Vehicle painting has got to be the simplest type of auto body repair, right? After all, paint is a lot simpler than an engine, transmission, or brake line. While this is true, it doesn’t mean vehicle painting is a completely simple process. And it’s certainly not foolproof.
The unfortunate truth is that people make a lot of mistakes when it comes to vehicle painting. They make mistakes when they try to do it themselves, and they make mistakes when choosing an auto body repair shop for their paint repair or dent repair. How can you avoid making these common mistakes if you need vehicle painting services? Your first step is to keep on reading.
What are vehicle painting services?
Before going into the mistakes, let’s make sure everyone is on the same page. Let’s define vehicle painting services and discuss when you might need them.
Automotive paint is not like other kinds of paint. You can’t just rummage through your garage, find the leftover paint from when you redid your bedroom, and start rolling the paint over your truck. Automotive paint has a different consistency, a different finish, and it requires a different method of application. There are clear benefits to hiring a professional house painter when you want a fresh coat of paint on your walls, but many people choose to paint themselves, and it usually turns out OK. For vehicle painting, your chances of success with a DIY approach are slimmer. It’s best to go to an auto body repair shop for professional vehicle painting services.
When do you need professional vehicle painting services?
There are numerous reasons why you might need vehicle painting services. These include:
- Collision repair: If your vehicle has been in a full-on collision, you’re likely to need a paint repair. If the grille is warped, automotive glass is shattered, and your passenger-side door fell off, then your vehicle’s paint has probably suffered a few scratches too. Hence, vehicle painting becomes an imminent part of the collision repair process.
- Dent repair: For the type of collision repair described above, you’ll also need some dent repair. You might need a dent repair for one of a number of reasons, including a collision, a minor fender bender, bumping into a barrier or pillar, or even large hailstones. The impact that caused the dent probably also chipped the vehicle’s paint. But even if it didn’t, dent repair often involves warming the affected metal or plastic and warping and forming it back into shape. This process can damage the paint, necessitating a paint repair. Not all dent repairs require paint repair, though. Those are called, aptly, paintless dent repairs.
- General wear: Paint fades over time. Vehicle paint can mute and diminish because of sun damage, dust and dirt, mud, gravel, snow, rain, and any other number of atmospheric irritants. If you own your vehicle for five years or longer, you might look at it one day and decide it could really use a paint job.
- Resale: If you’re selling your vehicle, you may get a better price with a sparkling and vibrant new coat of paint.
Common vehicle painting mistakes
If your vehicle needs collision repair, dent repair, or you just want some paint to freshen it up, what should you avoid doing? Here are some common vehicle painting errors to keep in mind:
Believing a price that’s too good to be true
When something is suspiciously cheap, there’s a reason. Even though it’s on the more affordable end of auto body repairs, vehicle painting services can still cost a pretty penny. Times are tough for many people right now and it’s only natural and prudent to save money where you can. But going with the cheapest option for vehicle painting is unwise.
Below market auto body repair shops cut corners; they have to in order to offer services at such cheap rates. Maybe they hire unprepared or unskilled technicians, use second-rate equipment, or execute rush jobs. A bad vehicle paint job won’t jeopardize your safety like a bad collision repair might, but it’s still wise to steer clear of these suspect auto body shops.
Disregarding paint selection
Just because an auto body repair shop charges market rates doesn’t automatically mean they’re the best option. There are myriad hues, tints, brands, and makes of vehicle paint. If your vehicle is red, you can’t simply choose “red” as the paint color. You need an exact match.
What might look like a color that’s “close enough” on paper or on a screen can look really wrong when it’s on your vehicle. Vehicle paint matching is crucial when it comes to paint repair. The wrong paint can end up looking worse than the initial scratch or dent you went to get fixed.
Opting for non-certified painters
There are numerous certifications available to collision repair businesses and auto body repair technicians. Some of these certify that a technician has a certain skill, some are certifications for types of services, and some are from automakers certifying a shop to repair and maintain their vehicles—and thus not void any warranties.
Choosing certified vehicle painters can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Never be shy to ask an auto body repair shop about which certifications they have and if they apply to your make and model and the vehicle painting services you want.
