A FINAL TOUCH DETAILING

While we can and our mobile to all areas of San Diego, we have a workspace set up specifically for paint correction; as such we prefer the work to be done in our centrally located environment. We have a lot of specialized lighting and equipment installed to provide the best environment for critical paint inspection and correction services. This location is in the Mira Mesa area of San Diego and equally located to north and south San Diego areas.  With our prefered central located environment, we are also able to pass down a reduced rate for labor. We understand that there are circumstances that would require us to come to you (show cars for instance, single use vehicles, not wanting to come to the central located environment, etc.). We understand if mobile is the only option and we can take care of your needs if that is the option you choose.

As a new vehicle owner you just made an investment and now it's time to ensure that your investment is protected. Protected means the paint lasting as long as it can and looking as good as it can. Car dealers often don’t complete full details on new cars. During transit the vehicles collect contaminants and debris. They can then sit on the lots, sometimes for months. So when you buy a vehicle there is a large amount of contaminants stuck on the paint surface, along with water spots, swirls, etc. which are sometimes visible. Having your vehicles paint reconditioned will remove these containments and address the specific paint defects in your paint surfaces. Finally detailing your vehicle when new will ensure that your vehicle retains the highest resale value in the future. This matters if you buy or lease your vehicle.

• The purpose of consultation is so the precise condition of the painted surface can be figured out. Once this condition is known then a game plan can be determined for the necessary steps to correct any paint issues/flaws. Paint evaluations should be done after the vehicle has been washed and dried. After that, the vehicle’s paint can then be evaluated in regards to depth and reflection of the color, while searching for surface scratches, swirl marks, over spray, fading, oxidation, RIDS and other paint blemishes. This would occur under direct sunlight, halogen lights, and shaded lighting. Specific notes would be taken and provided to the customer at their request.

These scratches can be called swirl marks and are small micro scratches in the paints surface that usually appear as circular “swirl” patterns. These scratches can become more visible in the direct sunlight, halogen lighting, or any other lighting conditions.

They are most commonly caused are by, but not limited to:

• Washing the vehicle from the bottom up, thus dragging the dirt from the rocker/lower panel and wheel areas up onto the middle panels of the vehicles, which causes small scratches.

• Using generic soap like you find in a drive through car wash, which does not provide enough lubrication and thus causes the washing mitt to scratch the paint surface.

• Using incorrect washing mitts or towels, which scratch the paint regardless of what product, you use with them.

• Washing vehicles in ANY automatic car wash where nylon bristle brushes spin and scratch the vehicles paint.

• Washing vehicles in ANY automatic car wash where microfiber brushes spin and scratch the vehicles paint.

• The use of used, dirty, rough, or not properly washed drying towels, the kinds that are always used in drive through car washes, can cause scratches.

The best way to remove these paint imperfections is by having a professional perform paint reconditioning work. This work would involve the professional using a mechanical polisher to cut and polish the paint. This cut and polishing will actually remove the imperfections from the paint surfaces. It does not just fill them in and attempt to hide them with product.

This can be a confusing answer as many manufacturers are marketing waxes/sealants as polishes. They are not the same things. As professional detailers we know the many differences between a wax/sealant and a polish. A pure polish may be used to remove fine scratching/swirling, remove heavy scratching/swirling, to create high gloss, or to create depth from the paint surface.

A wax/sealant product is designed to provide a barrier to protect the paint surface from containments. It may also add gloss and depth to the paint surface, may add slickness to the paint surface, and will change the way the paint appears.

A clay bar is a small rectangular shaped material made of clay, that is tacky to the touch and similar to play-doh in consistency, that is made to move over the paint surface. This process is usually called “claying’. The “claying” process removes environmental contaminants from the clearcoat level of multistage paint. At the same time it leaves a clean smooth glass like finish ready for the wax/sealant. This process is necessary before any polishing occurs. This process also does not remove any swirl marks, scratches, RID, etc in the paint surface.

With modern products these terms are sometimes used together, or incorrectly, or in combination. Basically both of these products provides a barrier to protect the paint surface from containment and the sun, may adds gloss and depth to the paint surface, and may add slickness to the paint surface.

There are many other differences such as length of time the product lasts, the kind of depth it provides, the kind of gloss it provides, how good it is at protecting the paint surface. But these differences exist regardless of the fact if a product is a wax or a sealant. The basic difference between and wax and sealant is as follows: a sealant is synthetically based (man made) and a wax is based in products from nature (mostly carnauba or other oils).