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Tips For Every Adventure
We love a good series here at the TouchUpDirect blog. We’ve had our fun telling you about all the different shades of gray, so let’s head in a different direction. Scratches! These annoying little blemishes can come from a number of different places and situations. There are a wide variety of fixes and solutions for each scratch. Let’s dive into the different types of paint damage your vehicle might face depending on your adventures, and how a little touch up paint can go a long way in keeping your ride looking fabulous. Keep an eye out! We’ll be updating this page with a new blog every couple of weeks.
Rain Damage
However you feel about driving in the rain, there’s a chance it could do damage to your paint job. There’s a high chance of rust or corrosion when your car comes into contact with the rain. A good sanding and touch up should take care of that rust and corrosion. Your car’s paint job is also vulnerable to water spots, a mixture of water and minerals drying on your vehicle. It’s best to get rid of these nasty little spots as soon as you find them. We would recommend taking care of dings and scratches as soon as you notice them, as rain will be much harsher on bare metal.
Off-Road Damage
Off-roading is crazy fun but there’s a price to be paid. Those trails can expose your vehicle to vicious scratches from things like branches, rocks, and debris. The rough terrain often results in scrapes that are more than just surface-level. Luckily, the modern 3-step touch up paint system can vanish that damage and make your car’s coat look brand new.
Highway Hazards
High speeds increase the likelihood of paint chips from gravel and road debris. These chips are typically found on the hood, front bumper, and side mirrors. Installing a clear paint protection film can shield the most vulnerable areas. Touch up paint can be used to fix up chips & nicks, which is essential to prevent rust, especially on metal surfaces.
Parked Perils
No. Your car is not even safe in the parking lot. Clumsy drivers and vengeful motorists with keys in their hands forever lurk, waiting for their opportunity to strike. We can’t do anything about the road rage but parking further away from other vehicles if you can will help. Parking lots are notorious for causing paint damage due to door dings, shopping carts, and bumper scrapes. But if there’s simply no choice in parking, using touch up paint can effectively restore the appearance of all those blemishes, minor scratches, and dings.
Track Day Trauma
Track driving can subject your car to extreme conditions that may result in high-speed paint chips and temperature-related degradation of the paint finish, especially near the engine and brakes. High-temperature resistant coatings can protect the paint near heat sources. After track days, inspect your paint and apply touch up paint to any new chips or scratches to prevent long-term damage.
Road Trip Risks
It’s time to hit the road but long distances combined with various road conditions can lead to an accumulation of paint wear. Bugs, tar, and rubber debris are common culprits of paint staining and chips. Regularly cleaning off road grime and treating paint with bug and tar remover is crucial. Applying touch up paint to chips and scratches will keep your vehicle looking fresh and reduce the likelihood of rust.
Summer Paint Damage
The Summer can be harsh on your paint job. The combination of the blazing sun and blistering heat are the causes of a myriad of issues from fading paint to Clearcoat damage. Try parking in shady places or garages to avoid UV ray damage.
Winter Woes
Winter is always on its way. While snow and ice accumulation can cause problems, it’s the ice put down to keep the roads safe that really messes with your vehicle. Salt used for de-icing roads can lead to corrosion and paint bubbling if not washed off promptly. Frequent car washes during the winter months are essential to remove salt accumulation. Applying touch up paint to chips and scratches as soon as they appear will help protect the exposed metal from rusting.
Stay tuned as we add blogs and go more in depth with each category over the course of the year. But if you’re curious and looking for new projects, why not check out the rest of our blog and our YouTube channel? We cover everything from fixing a bumpy finish to the most cursed cars in history.
