Cars start with a flawless, smooth and shiny bodywork. Over time and with a lot of driving stone chips, other marks and scratches can do some damage to the paintwork. That once amazingly clean and clear surface can look marked and battered if you’re not careful. You want to prevent this from declining and depreciating, and that can make your car look older than it actually is.
By ensuring that you have the right paint protection, you can keep your car looking as good as new for as long as possible. Understanding what your car paint protection options are is important, so we’ve explored the five most common car paint protection options below.
- Paint protection film. You can add a preservative film for car protection, but it’s not a cheap option. Yes, it’s highly effective, But you do have to make sure it matches your budget. It protects your car from being damaged by scratches or stone chips, or even dulled by UV rays if you’re living in a hot climate. This method requires a professional clear plastic film applied to as much of the car as you like. You can do it to the front to work when you’re worrying about paint chips, or you can do it to the whole car. It’s not a total or complete solution, as visible scratches will build up on the plastic overtime, but it is a good start.
- Get yourself a dashcam. Protecting your car from damage means knowing where to charge your insurance to. If you have a dash Cam, you can protect your vehicle even when it’s stationary and capture any damage to your car. This way, if you need to make an insurance claim, you can send them the footage and they’ll be able to pay for your car without you having to foot the bill.
- Have your car waxed. After you’ve washed your car, applying a layer of wax to the bodywork adds a small layer of paint protection to your vehicle. You’ll see all the top coats this way and although it’s not significant and won’t automatically stop any damage or chips from happening, it’s a low cost option and it offers you some protection and Peace of Mind, which is something that you need. Paint sealant is another option, but some treatments could take a while to dry. You need to have good weather for this, or a garage to store your vehicle in while it’s drying.
- Use a car cover. If you’re parking your car outside, cover your car in wrap. Chips and scratches are not the only hazards that you have to protect your car from, but bird poop, tree sap, and damage caused by careless people is also something you have to consider. With a car cover you can avoid many of these things, and even if you do get your car pooped on, at least you can just pull the cover off.
- Secure parking. Do you live somewhere where storms and hail are pretty common? If so, then you need to make sure that you have secure parking for your car so that you can keep it undercover and away from the elements. You also want to avoid passers by accidentally scratching it when walking past, so keeping your car in secure parking is a good way to avoid that.
