PROFESSIONAL PAINT CORRECTION & POLISHING FOR Central Iowa

Typically, you can remove water spots if you catch them right away, with vinegar and water. For hard water spots that have been on a little longer, you can use a product like SB3 Destroy water spot remover. However, they can etch the paint if water spots persist over time. In some cases, we need to polish them off. Hard water spots can also persist to the point where it is nearly unfixable or requires sanding or more aggressive compounding if left untreated. It’s best to solve the issue of water spots prior to conducting paint correction before ceramic coating, so the money and time is not wasted. If whatever is causing the hard water spots, such as a sprinkler system, is not addressed, you will just waste money.

Neither ceramic coating nor clear bra/paint protection film/PPF can stop water spot etching. With clear bra, the etching can be contained to the protective film, but it will still etch

Importantly, paint correction before ceramic coating is most commonly used in auto detailing to restore the shine of the paint. Typically, you will need a machine polisher, polishing pads, and either polish or compound and polish.

Compound and polish are both gritty substances that clean the surfaces by abrading the surface, even if ever-so-slightly. Think of it like toothpaste – toothpaste is a gritty substance that cleans your teeth and makes them shine similarly.

Compound is a heavier grit substance, and polish is finer. They are often used interchangeably, but sometimes just one, or both, or more than one type of each is needed.

You can polish some things by hand, but larger defects will require a machine. Typically, car wash swirls, despite seeming fine, are actually quite deep. We primarily use electric polishers at Des Moines Auto Detail.

Other brands you might have heard about are Rupes, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, and more.

Often, we use these machines, polishing/cutting pads, and product (compound/polish) to reduce or eliminate scratches, swirls, and other defects. 

Additionally, we can return your car or truck to its original (or near original) shine. Believe it or not, most vehicles do not come off of the showroom floor in great condition!

LET'S TALK ABOUT STEPS OF THE PAINT CORRECTION PROCESS:

Paint correction options before ceramic coating can be confusing, so let’s dispel any myths or misconceptions.

The number of steps required to get your paint to where you want it are largely dependent on your vehicle’s paint. Some manufacturers have different “types” of automotive clear coat – hard, soft, etc. The same exact scratch in a Mercedes will not come out the same as a Ford, in most cases.

Steps are not additive. If you conduct a single-step paint correction before ceramic coating, and later, you want to achieve greater perfection, doing another single-step paint correction is not going to create a two-step paint correction. Basically, if the single-step paint correction didn’t work the first time to remove deeper defects, it’s not going to work the second time.

Believe it or not, conducting more steps is not always necessary nor indicative of the quality of work. Sometimes, we can achieve in one step on one car and one paint type, something that might require three steps on another paint. 

Of course, we always strive to achieve the maximum results for minimum amount of money.