A collision repair involves returning your car to the state it was in before an accident. There are many different types of accidents and many levels of damage. Some drivers choose not to have a repair if the only damage is to their car paint. We’d like to give you some advice on some of the reasons you shouldn’t ignore damaged paint.
Delamination
Delamination, otherwise known as paint peeling, can happen with auto paint. When a car is painted, the paint is applied in layers to achieve the correct level of color and protection. Your car’s paint is usually protected from serious abrasion as the entire body is covered to the same level. If your car’s paint is damaged, the missing paint sections provide gaps in this protection, and abrasion becomes very likely.
Sunlight, rain, wind, and even dirt in the air can slowly chip away at the paint. These elements raise the paint level just enough for air movement to get between the paint and the body and pry paint sections off. As more paint is lost, the damaged area becomes larger, and abrasion becomes faster. Repairing the paint prevents this from happening.
Rust
Rust is a deadly enemy of most metals, and your car’s body is composed of metal. As we’ve seen, paint is applied in layers. The first coat is the base coat. This coat is designed to provide a good surface for the colored paint layers and to protect the metal underneath. The base coat is the final defensive line between the elements and the metal car body.
The final paint coat on your car is a clear coat. The clear coat seals the color and is completely waterproof. When your paint is damaged, most damage penetrates the base coat or even the metal beneath. Rain, snow, and other liquids will penetrate the metal, and it will start to rust. Rust can eat away at the metal beneath the paint and cause serious damage to your car. Rebuilding the paint layers will protect it.
Aesthetics and Resale
Aesthetically, it’s not pleasing to see any damage to your car. Small paint chips might not seem serious, but they will gradually grow larger. Damaged paint also immediately draws the eye to the damaged section of your car.
Damaged paint also affects the resale or trade-in value of your car. Many buyers will reject a car with damaged paint, as they imagine an otherwise healthy car has additional problems. An interested buyer will likely offer less than your car’s Blue Book value, as they will need to repair the damaged paint.
If you have damaged paint, call us at Crain Collison. We offer free, no-obligation estimates and can perfectly restore your paint and prevent further damage.
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