What does it look like?

• Random patches of rough, discolored or disintegrating surface that could result in a crazing or cracking appearance

What causes it?

• When the surface gets rain on it that contains contaminants from chemical industries or power stations.

How can it be avoided?

• Remove the harmful contaminants by regularly washing the vehicle
• Polish and or wax to protect
• Avoid parking next to industrial factories or power stations that produce chemical fallout

What does it look like?

• Well it is bird poo, but the effect it has on paint is that the area that was covered by the bird will be etched or have finish damage. The longer the dropping remains the more damage the finish takes

What causes it?

• Birds flying or perching overhead do their business and it lands on your car
• The organic etching process is sped up and intensified by heat

How is it prevented?

• Avoid parking under trees or other things that birds tend to perch on
• Remove the droppings as soon as possible
• Regularly wash your vehicle
• Wax and polish to protect

What does it look like?

·        Staining that bleeds through from the substrate/undercoat into the topcoat color.

What causes it?

·        Solvents in the repair materials dissolve the original\substrate coatings

How can it be prevented?

·        Follow the manufacturer’s material recommendations.

How will it look?

·        Surface bumps or bubbles either spread out or in groups

Why does it occur?

       ·        Contaminants or moisture get trapped under the surface

How can it be prevented?

·        Make sure that the surface is; properly cleaned, and dried

·        Allow surface to reach room temperature before spraying

What does a bullseye look like?

·        Visible edges or sand scratches around the repaired area.

What is the cause?

·        Improper surface preparation or improper material application.

How is it avoided?

·        Be sure to follow material manufacturer’s recommendations.

How do they look?

·        Loss of gloss due to many fine scratches.

What causes them?

·        Often use of automatic brush-type car wash.

How can they be prevented?

·        Go to a touch less automated car wash or wash by hand.

·        Wax and or polish the car regularly

What does chipping look like?

·        Small areas of paint that have been broken or chipped off.

Why does it happen?

·        Road debris hit the surface and chip off the paint.

How to prevent it.

·        Use anti-chip or chip resistant systems (i.e. anti-chip undercoats, chip resistant topcoats, flexible additives etc.).

What does it look like?

·        Clearcoat visibly eroding from the basecoat.

What causes it?

·        Ultraviolet damage

·        Too much clear removed during surface repairs.

How is it avoided?

·        Never remove too much of the clearcoat during repairs.

Periodically wax/polish to protect against U.V. damage.

What will cracking look like?

·        Wide spread fine cracks in the paint surface.

Why does it happen?

·        Excessive film thickness,

·        Painting over a previously cracked surface,

·        Improper mixing and/or application of materials.

How is it prevented?

·        Apply the recommended film thickness.

·        Entirely remove crazed or cracked finish before refinishing

Follow the material manufacturers recommendations.

How does it look?

·        The gloss becomes dull as it dries or ages.

Why does it happen?

·        Refinish coatings are not correctly applied,

·        Refinish is applied over a poor quality substrate,

·        Solvent fumes or exhaust gases are attacking the surface,

·        Refinish dries too slowly due to humidity or low temperature.

How is it avoided?

·        Use the manufacturer’s recommended primer.

·        Prepare the surface thoroughly.

·        Ensure that the paint dries under warm, clean, and dry conditions.