protecting your car's finish from tree damage

Anytime you want a car repainted, an auto body and paint shop will probably use a rotary sander to remove old top coats and paint. However, there are times when sand blasting is the preferred method. Sand blasting is rougher, faster and grittier than traditional sanding, and it is only used when an auto body specialist is presented with specific issues on the car's surface.

Rust and Pitted Rust

A car cannot be repainted if it has a lot of rust on the doors, trunk and hood. Sand blasting removes this rust, creating a smooth surface for the new paint to adhere to. If your car also has a lot of pitting, or tiny spots of rust that go deeper than the surface level of the metal, sand blasting can remove these little pits too.

Multiple Layers of Paint

If you acquire a car that has multiple layers of paint, it means that previous owners did not have a professional do the paint jobs, but instead did the body paint work themselves. Sand blasting is more ideal for this job because it can peel away the layers a lot faster than traditional sanding can. If the previous owners also applied decals, pinstripes and other details in layers, there are several areas where the decals and details will create a bona fide sticky mess. Sand blasting eliminates having to use sticky residue removers and thinning agents before removing the paint.

When Lead Paint Might Be Present

Sand blasting is often used for antique auto restoration. Since lead was a common ingredient in auto paint many decades ago, removing traces of this lead paint could present serious health risks to the auto body specialist. Therefore, placing the parts of the old car into a sand blasting booth removes the potential for harm and any accidental inhalation of lead paint flecks. (Your auto body specialist will also wear a protective mask when removing the panels from the sand blasting booth to brush off the remnants of sand.)

Repainting Your Car on a Deadline

While all of the previously mentioned situations call for sand blasting in place of traditional sanding, one final factor unrelated to the body of your car would also be a good reason for sand blasting. Customers who want new paint jobs on their cars completed quickly and within a very short time frame will find that auto body specialists use sand blasting to complete the jobs. Sand blasting cuts auto repaint time significantly, and a job that could take weeks is complete in a week or two. Contact an auto body company like Powder Coating Specialties to learn more about sandblasting.