As part of regular vehicle maintenance, you should have your truck repainted every few years. This will remove the small patches of wear that have accumulated over time due to scratching and other forms of rough use. It will also make your truck more presentable when serving clients. In this article, learn exactly what should happen once you take your truck in for a spray painting service at an auto centre like Bob Wade Fleet Maintenance.
Paint removal
First, the old paint will have to be completely removed. This allows a fresh coat to be applied directly over the metal surface for a smooth, even coat. The paint is removed using a number of ways. The most common are using sand paper, buffing using abrasives, and aggregate blasting using sand or glass beads. The blasting process is the fastest and least tiresome, which is great for large vehicles such as trucks.
Minor panel beating
Although panel beating is mostly done during post-accident repairs, it's also necessary before any spray painting process can commence. This is vital to ensure that your truck's body is perfectly straight, allowing the paintwork to look more professional. This is done by first removing any dents and dings using rollers and dent pullers. Filler and putty are then applied over any depressions to even them out and make the trucks body surface smooth.
Priming, painting, and polishing
Next, the real painting begins. First, the truck is placed inside a painting booth. It's then cleaned to remove any impurities that might prevent the paint from adhering to the metal surface. A primer coat is then applied to allow better paint bonding. The primer is given a few days to dry completely. The truck's body is then cleaned again to remove any dust and impurities that might have settled on it. Several coats of paint are then applied for an even finish. A top clear coat is also applied over the paint. This coat helps to protect the just applied paint from being easily damaged. The truck is then polished using soft pads to give the truck a shinny appearance.
Extras
If you wish, final extras may then be applied onto the truck. These include vehicle signwriting to showcase your truck's company and other commercial information you need to be visible on the truck. You can also add decals and pinstripes for added aesthetic effects.
Once done, you will be invited to view your 'new' truck and sign off on all the work done.
