Treatment 01

Paint Correction

Swirl marks, holograms, water etching and light scratches sit in the clear coat and scatter light – which is why a clean car can still look dull. Correction removes them by machine, panel by panel, until the paint reflects like glass again.

Request a quote How it is done

01 · The problem

What is wrong with the paint

Most defects come from washing: sponges, brushes and automatic car washes drag grit across the surface and leave fine circular scratches. Add bird-lime etching, water spots, tree sap and years of oxidation, and the clear coat is covered in marks that scatter light instead of reflecting it.

Swirl marks and wash marring
Random light scratches and scuffs
Buffer trails and holograms from previous polishing
Water spots, bird-lime etching, oxidised or chalky paint

02 · Assessment

Reading the paint before touching it

Every panel is inspected under multiple light sources and the paint is measured with a depth gauge. That tells us how much clear coat there is to work with, which defects will polish out and which are too deep to remove safely. You get an honest recommendation before any work starts.

Paint-depth readings on every panel
Defects mapped under LED, halogen and daylight
Repainted or thin areas identified and worked accordingly
A clear recommendation: enhancement, or multi-stage correction

03 · Treatment

Correction, stage by stage

The car is safely washed and decontaminated first so nothing is dragged across the paint. Trim is masked. Then each panel is machine-polished: a heavier compounding stage to level the defects where needed, followed by a finer refining stage to bring back clarity and gloss. Test spots set the process for every colour and paint type.

01Safe wash, iron and tar removal, clay decontamination
02Masking of trim, rubbers and edges
03Test spot to set pad, polish and technique for the paint
04Compounding stage – defects levelled
05Refining stage – haze removed, gloss and clarity restored
06Panel wipe and re-inspection under every light source

04 · The result

Depth, clarity and true colour

With the defects gone, light reflects cleanly off the surface. Dark colours regain their depth, metallics show their flake again, and reflections are crisp instead of hazy. The difference is most obvious in sunlight – the light that shows swirls most cruelly.

See finished cars

05 · Protection & maintenance

Keeping it that way

Freshly corrected paint has no protection on it, so we always recommend locking the finish in – with a ceramic coating, protection film on the vulnerable areas, or at least a quality sealant. We also explain safe washing at handover, because the next wash decides how long the result lasts.

Ceramic coating or sealant applied after correction
Aftercare walkthrough: two-bucket wash, drying, what to avoid
Maintenance detail intervals suggested for your usage

Questions

About paint correction.

All questions

01Will paint correction remove every scratch?

It removes the defects that sit within the clear coat – swirls, wash marring, light scratches, water spots and holograms – which is the majority of what you see. A scratch that catches a fingernail has usually gone through the clear coat and needs paint, not polish. We measure and tell you which is which before we start.

02Is machine polishing safe for my paint?

Done properly, yes. Polishing removes a very small amount of clear coat, which is why we measure the paint first, use test spots, and only remove what is needed to level the defects. Thin or repainted areas are identified and treated more gently.

03What is the difference between an enhancement and a full correction?

An enhancement is a single refining stage that noticeably improves gloss and removes lighter marks. A multi-stage correction adds a compounding stage to remove deeper defects and takes considerably longer. The right choice depends on the paint, its condition and what you want from the result – we advise after inspection.

04Should I have the car coated afterwards?

We recommend it. Corrected paint is bare and easy to mark; a ceramic coating or sealant protects the work and makes the car easier to keep clean. Correction and coating are usually done together.

Request a quote

Ask about paint correction.

Tell us the colour, the age of the paint, how the car has been washed and what you want from the finish – enhancement or as close to flawless as the paint allows.