Vehicles that spend a lot of time on the road or in traffic may develop some paint damage around the front of the vehicle from small stones or pebbles that hit the vehicle while driving. Stone chip repair services can fix the damage for you, but how the repairs are made can change with the amount of damage to the paint in the impact area. 

Stone Damage

Vehicles driving on any road surface can pick up small stones, gravel, or pebbles with their tires and toss the material out behind the car as they are driving. If you are behind a vehicle that does that, the stones may be hitting your front bumper, grill, and other painted surfaces, chipping the paint on impact. 

Stone chip repair services specialize in fixing the damage on your car from these incidents, and often it can be done in your driveway at home with tools and equipment the repair service brings with them. If the stone chip damage is limited to the top surface of the paint and has not broken through the primer under it, the repair is very straightforward. If the damage does break through the primer coat, the metal under it can be exposed, and stone chip repair is vital to reseal the area to lock out moisture and keep the metal from rusting. 

In extreme cases, the paint may be so damaged that the panels need to be removed and repainted to fix the issue. Damage of that degree often requires that the repairs be made in a body shop with the tools and equipment to fix the chips, match the paint, and repaint the affected panels. 

Stone Chip Repair

Stone chip repair for small chips on your car starts with lightly sanding the area to smooth the edge of the chipped paint and blend it into the undamaged area around it. Once the chip is smooth and you can no longer feel the edge of the chip, the dust and dirt on the panel are removed with a solvent and allowed to dry. 

Touch-up paint that matches the color of your car is carefully applied over the damaged area with a small brush or sprayer in thin coats and allowed to dry between each application. Typically two to three coats are enough to cover the damage and restore the paint, but the tech from the stone chip repair service will determine how many applications are required as they proceed.

After the paint is dry, the tech can cover the area with a clear coat to restore the shine to the paint and add an additional layer of protection to the vehicle. When the work is done correctly, the stone chip repair will be nearly invisible and should hold up for the life of the vehicle.