For many people, having a scratch on a car could mean the end of the world. Particularly when the scratches are big and deep, the entire experience can be nerve-wracking and overwhelming at the same time. This also gives many people the creeps, and the only idea that many people have in mind is to bring their vehicle to an experienced mechanic. There is a way to fix those small or deep scratches on your vehicle, and you can easily get rid of them even by yourself at home. All you have to do is follow some simple instructions and eventually your car would look like new again. Now without further ado, below is a step-by-step guide on how to fix deep scratches on car door.
1# Inspect Your Vehicle first
It’s critical to first examine the level of damage done to your vehicle in order to know the type of repair it would need. Every vehicle has 4 layers—a transparent layer, color or base paint layer, primer layer, and a metal layer. Some scratches may damage only the surface (the transparent layer), while other scratches may stretch too deep and ruin all the other layers.
The deeper the scratch, the more energy a person would burn in order to fix it. Light scratches are the easiest to repair because they only affect the transparent layer of the paint. However, for deep scratches, this damage is much more severe and thus would require a more intensive treatment for such an area to be fixed.
2# Prepare the Scratch or Chip
Before you start, you’ll need to first clean the area you’ve just examined. Find a wax remover and degreaser to clean the scratch as well as the surrounding paint. Also make sure to grab a sanding pen to sand down inside the scratch or chip. A sanding pen is an excellent tool for cleaning tiny spaces, allowing you to easily eliminate burrs, loose paint, and even rust.
If you wish to use sandpaper instead, sand only towards one direction and make sure to also wet the area you’re sanding regularly. This lets you become aware of how much more you should sand without adding further damage to your vehicle. If a person can still see the scratch, find a little thicker sandpaper than the one you’re using and then swap it somewhere in between with the thin sandpaper until the scratch fades away completely.
Rinse the surface one more time and dry with a microfiber cloth. Otherwise, other cleaning materials would leave small scratches behind, which is something you want to avoid. Finally, find a tape and cover the surrounding area near the deep scratch to ensure that you only treat the ruined part.
3# Fill in the Scratch or Chip
Because you’re dealing with a deep scratch here, it means you have to replace all the layers above. Some important items you’ll need to have within reach for this particular job include some color-matched touch-up paint, touch-up primer, and touch-up clear coat. To find out the specific color-matched paint for your vehicle, it’s best you visit your local car dealership’s parts store and purchase a touch-up paint specific to your vehicle’s model, make, and color. You can also find information about your vehicle’s specific color code on the driver’s door, so be sure to check.
Gently tap around the area with a fine brush, and apply some touch-up primer to the scratch or chip you’ve just cleaned to give it a beautiful coating. Make sure not to fill the entire scratch with primer, just some little strokes to the exposed bare metal would do. Once the touch-up primer dries, get ready the color-matched touch-up paint and repeat the process above though use the color-matched touch-up paint this time.
You may want to create some layers of paint to help fill the scratch gap more securely and efficiently. Work from the edges to the inside of the scratch, and the smoother you’re able to apply the paint the better. The goal is to protect the bare metal and make the deep scratch area become less noticeable as much as possible. Finally, apply a layer of clear coat to the scratched surface to match the color with that of your specific vehicle or truck. Otherwise, skipping this step would make both colors look slightly different from the other which is not an attractive look at all. Lastly, wait for the paint to dry for a few days before you can apply wax or sealant.
4# Wax and Polish Your Vehicle
Finally, once the paint fully dries, place wax and polish the whole vehicle to help mix up the paint as well as also shine your vehicle altogether.
Other Important Factors to Know When Fixing Deep Scratches
Before applying another layer of paint, you should always wait for the first coat of paint to dry. If you find this difficult to do by yourself, it’s a good idea to bring your vehicle to a body shop or auto repair shop that provides this service. However, you should know the treatment is quite expensive so be ready to burn at least a few thousand dollars.
Also before doing any repair, check that there are no other parts on your vehicle with scratches to avoid wasting time. This would also allow you to easily fix all the scratches in one sitting.
Car paint is also poisonous, so make sure to keep it somewhere out of the reach of children and pets every time. Also always use gloves, goggles, masks, and any other protective gear to cover yourself every time you’re repairing your vehicle.
If you don’t have sufficient funds to fix your vehicle, you can always use a magic pen (works like car paint) or even some white toothpaste. These options work great for small scratches, particularly those found in the first layer of paint.
Final Thoughts
Deep scratches and chips on a vehicle can sometimes be a little bit tough to fix. But with some little effort and patience on your part, it really isn’t that hard to achieve the much needed results. The most difficult part is usually the sanding and polishing part done near the very last stages. Hopefully, this handy guide on how to fix deep scratches on car door will help you easily repair your vehicle and bring it back to its former glory.