shade of paint that suits the body color. If after an accident or due to corrosion a significant part of the coating is damaged, the car is painted completely.

Stages of body painting

To replace the paint coating of the car is a time-consuming process. It consists of the following stages:

• The car is carefully inspected, assess the condition of the base and coating, whether there are dents, chips, flaking paint, rust. Determine what kind of pre-treatment the body will need.
• The old paint coat is removed.
• Dents and bumps are removed. The car is washed thoroughly, the dried up dirt is removed. If necessary the rust is cleaned off carefully so as not to damage the metal and covered with an anti-corrosion primer. The surface is degreased with white spirit or other means.
• Small irregularities putty a special compound to paint evenly.
• Priming the surface to smooth out the smallest irregularities and create a surface with which the paint has a solid connection. Primer chosen by the shade in the tone of the paint. If the finish coat will be light, select a light color primer. Two layers of phosphate primer are applied to the metal, and 2-3 layers of two-component acrylic primer are applied to the puttied areas. The surface is dried.
• If the enamel is applied to a part of the machine, the surrounding parts are covered with protective material. The part to be painted is covered with a special scotch tape or a special matting paste. The paint is dense on a slightly rough surface. If the whole car is painted, the whole body is matched.
• The scotch tape is removed and the surface is blown around to remove dust and other particles. The painter's tape is used to cover the parts that should not get paint on them.
• First the base pigment coat is sprayed and then two coats of paint are applied. Each of them is dried before the next one.
• The varnish covers the whole body in one or two layers.
• If the lacquer was not applied by an expert, polishing may be required to even out the surface.

If you entrust the painting of the car to professionals in the service center, the result will be as high-quality as the factory. However, you can also do the paintwork yourself. You need special equipment, materials, as well as knowledge and skills, how to properly perform each step from preparing the body to applying the final coat of varnish.