Professional Vehicle Paint Correction Processes

Washing and Decontamination

Before any correction work can begin, the vehicle must be washed by hand and even clayed if need be to remove dirt, grime, and the environmental contaminants the surface has picked up while being driven. This helps prevent further scratching during the correction process but also allows us to make sure we map out every single defect and where it is located on your clear coat. All of our decontamination methods here at MR DetailWorx are used to remove embedded particles that hand washing or rinsing alone cannot eliminate.

Vehicle Inspection and Final Project Evaluation

The very first step that follows the complete decontamination of your vehicle’s paint involves thoroughly inspecting the vehicle's paintwork condition as it currently stands. What this involves is finely examining the painted surfaces for scratches, swirl marks, oxidation, water spots, stains, and other physical defects. The goal is to assess the severity and extent of the imperfections to determine the appropriate level of correction needed. We also involve a paint thickness gauge used to measure the thickness of your paint layers so we do not cut too close to the actual paintwork.

Compound Cutting of Clear Coat

Before proceeding with the full paint correction process, a test spot is corrected in an inconspicuous area to determine the effectiveness of the chosen correction methods and products here at MR DetailWorx. This helps in refining the correction approach for the specific vehicle we have in our shop. Then, we proceed to start the cutting phase, which implements an abrasive compound with a polishing machine (rotary or dual-action polisher) to remove deeper defects like heavy scratches, swirl marks, and oxidation from your clear coat. This levels the surface completely for maximum clarity.

Polishing, Buffing, and Jeweling Your Finish

After cutting the clear coat, a less abrasive polish is used to further refine the paint's surface, removing fine scratches left by the compound. This step enhances the gloss and prepares the paint for the final finishing stage, which is a buffing and jeweling stage. This step involves using an ultra-fine polish or jeweling compound to create a mirror-like finish you can be proud of! It also thoroughly enhances the depth and clarity of the vehicle’s paint, giving it a show-quality appearance. After all correction steps are complete, the vehicle is thoroughly inspected under various lighting conditions at our Sellersburg, Indiana detailing shop to ensure that all imperfections have been removed.

Myth 1: Paint correction removes vehicle paint from its panels

Properly executed paint correction should NOT remove vehicle paint and ONLY a thin layer of clear coat where most defects reside. Our paint correction package here at MR DetailWorx involves carefully abrading away that thin layer of clear coat to level the surface and eliminate defects, discrepancies, and other inadequacies in your finish. We want to PRESERVE the integrity of your paintwork and NOT cause you to have to invest in repainting any part of your pride and joy following this service.

Myth 2: Because there is only one package, that means paint correction is a 1-step process

This is a common misunderstanding by some of our customers here at MR DetailWorx. Vehicle paint correction can involve multiple steps with varying levels of abrasive compounds and polishing pads, which is dependent on the vehicle we have in our Sellersburg, Indiana detailing shop. Some defects, discrepancies, and heavier stains in your clear coat may require multiple passes with different products to achieve the desired level of correction and a higher paint gloss finish that makes it worth the investment.

Myth 3: Paint sealants and ceramic coatings replace the need for paint correction

You wouldn’t believe how many individual vehicle owners believe that waxes, sealants, and even high-profile ceramic coatings somehow FILL defects in their vehicle’s clear coat! Paint sealants and waxes provide some entry-level protection for the paint on your vehicle’s exterior; however, they do NOT correct underlying defects. This goes double for ceramic coatings, as our hydrophobic and high-gloss formulas actually ENHANCE what is beneath them. Applying sealants or ceramic coatings over poorly corrected paint surfaces will actually accentuate imperfections.