After using a car for a long time its color may appear dull and you may find it necessary to repaint it. However, in order to repaint a car you need not take it to the garage as you can even paint it at your own house. For car painting a few basic steps need to be followed and a wide variety of materials are needed. The steps include:
- Choosing a suitable place to work: You will require a place equipped with features like excellent ventilations, electricity, good lighting, minimal dust and space to position the vehicle. Water heaters or furnaces are generally avoided in such places
- Assemble all the materials required for the purpose: The things that are needed for the work include: Paint sprayer, Power sanders, Sanding pads, Air compressor, Masking tape, Paper, Primer, Paint, Thinner, Dust masks, respirator, eye protection, Body fillers and Hand sand paper.
- Paint the car: Before starting the painting job you have to repair the dents so that painted surface looks even. For this you can visit a garage which provides dent removal services.
- For painting a car you first have to remove the rusts from the surface of the car so that the rust does not become visible when the task is done.
- Remove the body panel moldings like plastic trim or chrome which can be replaced later.
- Cover the surface of the car that is not to be painted with the help of paper and masking tape. It includes covering the glasses, door handles, window trim, grills and mirrors.
- Then you have to remove the previous paint so that the bare metal becomes visible.
- You should clean the entire body surface thoroughly. You can use denatured alcohol or mineral spirits for the purpose. Make sure no oils adhere to the surface of the car.
- After this, use a primer on the surface. After priming your car, let it dry for some time and then you can apply the paint according to your choice.
- Spray the finish paint: The final paint is prepared according to the directions devised by the paint manufacturer company. Automotive enamels and some kinds of polyurethanes provide better performance with a catalyst or a hardener.
- Allow the paint to get fully dried and adhere to the surface strongly.
- Rub the sand paper on your car to get rid of any sand particles or granular substances.
- You can use a rubber compound to bring out the gloss. This technique is normally done manually as they can completely ruin the paint job if not handled properly.
These are the basic steps to get your car painted. So if you want to give your car a new look, follow these basic steps plus some basic safety measures and you will be amazed to find out that you too can be an expert in this work.
