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Paint Flake Fortitude

Paint problems and how to fix them

A rock aimed at your otherwise flawless paint job knocks off a small paint chip. This is not a disaster—just apply an ounce of elbow grease, a dash of knowledge and finesse, along with the proper repair products of course, and the mishap is a thing of the past. The other end of the paint spectrum, though, is another matter entirely. If you see color flaking off your hood, roof or trunk and you try the same recipe for minor paint repairs, the disease still spreads. Or maybe you notice a dulling of the surface long before the paint starts blowing off your vehicle. What curse has befallen your auto? What did you do in a previous life to warrant this kind of payback?

Delamination

The good news: it's not your fault, unless you're willing to accept some sort of cosmic responsibility for UV rays. The bad news: the fix is pretty extreme and usually not within the realm of do-it-yourself efforts. Your paint is delaminating, or breaking away from the sealer. Before you run out to your garage to inspect your paint, understand that this is not a universal condition. The last five to six years of automotive models will probably never start shedding their skins, so if yours is a later model vehicle, take a sigh of relief.

The cause, according to Jim Gillingham, tech rep for Sherwin Williams paint company, is under debate. It's either exposure to UV rays, usually affecting the lighter finishes like white, blue or silver. Or, it's a problem with the sealer/primer process that originates at the factory. The real cause, Gillingham says, is probably a combination of both.

We're all familiar with the deadly results of UV rays; nearly everything exposed to sunlight, including ourselves, can be treated to resist them. One indication of the role UV rays play is the fact that the most commonly impacted areas are upper surface panels. The sealer problem is harder to deal with.

Total Flake

"If the sealer sits too long before the final paint is applied," Gillingham explains, "there can be no true chemical bond between the two layers." Basically, the paint is not adhering to the sealer. Toss in UV rays and your pretty paint job could be hit with the dreaded flaking disease.

The test to see if you just have a small, easy to solve paint problem is simple: make a small scratch in the paint surface near the affected area and apply a strip of packaging or duct tape. If the paint comes off on the tape, you're in trouble. There have been cases where the paint comes off in sheets when exposed to a high-powered air hose, according to Gillingham.

There's really only one fix. You can cover it up with matching spray paint, although that's a little like wearing a cheap toupee—the problem is still lurking underneath. The fix is to take the vehicle down to the metal and start all over again.

"We try to make the problem as easy to fix for paint shops as possible," says Gillingham. "The best way is to fix it right the first time." The alternative is to chase those flaking patches for the life of the vehicle. If the paint is left in the mottled state, it won't stop on its own and, over time, the exposed primer/sealer will deteriorate and you're left with a huge, rusting mess.

The Inevitable

Removing paint and primer, obviously, is no small task. It can be done with an orbital sander, but the more common method is plastic media blasting. Similar to sand blasting, this method uses plastic particles instead of sand. Plastic media blasting was developed for the aerospace industry as an effective, but harmless, way to remove coating on the delicate aluminum panels on airplanes. Another method uses soda as the abrasive, applied with extremely high-pressure water.

While paint technology has made considerable advances in the last few years, that's not much consolation to those with older, flaking vehicles. If the vehicle is truly beloved with a value that warrants a repaint—fix it. Otherwise, accept the fact you're driving a losing battle. On the other hand, if you're in the market for a used vehicle and your color preference tends toward the pastel, look very closely at those upper surface panels. If irregular, fist-sized patches of sealer are showing, walk away. If there are signs of a quick spray-paint fix or the paint shows significant dullness, try the duct tape test and hope it passes. Otherwise, you'll probably need to factor in the cost of a paint job into the final sales price.