How To Spray Paint A Car Yourself At Home?

Regular car detailing and maintenance check are very essential but along with it we also need to look at the exterior body of our car because it is regularly exposed to all weather types. Our vehicles have undoubtedly become a part and parcel of our modern day to day life. In past few years, the car painting job has really become an easy task to accomplish mainly due to the introduction of new spray paint guns and other related advanced products in this area which are very convenient, simple to use and easily available in the market.

Though majority of people prefer going to professionals in order to provide their car with a new look and feel. But with some good effort on your part you can do it yourself at home and it can easily help you in saving a good amount of money. Car painting is indeed one of the best ways to make your car look brand new. In order to spray paint the car on your own all you need is a spray gun, a compressor, sand paper, solvent and few other hand tools along with some patience and good eye for details. But contrary to the common misconception the entire car spray paint job cannot be completed within a day.

In fact even the professionals prefer doing this job slowly and patiently in order to get the best result. Another important thing which is worth mentioning here is that don’t drive around your car with half job done till the entire job of car spray paint is complete or else you may end up damaging the finish of your car. In general the entire process of car spray paint job is a time consuming task which can take 2-3 days or even more. The use of spray paint is not that simple as many people think, like just spraying the paint directly to the scratched area, it also includes certain procedures which you are required to follow:

Step 1: Choose a Place

The first thing in the list is the section of appropriate shaded location where you can perform the spray paint job for your car. In general, people prefer using their home garage for this purpose but remember that while painting your car you require some free space to move around and make sure it is properly ventilated. Also make sure that this location has proper shade so that it is away from direct sunlight, wind as well as rain.

Step 2: Prepare the Stuff

The most important items required for this job are:

1. Paint
2. Sand paper
3. Paint gun
4. Wax
5. Grease remover
6. Paper for masking
7. Buffing compound

For this job you require the right sand paper along with the sanding equipment to rub on the desired surface of the car. Another important thing is that you also need good amount of tape, plastic and rags for cleanup purpose. It is advisable to utilize good quality materials for this job since it lasts longer, ensures better finish and worth the investment.

Purchasing the required materials is really not that difficult since these days majority of the manufacturers facilitate their customers with the specially designed spray can tips or guns. It can be very conveniently utilized for the spray paint purpose just like the professionals do. In case of spray paint, the best thing to do is to visit an auto paint center and purchase color paint which correctly matches with the color of your car. It is normally done by mixing different colors of paint until the desired color is achieved.

If you do not have prior experience in this area, it is highly recommended that you purchase a step by step guide and practice the technique in a piece of metal till you have grasped the technique properly. Other than the above it is equally important to wear a mask in order to prevent inhalation of fumes which is not healthy to breath in and also welder’s glasses to protect your eyes.

Step 3: Washing the Car

One of the most important things before you start with the spray paint job is to thoroughly wash your car in order to get rid of all the accumulated dirt, grease and other contaminants. You can also make use of a wax and grease remover to wipe your whole car. Now allow your car to dry for several hours before moving on to the next step.

Step 4: Repairing the Scratches and Dings

It is equally important to repair the scratches and dings on the car before you start with the spray paint job in order to get the best desired results. It is better to do this or else the rough and scratchy, dented surfaces of the car’s body will prevent the required finish after painting. In case you find too much of dust on the surface due to the repair work then it is better to wash it once more.

Step 5: Sanding and Masking Process

There are many people who do not give too much of importance to the process related to sanding and masking and consider it as a waste of time. But the process of sanding and masking is indeed very important. It is recommended that you paint each area of your car individually in order to get better results, which requires you to cover and tape off those sections which are to be painted later.

You need to really spend some good time masking all those areas which you do not want to paint keeping in mind that the spray paint job is airborne and it can spoil even those sections which you do not intend to paint. For this purpose you can use paper and masking tape for covering areas such as tires, headlights, bumpers, chrome, exterior mirrors, etc.

It is essential to get rid of the original paint by sanding the surface of the car. While sanding make sure that you do it evenly over the entire surface of the car and slowly. It should be a smooth sanding job with no uneven section, or scratches on the surface of your car. This entire process is very essential since the new spray paint jobs will make any kind of surface imperfections even more prominent compared to what it was before.

Step 6: Application of Primer

The next thing in this process is the application of primer on the car. The main reason behind it is that the primer helps in protecting the car from rust and also creates a good surface for paint bonding. Remember to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully before doing it and then apply the primer on the entire car’s surface which is to be painted. You need to make sure that it is applied evenly on the car’s surface.

Step 7: Application of Paint

Before you start spraying on your car it is always better to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. In order to ensure that you have a good flow of paint it is always better to test on a scrap card. It is highly recommended that you keep the spray gun moving at a regular pace starting from the left section to the right on the first coat and then up and down on the next coat.

With the help of spray gun, you can apply coats of paint on your car and after each coat let it dry for at least 30 minutes before you start with the next round. But the second coat requires a couple of hours to dry. In general, two coats of paint is considered to be sufficient to achieve the desired result but in case you have selected any such paint which has instructions to apply more than two coats then you are required to follow it.

Step 8: Application of Clear Coat

Once the above is done successfully you can apply a clear coat on your car. Remember to use the quantity much more than what you think will be required. Now you need to allow it to dry overnight and wet sand once again using the right grit papers. The last step but not the least, you are required to buff the finish by using a mild buffing compound and wax in order to provide a finishing touch and bring out the shine on your car. It also helps in color protection other than to make your car look shiny and glossy. With this your task of painting your car comes to an end.

Other than the above, before you start with this job it is advisable that you do some research on this topic so that you get more detailed information on the right kind of high quality materials, right tools, correct techniques, safety aspects, the right place to purchase the required materials and it will also help you in being well prepared for this job to achieve great results. Last but not the least you need to be realistic with your expectations of your first paint job.