I need advice...
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Registered User
Joined: Nov 2009
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From: Bentonville, AR
Rep Power: 89
Try a sealant like Menzerna Power Lock to protect the the paint.
http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...Sealant/Detail
http://www.glisteningperfectionstore...Sealant/Detail
Long-term paint care
· Remove acidic contaminants (bird or insect excrement, brake or rail dust, etc) as soon as possible
· Regular washing (weekly) using a correct methodology, quality car wash concentrate, wash mitt and drying towels.
· Clean paint twice a year (or as necessary) with detailing clay.
· Polish paint surface 3-4 times (or as required to remove scratches) a year with a pre-wax, non-abrasive polish.
· Only use an abrasive polish to remove serious scratches
· Protect paint 3-4 times a year with a quality paint sealant and / or wax.
Proper washing; pre-wash, using a foam gun followed by a two bucket wash system with a GritGuard or a Foam Cannon, use separate wash media and bucket for your wheels and the paint and when drying use water sheeting and / or air powered drying and a waffle weave micro fibre towel
Proper surface drying; this is my preferred method of drying a vehicle paint surface; On the final rinse of the washing process remove the nozzle from the hose, reduce the water pressure and hold the end of the hose parallel to the paint and reasonably close as this is will prevent splashing as you flood the surface. Follow up with a waffle weave micro fibre towel to thoroughly dry the paint surface
These techniques are the best way to avoid the need for polishing. Using a chemical paint cleanser versus polishing on a clean finish to simply remove old wax/sealant is another. And always follow the rule of using the least abrasive polish and pad combination (working smarter not harder)
Definition of Polishes and Protective Coatings
· Finishing Paper - an ultra-fine grade of grit (sand) paper (1500 to 3000 grit) can be used effectively to level a paint finish and remove imperfections. When talking about "grit" is a reference to the number of abrasive particles per inch of finishing paper
· Compound – an aggressive grade of polish used to remove deeper scratches and for paint renovation
· Polish – an abrasive compound that removes impurities provides shine and prepares it for a wax or sealant protection.
· Paint Cleaner – contains a very mild polishing agent (i.e. Kaolin (China clay) or Diatomaceous earth ) that is used to clean a paint surface and provide protection, but they will not remove ingrained surface scratches
· Glaze – used by detailers for show car to obtain maximum light reflection. They produce a “wet" look to the surface with oils to maximize surface gloss and may contain fillers (Kaolin or China clay) to hide minor defects not removed by polishing or for use when the paint is thin and you don't want to remove any more, even if it is microns. They will provide little if any surface protection.
· Wax – an organic or synthetic protective coating that is applied to the exterior surface of an automobile to improve shine and prevent oxidation
· Sealant – a polymer sealant comprises an open linked molecule, which forms a bond with the paint, this is the main reason for their durability; these open linked polymer molecules join together to create an elongated mesh like effect that reflects light efficiently due to their inherent flat surface. Because they are usually very transparent they transmit the surface colour faithfully, but they have very little depth resulting in what is perceived as a very bright, flat silver glow
· Remove acidic contaminants (bird or insect excrement, brake or rail dust, etc) as soon as possible
· Regular washing (weekly) using a correct methodology, quality car wash concentrate, wash mitt and drying towels.
· Clean paint twice a year (or as necessary) with detailing clay.
· Polish paint surface 3-4 times (or as required to remove scratches) a year with a pre-wax, non-abrasive polish.
· Only use an abrasive polish to remove serious scratches
· Protect paint 3-4 times a year with a quality paint sealant and / or wax.
Proper washing; pre-wash, using a foam gun followed by a two bucket wash system with a GritGuard or a Foam Cannon, use separate wash media and bucket for your wheels and the paint and when drying use water sheeting and / or air powered drying and a waffle weave micro fibre towel
Proper surface drying; this is my preferred method of drying a vehicle paint surface; On the final rinse of the washing process remove the nozzle from the hose, reduce the water pressure and hold the end of the hose parallel to the paint and reasonably close as this is will prevent splashing as you flood the surface. Follow up with a waffle weave micro fibre towel to thoroughly dry the paint surface
These techniques are the best way to avoid the need for polishing. Using a chemical paint cleanser versus polishing on a clean finish to simply remove old wax/sealant is another. And always follow the rule of using the least abrasive polish and pad combination (working smarter not harder)
Definition of Polishes and Protective Coatings
· Finishing Paper - an ultra-fine grade of grit (sand) paper (1500 to 3000 grit) can be used effectively to level a paint finish and remove imperfections. When talking about "grit" is a reference to the number of abrasive particles per inch of finishing paper
· Compound – an aggressive grade of polish used to remove deeper scratches and for paint renovation
· Polish – an abrasive compound that removes impurities provides shine and prepares it for a wax or sealant protection.
