You can be the most careful driver in the world, but at some time, your car is likely to receive a scratch. Whether it’s a ding from a trolley in a shopping centre car park or someone opening the car door into yours, your dilemma might be whether you can DIY or whether it’s best to call a professional for car scratch repair.
Understanding The Types of Scratches
Clear Coat Scratch
This is often a superficial scratch that’s only as deep as the coating on your paintwork and doesn’t go into the actual paint itself.
Base Coat Scratch
The base coat lies under the clear coat and is the layer that’s coloured. Scratches that go into the base coat can create further problems if not repaired.
Primer Scratch
The primer is used on top of the metal on a car panel to create a surface that is smooth enough for the base coat to adhere to. If the scratch has gone this deep, it may cause the metal to rust.
When You Might Consider A DIY
Surface Scrapes
If someone has bumped into your car and left a small scratch from the paint on their vehicle, this can often be repaired simply and quickly. But while you might consider doing it yourself, it’s not recommended and it’s better to let a professional handle it.
Minor Scratches In The Clear Coat
While you can get DIY paint repair kits, even minor scratches are much better handled by a professional panel beater who can do the job more precisely to ensure that there are no problems down the track..
When You Absolutely Must Call a Professional
Base Coat Scratches
Unless you can match the paint colour completely and you have the skills required, you should call a professional for scratches that have gone into the base coat.
The Scratch Is Deep Into The Primer
This is definitely a repair job better left to a professional panel beater to ensure that it’s mended correctly so the underlying metal doesn’t end up rusting.
It’s More Of A Dent Rather Than Just A Scratch
If what you thought was just a scratch has actually made a dent in the panel, even if only minor, this needs to be handled by a professional who will likely use the paintless dent removal process to fix it.
Are You Skilled Enough To Complete The Job
Repairing a scratch in your panelwork does require a high level of skill and finesse. Conditions have to be just right to ensure that a smooth finish is achieved. So, unless you have the skills, it’s better to take your car to someone who does.
Type of Car
Even minor scratches on a standard vehicle can often be difficult to repair correctly. But if you own a prestige or luxury vehicle, you shouldn’t even contemplate doing the fix yourself. It’s much better to take it to someone who knows what they’re doing.
Pros and Cons of DIY and Using a Professional
There are pros and cons of either method that you have to weigh up. The pros of DIY are that it might be cheaper and can be done at home. But the cons are that if you don’t do it correctly, it will cost you a lot more to get it fixed.
The pros of using a professional are that you can guarantee that the job will be done perfectly and that the panel beater will match the paint accurately. The cons are that it might cost you a little more and you’ll be without your car while it’s being repaired.
Calling a Professional
At the end of the day, unless you’re experienced in scratch repairs, it does pay to call a professional. Our technicians at Bridge Road Body Works are all highly skilled professionals in dent repair in Melbourne and they’ll bring your car back to its original condition with the utmost of care.
