Does a car need polishing after touch-up painting?
2 Answers
Whether a car needs polishing after touch-up painting depends on personal preference. Composition of car paint: Car paint is a protective film sprayed onto the vehicle, a type of coating that makes the car body less susceptible to corrosion and also gives an aesthetically pleasing appearance. The car's paint surface consists of four layers, from the inside out: the electrocoat layer, primer layer, basecoat layer, and clearcoat layer. Advantages of car paint: The main characteristics of automotive paint are excellent film fullness, high gloss, high hardness, good adhesion, and superior mechanical properties of the paint film. It has outstanding gloss retention, weather resistance, and abrasion resistance, as well as good resistance to acids, alkalis, alcohol, and gasoline.
After my car was repainted, it indeed underwent polishing. Although the newly sprayed paint covered the scratches, there were still some small bumps and uneven areas. Without polishing, the entire paint job would look inconsistent and might even affect the gloss. I remember when I went to the repair shop, they suggested waiting for the new paint to fully dry for a day or two before polishing. They used professional polishing machines and compounds, gently buffing a few times to make the surface smooth as new. You can do it at home too, but the technique must be gentle to avoid over-polishing and damaging the new paint. After polishing, the car's shine improved noticeably, and water beads rolled off much more smoothly. Skipping this step could lead to dust accumulation and discoloration in the repainted area over time, diminishing the overall appearance. It's also a good habit to check the polishing condition during regular maintenance to prevent small issues from becoming big problems.
