One key component of auto body repair is ensuring that your paint job is intact and in good condition. However, no matter how much work you put into maintaining it, there are some situations that you simply cannot avoid. For example, if you have noticed that your car's paint is starting to peel, despite your best maintenance and care efforts, the reason could be beyond your control. Here's what you should know about peeling paint and how to deal with it.

Why Would The Paint Be Peeling?

It stands to reason that neglecting your car's paint job by not keeping the car clean, waxed, and cared for could lead to deterioration of the paint job. However, if you have been doing all of these things and it is still peeling, you may wonder why.

Your car's paint job is a composition of multiple layers. A flaw in any of these layers can lead to the paint peeling no matter what you've done to care for the car. Sometimes, it's a flaw that originated during the manufacturing process. For example, if the body panels weren't properly prepared, the primer won't adhere correctly. Since primer forms the base layer and helps the paint itself to bond, when the primer's adhesion is compromised, that will threaten the integrity of the entire paint job. In addition, if the primer is of poor quality, or there was an error in the mixture, that can prevent the paint from properly bonding to the primer, which can lead to flaking and peeling over time.

In other cases, the paint job itself is fine, and the peeling is caused by external factors. If your paint is chipped by a rock or other damage, this can disrupt the seal that's formed by the primer, paint, and clear coat. When that seal is broken, moisture and other threats can seep beneath the paint and primer, breaking the bond to the body panels.

What Can You Do About Peeling Paint?

The first thing to keep in mind when it comes to dealing with peeling paint is that prevention is the most important step. Start by making sure that you touch up any scratches or dings right away. Use a proper auto body touch-up paint, and seal it with a clear coat.

You should also work with an auto body shop to keep your clear coat taken care of. Sometimes, it means having a new clear coat applied, then protected by a layer of wax, every few years. If, however, the paint still starts to peel, that means there was a problem during manufacturing, and your auto body repair tech may recommend that you have the car repainted completely to eliminate the problem.

Contact a company like Westside Fender/Body & Refinishing today for more information and assistance. 

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