Paint Correction and Scratch Removal in Tyne and Wear

Most modern car paint is a coloured layer topped with a thin clear lacquer. Light scratches, swirl marks from poor washing, and dull oxidised patches often sit only in that top layer, which is why polishing can remove them.

At Banks of the Tyne in Hebburn paint correction is part of our paintwork service. We will tell you what polishing can reach and what needs a different repair.

What polishing can deal with

Defects confined to the clear coat can be levelled out by machine polishing.

• Fine swirl marks seen in sunlight
• Light scuffs from brushes or bags
• Hazy, oxidised paint
• Bird dropping etching, if shallow
• Transferred paint from a light contact

The test: fingernail and inspection

Run a fingernail across a scratch. If it catches, the damage has probably gone through the lacquer and polishing alone will not remove it. We inspect under strong light to see how deep it goes.

Polishing removes a small amount of lacquer each time, so there is a limit. We do not keep cutting past a safe point.

What the job involves

The car is washed and decontaminated, then taped around trim. Polishing runs from a more aggressive compound to a finer one, checking the paint as we go, then the finish is cleaned and protected.

Time and cost depend on the size of the car, how heavy the defects are, and the paint hardness. We explain this at the estimate.

When polishing is not enough

Deep scratches that reach the colour or the primer need paint repair, such as a stone-chip repair, SMART repair or partial respray. Thin or previously over-polished lacquer may not tolerate more.

Rust showing through is a repair job, not a polishing job.

It is also worth knowing that a correction improves the look rather than changing the paint underneath. If you are after a different colour or a brand-new finish, that is a respray conversation instead, and we can talk it through.