· Paint Cleaner – contains a very mild polishing agent (i.e. Kaolin (China clay) or Diatomaceous earth ) that is used to clean a paint surface and provide protection, but they will not remove ingrained surface scratches
· Glaze – used by detailers for show car to obtain maximum light reflection. They produce a “wet" look to the surface with oils to maximize surface gloss and may contain fillers (Kaolin or China clay) to hide minor defects not removed by polishing or for use when the paint is thin and you don't want to remove any more, even if it is microns. They will provide little if any surface protection.
· Wax – an organic or synthetic protective coating that is applied to the exterior surface of an automobile to improve shine and prevent oxidation
· Sealant – a polymer sealant comprises an open linked molecule, which forms a bond with the paint, this is the main reason for their durability; these open linked polymer molecules join together to create an elongated mesh like effect that reflects light efficiently due to their inherent flat surface. Because they are usually very transparent they transmit the surface colour faithfully, but they have very little depth resulting in what is perceived as a very bright, flat silver glow
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 312
From: Dallas
Rep Power: 31
Bird drops are worse then sun fading potential.
If it were my car I'd park it in the sun and keep the bird drops off.
And as far as waxing is concerned, it will depend a lot on what kind of wax/sealant protection you are using. Some last weeks and some will last months so....
If using a good carnuaba I'd rewax it once a month, if using a good polymer based protection I would rewax it about every 3 months. Again this all depends on properly prepping the finish before sealing and your regular maitenance washings.
Josh
If it were my car I'd park it in the sun and keep the bird drops off.
And as far as waxing is concerned, it will depend a lot on what kind of wax/sealant protection you are using. Some last weeks and some will last months so....
If using a good carnuaba I'd rewax it once a month, if using a good polymer based protection I would rewax it about every 3 months. Again this all depends on properly prepping the finish before sealing and your regular maitenance washings.
Josh
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 312
From: Dallas
Rep Power: 31
I have a few buddies that also have some exotics and we brought in a detailer from Dallas that works with the products that I like, to do about a dozen cars over a week's time frame. I got to spend a ton of time with him and really got a good understanding of how to take good care of my paint finish.
Hope that helps clear things up.
Hope that helps clear things up.
Thread Starter
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Registered User
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,184
From: Bentonville, AR
Rep Power: 89
Bird drops are worse then sun fading potential.
If it were my car I'd park it in the sun and keep the bird drops off.
And as far as waxing is concerned, it will depend a lot on what kind of wax/sealant protection you are using. Some last weeks and some will last months so....
If using a good carnuaba I'd rewax it once a month, if using a good polymer based protection I would rewax it about every 3 months. Again this all depends on properly prepping the finish before sealing and your regular maitenance washings.
Josh
If it were my car I'd park it in the sun and keep the bird drops off.
And as far as waxing is concerned, it will depend a lot on what kind of wax/sealant protection you are using. Some last weeks and some will last months so....
If using a good carnuaba I'd rewax it once a month, if using a good polymer based protection I would rewax it about every 3 months. Again this all depends on properly prepping the finish before sealing and your regular maitenance washings.
Josh
But we have thunderstorms and the sun isn't an issue. 
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 669
From: Sandhills of NC
Rep Power: 58
If parking under a tree and getting bird poop on the car on a regular basis was unavoidable, I'd seriously consider buying a cover for daily use. It's much easier (and less expensive in the long run) buying, installing and removing a cover on a routine basis than chasing burned-in acid stains from bird **** that will destroy your paint over time.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 438
From: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Rep Power: 42
Why is it so hard to protect paint from bird excrement?
