What is a Clear Coat?
A clear coat is a transparent paint that is applied over the color coat to protect the paint from fading, scratches, and other types of damage. Modern automotive paint jobs consist of a primer, color coat or basecoat, and a clear coat topcoat. The clear coat forms a barrier to protect the color coat below.
Applying the Clear Coat
After the color coat has dried, the clear coat is applied. Modern automotive paint shops apply clear coats through a spraying process rather than brushing. A high-quality two-stage automotive clear coat is typically used. The clear coat is sprayed in thin, even layers to achieve full coverage while maintaining a smooth, high-gloss finish. Multiple light coats are applied with drying time in between rather than one heavy coat. This allows the solvents in the clear coat to properly flash off without causing runs or sags in the finish. Once fully dried, the clear coat is then wet sanded and polished to achieve a flawless shine.
Benefits of Clear Coat
The Car Clear Coat offers several important benefits compared to single-stage paint without protection. First, it protects the color coat from fading caused by UV light exposure from the sun. The clear coat blocks damaging UV rays that can cause colors to fade over time. It also forms a scratch-resistant barrier over the color coat. Minor scratches in the clear coat may not penetrate the color coat at all. And if damage does go through the clear coat, repairs are generally easier since the color coat is undamaged underneath. Clear coat also provides a brilliant shine to the finished paint that single-stage paint lacks. When fully cured and polished, a high-quality automotive clear coat finish looks glass-smooth.
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