Paint Correction Services In Leesburg and Northern Virginia
Restore your paints shine by removing scratches, swirls, and oxidization
Erase Swirls and Bring Out the Ultimate Gloss in Your Paint
Paint correction is the process of removing scratches, swirls, oxidization, water spots, and other imperfections from your cars paint, revealing a beautiful gloss and shine! We’re able to remove 60% - 90% of imperfections depending on your desired outcome. Sometimes multiple passes are needed to get swirls out, other times they come out relatively easily.
This just depends on the paints condition and how deep the imperfections are. There are certain scratches that will be just too deep to remove, clear coat which is too thin to correct, or chipping paint which can be risky to correct. We’ll work with you to nail down the ideal solution for you without harming the natural integrity of your cars paint!
Paint Correction is very intensive labor and material wise, so a correction can take anywhere from 4 to 10+ hours to complete. However, the final result will be one that lasts the lifetime of your vehicle ownership with proper maintenance.
What to Expect
We will typically do a test spot similar to this video with your vehicle, showing what’s possible and the type of results we can get. The hard line distinguishes between paintwork that had heavy swirling and imperfections on it. As the video pans to the right, you can see the corrected surface, which is free of swirls and most imperfections after being corrected.
Our Paint Correction Process
Our Paint Correction process has been meticulously refined over the last 5 years to get the best results possible. Below is a thorough step-by-step insight to what we do and how it’s done.
Wheels/Tires/Fenders - Wheels, tires, and fender wells will get pressure washed and cleaned with a variety of soft brushes. Only the tires will be scrubbed with a stiffer brush.
Pre Wash - We will go around the vehicle with a pre-wash spray which will loosen any tough bug spots, bird poop, or similar contaminants. This is so they can be safely loosened before pressure washing.
Touch-less Wash - Next, the entire vehicle will be pressure washed to safely remove as much gunk as we can without touching the paint. Those previously sprayed areas will easily come off now with just water.
Touch Wash - Using multiple buckets and wash pads, a full traditional touch-wash will be performed on the car. This is pretty simple and will further removing any stuck on road grime, dirt, or other contaminants.
Rinse - Again the pressure washer will be used to rinse the vehicle. At this point, the car will be very clean….but not fully ready yet.
Claying - Using a clay mitt and a clay lube, we’ll go around the vehicle and clay the paint to remove any embedded/stuck on elements. A clay mitt is usually a microfiber mitt with a clay surface on it, which when used with clay lubricant, can safely remove embedded contaminants through the abrasion.
Rinse - Once the vehicle has been clayed, we’ll rinse everything off and dry the vehicle.
Paint Prep - We will do one final wipe around the vehicle with an isopropyl alcohol mix to ensure any remaining oils are fully removed from the paint.
Taping - Any plastic trim will be taped off to prevent compounds and polishes from staining them.
Compound Phase - Correction time! We will use a machine polisher, cutting pad, and compound to remove majority of imperfections, panel by panel.
Polish Phase - Similar to the compound phase, we will go panel by panel with the machine polisher, finishing pad, and polish to refine and finish off the paintwork. This step reveals the true shine and gloss of your paint!
Final Wipe - We will use an isopropyl alcohol solution to again remove any polishing oils.
Paint Protection - A wax or ceramic coating will be applied to the paint for long-term protection.
Tires/Plastics - Tires and plastic trim will be dressed and UV protected
Glass and Touch Ups - Glass surfaces will be cleaned and any final touch ups will be done around the vehicle
As this is a very specialized service, paint correction can take a bit longer to complete. Multiple factors contribute to this, mainly the condition of the paint and softness/hardness of the clear coat. But that’s why we’re here!
Pricing
(Coupes/Small Sedans)
$650 - $900
(Sedans/SUV’s)
$750 - $1200
(Large SUV’s/Trucks)
$900 - $1400
Longevity and Maintaining your New Finish
While a wax, sealant, or ceramic coating will protect your paint from oxidization, it still requires regular maintenance. Waxes and sealants can last anywhere from a few weeks up to 9 months. If we’re applying a sealant to your car, it will be one that will last closer to that 9 month mark. Ceramic Coatings are also a great options if you want multi-year protection - especially from harsh winter salts/chemicals.
Scratches and swirls can still be introduced to your paint if you have it protected with a wax, sealant, or coating. Automatic car washes and improper washing can cause these scratches and swirls - all it takes is a single rock or hard object gliding across your paint. This is why we use multiple mitts and buckets during the wash stages.
We/you can top up your cars protection periodically throughout the year and it will continue to do its job. Environmental factors matter as well, such as where the car is parked and how often it’s driven. Keeping your protection up to date really isn’t difficult or something to lose sleep over - just once every few months is good with modern products!
Whether you wash your car yourself or have us wash it for you, all that matters is that the wash is done properly to keep your finish looking pristine for years to come!
