Normal wear and tear and ordinary driving conditions can cause chips in your car’s paint. One area that is particularly prone to paint chips is the hood of the car, although your paint can become chipped in any area from debris on the road or even accidents with shopping carts at the local grocery. Chips on your car’s paint job can really deflect from the total look of your vehicle and even reduce its resale value if you decide to put it up for sale or trade it in on a newer model. Car paint chip repair can be expensive when hired out, and very tedious when done as a DIY project, especially if you are not accustomed to doing work like this. Repairing the chip in your car’s paint job should be done as soon as possible to avoid rust damage or prevent further rusting.
Chip or Scratch?
Before repairing your car paint chip, make sure it is a chip and not just a scratch. The difference between the two is the width. A mere scratch can be repaired using a paint pen and then polishing the scratch out. If the chip is an actual chip, you will need to repair it and fill it in yourself as it is not worth the expense to have a professional refinish the area for one small chip. There are some disadvantages to repairing a chip or scratch yourself, and among them is the fact that most people don’t have the time or the skills to accomplish the task. And if not done right, car paint chip repair is a temporary fix at best, and can sometimes worsen the problem.
Avoiding Car Paint Chips
A car bra can be a great way to avoid chips to the paint on your car’s hood, although many people are hesitant to install a car bra because of the eighties-retro look that a car bra can evoke. A better alternative is to use paint protection film for this area and for the entire paint job, optimally installed by a professional installer using a high grade paint protection film product. Trying to install paint protection film is much like trying to install your own window tint; you often end up with a messy pile of sticky film and an empty wallet. A professionally installed paint protection film is completely safe for factory paint jobs. Besides installing a car bra or having paint protection film installed on your vehicle, you can also avoid or decrease the incidence of paint chips by increasing the distance between you and other drivers on the road, particularly when you are driving in a construction zone or any area where there may be debris on the road.