I work at a pretty rough school and getting my car keyed is, unfortunately, one of the hazards of the job. It can be a little pricey to get it repaired, but it doesn't tend to be worth it to claim it back from insurance, particularly if it happens a few times a year. Luckily there is a great auto body and paint shop near me which does a really quick and good quality job of fixing the damaged. This blog is all about repairing key damage to a car, and might be handy for someone who needs to get auto damaged repaired quickly.
Repairing key damage
Should You Spray Paint Your Own Car?
Jeremy Fox
A car owner can actually spray paint their own vehicle, if they have enough time, the right tools, and a well-ventilated area in which to work. A fresh coat of paint can make a car look virtually brand new, and cover small scratches that detract from the car's overall appearance.
While this job is manageable for a car owner, you might want to consider carefully everything involved in getting it done right, so you can make the best choice for your car, and even for your own safety. Note a few factors you might weigh carefully in making the decision of whether or not you should spray paint your own car.
Sanding
To properly prepare the surface of a vehicle, you may need to sand it down to the bare metal. This can be very time-consuming, perhaps taking hours just for each section or panel! This sanding also needs to leave the surface smooth enough for the applied paint to look smooth and clean, but the surface also needs to have a bit of texture to hold that paint.
It can be difficult to know how smooth the vehicle surface should be so that the paint can adhere, but still look its best after being applied. If you don't have much experience with sanding metal in particular, you might leave this job to a professional.
Thinning the paint
While you can buy spray paint for your car, you would usually need so many cans to cover a car body that it may be more economical to buy the paint in bulk, and use a paint sprayer. However, you then need to thin the paint so that it can go through the sprayer nozzle properly, but without making it so thin that it doesn't cover the car body as it should. As with sanding, if you have little experience with preparing paint in this way, you might leave the job to a professional, so the finished coating is even and true to its expected colour.
Protection
Never assume that a standard dust mask is enough to protect you from breathing in paint fumes, which can be dangerous and downright toxic. Paint fumes can linger long after you actually stop painting the vehicle, and those toxins can also travel to other areas of your home, if you're doing the painting in your own garage. Professionals often use heavy-duty breathing apparatus and coveralls to protect their skin, as well as thick eye protection. If you don't have this type of gear, to protect yourself from health risks, have an expert manage the painting for you.
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