It contains highly acidic and alkaline concentrates; Ammonia and Uric acid, pH 3.0 - 4.5, Uric acid is a small organic compound which is produced by the breakdown of protein during digestion, and is excreted by reptiles and birds. Uric acid is also the end product of nitrogen catabolism in birds Ammonia is a mixture of nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas; with moisture as a catalyst it becomes Ammonium Hydroxide, which is caustic.
Their main food source in summer is mostly insects, in the winter/ spring it’s berries, which are very acidic, and if left for any length of time the will cause the porous clear coat to occlude (a non-transparent ‘clouded’ area) or may cause etching (a depression in the paint or glass surfaces) Birds use gravel to help digest their food so grit and sand are some of the major components, which can cause scratching.
Heat and moisture act as a catalyst; a vehicle paint surface temperature of >90.oF creates a very aggressive reactivity of the Alkaline, Uric Acid and Ammonia. This will cause surface etching, so they should be removed without delay, at lower temperatures (> 40.oF or less) there’s no reactivity and therefore little or no etching.
Protection- a polymer sealant forms a molecular bond with any paint surface it’s applied too, so when it’s attacked by environmental elements (acid rain, bird excrement, etc) it provides a direct conduit to the clear coat paint surface, causing surface etching.
Carnauba wax molecules form a closed linked mesh like structure, which means that they only butt up together to protect the surface and the wax forms a shell like structure that adheres to the paint surface. When attacked by environmental elements they have to compromise the wax surface before they can reach the clear coat paint surface and cause surface etching.
Most organic waxes (Carnauba) are more resistant to environmental hazards then synthetics, although an Acrylic polymer offers limited resistance. Being a sacrificial coating, ut the best way to avoid clear coat etching is too remove the environmental acid, along with the wax as soon as it’s noticed; but given enough time acid will compromise the clear coat whatever its protection.
No wax or polymer sealant can provide a permanent shield against acidic bird excrement, even the latest nanotechnology coating, CeramiClear only offers resistance to scratches, mars and acid etch, a product like Collinite 845 Insulator Wax is probably the most durable non-organic wax product, and but this may only provide enough of a barrier to enable it to be removed quickly before causing too much damage to the paint film surface.
It contains highly acidic and alkaline concentrates; Ammonia and Uric acid, pH 3.0 - 4.5, Uric acid is a small organic compound which is produced by the breakdown of protein during digestion, and is excreted by reptiles and birds. Uric acid is also the end product of nitrogen catabolism in birds Ammonia is a mixture of nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas; with moisture as a catalyst it becomes Ammonium Hydroxide, which is caustic.
Their main food source in summer is mostly insects, in the winter/ spring it’s berries, which are very acidic, and if left for any length of time the will cause the porous clear coat to occlude (a non-transparent ‘clouded’ area) or may cause etching (a depression in the paint or glass surfaces) Birds use gravel to help digest their food so grit and sand are some of the major components, which can cause scratching.
Heat and moisture act as a catalyst; a vehicle paint surface temperature of >90.oF creates a very aggressive reactivity of the Alkaline, Uric Acid and Ammonia. This will cause surface etching, so they should be removed without delay, at lower temperatures (> 40.oF or less) there’s no reactivity and therefore little or no etching.
Protection- a polymer sealant forms a molecular bond with any paint surface it’s applied too, so when it’s attacked by environmental elements (acid rain, bird excrement, etc) it provides a direct conduit to the clear coat paint surface, causing surface etching.
Carnauba wax molecules form a closed linked mesh like structure, which means that they only butt up together to protect the surface and the wax forms a shell like structure that adheres to the paint surface. When attacked by environmental elements they have to compromise the wax surface before they can reach the clear coat paint surface and cause surface etching.
Most organic waxes (Carnauba) are more resistant to environmental hazards then synthetics, although an Acrylic polymer offers limited resistance. Being a sacrificial coating, ut the best way to avoid clear coat etching is too remove the environmental acid, along with the wax as soon as it’s noticed; but given enough time acid will compromise the clear coat whatever its protection.
No wax or polymer sealant can provide a permanent shield against acidic bird excrement, even the latest nanotechnology coating, CeramiClear only offers resistance to scratches, mars and acid etch, a product like Collinite 845 Insulator Wax is probably the most durable non-organic wax product, and but this may only provide enough of a barrier to enable it to be removed quickly before causing too much damage to the paint film surface.
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