It’s that time of the year where we can enjoy picnics and get together with family outside of the house for once. Summer months are the very few months Canadians can really enjoy all that our beautiful country and city of Calgary have to offer.
Although this may be the time to enjoy the beautiful outdoors do not forget about maintaining the integrity of your vehicle as well.
Calgary Auto detailing may not come into your mind during the winter months because “The car is going to get dirty again anyways” and thats wrong for so many reasons, however that’s another blog for another time.
The sun can be just as damaging to your car paint long term as salt can be during the winter time. Just like you need to protect your skin from the powerful ultraviolet ( UV ) rays, your car is just as susceptible to the damaging effects of the sun and needs to be protected as well.
There are a few preventative methods where auto detailing can help preserve the condition of your car paint that we will go over the coming sections.
How Does The Sun Damage The Paint?
We have all seen it, that once vibrant in color Corvette, that once had a luxurious blue hue to it and now is not so pleasant on the eyes with fading paint and increasing rust.
The reason our car paint gets so damaged is because of UV rays as we know and unfortunately they are an invisible force that can cause some major damage.
When the sun makes contact with car paint both combine to make a chemical reaction that releases energy known commonly as heat, often times when this occurs the molecular composite of the paint is disruptive resulting in bonds breaking thus giving that faded look.
If you own an exotic car you should be careful and ensure you are up to maintenance and following the right detailing maintenance for the exotic car.
After this happens multiple times your vehicles paint starts to give a dull look reflecting less light along with it.
Do Some Car Paints Fade Faster Than Others?
The force at which paint is hit with UV rays is not as big as a deciding factor in how quickly the paint fades compared to which color it is in the first place!
To really grasp why some colors are more affected by the sunlight than others we need to better understand the scientific effect each shade represents. Sunlight comes to us in invisible wavelengths, and how certain objects perceive, absorb and reflect those wavelengths is what determines what color the human eye sees.
All different colors and shades have a unique wavelength and those very shades and colors are scientifically formulated to absorb all lengths and sizes of wavelengths except for the color they are identified as.
An example would be taking the colour blue, blue would absorb all wavelengths for other colors like purple, orange, yellow etc but it reflects the wavelength for the color blue.
So our eyes and brain only see the one color which is being reflected, which in this case is the color blue. Red is the color which is most affected by the sun as it fades at a much quicker rate than any other paint color, why is that?
Generally there are more common wavelengths associated with the color red than other colors due to those wavelengths being a lot lower in energy, meaning that red absorbs the more active wavelengths and only reflects the “lazier†ones.
That results in all of the active wavelengths forming together and breaking down the color red at fast speeds.
Blue however, has the opposite effect as red, blue reflects all active wavelengths and only absorbs the slower ones, allowing for a decrease in the amount of time the paint takes to deteriorate.
Our Calgary car detailing team just wanted to give some general knowledge/a small science class, back to how detailing can help defend against the damage from the sun!
How Calgary Auto Detailing Prevents Sun Damage
We now know about how UV rays are damaging to our paint, and a big thing to keep in mind is that the damage UV rays cause is irreversible unless you take it to a professional auto body shop for a touch up or a paint respray which we all know can set us back thousands of dollars!
Auto detailing is an investment in the longevity of your car’s paint and helps you to retain the value of your vehicle as well. It is a lot better to take preventative measures now rather than pay much more in the future!
Remove dirt and contaminants off your paint by washing your car consistently!
In the summertime and that doesn’t mean your the only one out enjoying this amazing weather, you have animals, plant life & other people people who strive in and look forward to this time of the year.
Sometimes your vehicle can go through a lot more during the summer than the winter with bird droppings, tree sap and tar from all the constant construction going on.
When your car has any of those contaminants sitting on your paint, baking in the sunlight it can cause a lot more damage than you think.
UV rays hitting bugs or bird droppings above all can cause to be a huge problem as the acidic nature of those two contaminants mixed with the sunlight can eat away at your clear coat causing, once again, irreversible damage that not even car detailing can cure.
This is why it is best to remove any obstructions on your paint as soon as possible with a regular maintenance auto detailing wash for exterior damage prevention.
Don’t Be Lazy Complete Your Car Wash With Your Hands!
