When it comes to taking care of the paint job on your vehicle, little chips from flying rocks are something that most car owners have to combat. If you have stone chips on your vehicle, and you want to get rid of them, there are a few things you need to understand about the repair process. You want to make sure you get the repair process right when you fix the stone chips on your vehicle.

You Need to Clean the Area

You can't just take paint and apply it over the area where the paint is chipped. First, you need to make sure the area is nice and clean if you want the repair to last. The best way to clean the area is by rubbing the area down with some rubbing alcohol. This is better than using soap as the rubbing alcohol will help remove any grease and ensure the surface is as clean and sanitary as possible.

You Need to Get Rid of Raised Edges

Next, if you want the paint job to look nice, you are going to want to smooth the edges near the paint chip. Not all rock chips leave behind raised and rough edges, but some do. If the edges are rough, you can use some sandpaper to smooth down the edges. Or use a special cutting compound to smooth the edges. Be very careful cleaning up the raised edges.

You Need to Use a Primer

For the paint to look as good as possible, you need to apply a primer to the area where the chip is at. You don't want to apply primer to the nearby paint that is not damaged. The best way to maintain the primer where you want it is to use a paintbrush to apply the primer directly to the vehicle. You can also purchase a primer paint pen, which will allow you greater control over the application of the primer.

Take Your Time Applying the Paint

When it comes time to apply the paint over the chipped areas, do not rush the process. Apply a layer of paint directly to the chipped area, careful not to overlap with the existing paint. Allow the paint to fully dry, then apply another thin layer of paint. You may need to apply multiple layers; don't rush the process. Once the paint fully dries, you are also going to need to apply a top-coat as well to protect the new paint.

If you don't want to undertake fixing the stone chips on your vehicle on your own, bring your vehicle into a stone chip repair service. They will have the skills and tools to easily fix up your vehicle and get rid of the stone chips.