Common Auto Refinishing Mistakes – Part 2

Welcome to part two of our three-part series covering some of the most common mistakes made when refinishing the exterior paint of a car. The team at Centerline Spraybooths in Amityville was able to cover two of the most common mistakes made when painting the exterior of a car, but there are still so many different mistakes that we want to ensure you avoid. Keep reading for some of the additional things that you want to avoid doing when refinishing your car’s paint. 

#3: Painting in the Wrong Temperature

Refinishing a car is so much more complex than many would imagine. One of the factors that people don’t realize is that cars need to be painted within a certain temperature range. Ultimately, you do not want to be painting your car in temperatures below 55°F or any higher than 80°F. These temperatures make it difficult for your paint to stick and look flawless. In these temperatures, it’s relatively common for paint to look bubbly or gritty, which is certainly not ideal.

#4: Not Using Primer

As with any type of paint job, you’re going to want to use a primer before you put the final coat on. Paint is not intended to stick directly to metal, which is why the primer is so incredibly important. With a quality primer, the paint that you’re using to refinish the car will have a better chance of sticking to the surface of the car and is more likely to remain in good condition for longer periods of time. Without a primer, you can guarantee the paint will chip sooner than later. 

#5: Applying Paint Layers All at Once

Another common mistake made when refinishing a car is applying multiple layers of paint all at once. While it is surely time-consuming to take time and let the paint dry in between coats, it’s absolutely crucial that this happens. With too many layers of paint applied at once, the paint is extremely likely to bubble up. Depending on the product that you’re using and the temperature that you’re painting in, you want to wait anywhere between thirty minutes and an hour in between paint layers before moving onto the next. 

#6: Using Older Paint

As we mentioned, refinishing a car is more complex than people realize. To the surprise of many, using paint that is older than six months can seriously affect the quality of the paint job. To avoid this from happening, don’t purchase paint before you’re ready to complete the project. This helps ensure the paint will look good on the vehicle but also that you aren’t wasting money on paint that’s going to have to be thrown out in the long run. 

Keep an Eye Out for Part Three

The list of mistakes that are commonly made when refinishing a car continues in the next part of our blog series. As we’ve said a couple of times, refinishing a car is much more complex than so many fully understand or expect. To ensure the refinishing job that you’re working on is done well, you need quality products like the spraybooths by Centerline Spraybooths in Amityville. Contact us today to get a quote on your spraybooth and stay tuned for the next and final part of our series.