This next one is part of every auto detailing maintenance wash but it is also general knowledge if you sometimes clean the exterior of your vehicle by yourself as well and not just through a car detailing professional.
If you are one of those people who like to just leave the car in the sun after a car wash so that it can dry, stop doing that right now!
Did you know something as simple as not drying your car by hand can be a lot more work for you in the future than just simply grabbing a towel to dry off your vehicle?
If you leave your car to dry out in the sun you will notice at times that you have little spots where the water has dried but not fully left your vehicle, creating unwanted obstructions called water spots.
The same water you used to clean your vehicle can actually be causing you unexpected damage as well.
Often times a water spot traps certain elements that can harm your car paint such as calcium or other metals, slowly eating away at your clear coat.
For the best absorption and to cause no damage to your car’s paint, we highly recommend you use a synthetic chamois to dry off your vehicle!
Wax Your Car To Add A Layer Of Paint Protection
Just like when you head down to the beach on a really sunny day, the same way you protect yourself with sun screen lotion, you need an auto detailing technician to spread an even layer of wax on your vehicle.
Waxing your car should be a mandatory requirement if you plan to retain your investment, protecting it from outside elements and keep the paint looking great for so long.
Specific wax brands and products are manufactured to reflect all incoming UV ray emissions, it is always a good idea to ask your car detailing expert about which product or company they recommend for waxes.
Wax is an additional line of defense that goes on top of your paint and clear coat and helps to repel all UV rays emitted from the sun.
Car detailing the exterior is more than just making your car look good, it also helps in maintaining the value and quality of your vehicle as well!
Paint protection film protects against more than just a few rock chips!
You should ask your local Calgary car detailing expert if they offer paint protection film installation services.
Paint protection film ( PPF ) or 3M is a thin protective layer placed on top of your vehicle, the most common benefit of PPF is protection against debris that may hit your car as your driving, but did you know a paint protection film also helps protect against dangerous UV rays as well ?
Many brands implement a technology similar to sun screen lotion that helps prevent sun damage to your paint.
Paint protection film is incredibly common and worth the investment on exotic cars, this is because they are driven fairly hard and cost an arm and a leg.
Protecting your investment with some paint protection film is definitely worth it, check out this Ferrari 488 GTB that we detailed which featured full PPF!
Dont Forget To Protect your interior as well!
Protecting the interior of your vehicle is just as important as protecting your exterior, especially when it comes to preserving the value of your investment and maintaining the aesthetic as well.
Vehicle owners who have spent the extra money on a leather interior look forward to having that sleek appeal last for as long as they own the vehicle and we all know that can be very difficult to do.
Leather will have a similar effect as paint when it comes to contaminants, if you leave blue color stains from jeans or a food stain on your car seat or interior padding, it reactions with the sun light causing further and irreversible damage to the leather!
Car detailing is a perfect way to clean and preserve your car leather. The car detailing process when it comes to protecting your leather is simple, first we would use a leather cleaner to remove all current contaminants on top of your leather leaving a smooth and stain free surface.
After we use a leather cleaner we will use a leather conditioner to moisturize the leather giving it a nice shiny look and also, if your auto detailing expert has the proper industrial chemicals, it will contain a UV ray protection element preventing your leather from fading away.
Not only are there leather cleaners and conditioners, you can also request your auto detailing technician to apply similar formulas for your vinyl, carpet and glass for additional sun protection.
Additional Tips To Prevent Sun Damage To Your Car
Asides from the tips we have given you so far, you could take some additional steps to protecting your car from the sun.
The first thing is pretty well known, and that is to keep your car in the shade during those scorching summer months, not only does this protect your car, it makes sitting in it and gripping the steering wheel a lot more bearable.
Secondly we recommend buying window sun protectors for the windows of your vehicle to protect the leather and vinyl within. You can purchase a sun visor here.
The third tip is a more permanent solution than the store bought sun protectors and that is to tint your car windows. Not only does the tint prevent interior finish from fading, it also keeps your car nice and cool!
You can learn more about how you can preserve your vehicle or on how to perform the proper auto detailing your car deserves, make sure to follow and read the daily Drip Detailing blog. Let us know your thoughts below or if you have any additional tips on preventing sun damage to your vehicle paint.
