FAQ / Detailing & Correction
What is paint correction and do I need it?
Correction is machine polishing that levels the clear coat to take out the defects sitting in it: swirl marks, light scratches, water spots, oxidation. You are removing a very small amount of clear coat to bring the surface flat again, which is why the gloss comes back. You probably need it if the paint looks hazy in direct sun, or if you pull up under a light at night and see a web of fine circular scratches across a dark panel. Those come from automatic washes and from wiping a dry car with a dry towel. There is a limit. Drag a fingernail across the scratch. If it catches, it has gone through the clear coat into the base color, and polishing will not bring it back. That is touch-up or body work. We will tell you which category yours falls in before we start, because correcting a scratch that deep is money spent for nothing. Correction also belongs before any coating. A coating is clear and it is meant to stay put for years, so whatever the paint looks like the day it goes on is what you are locking in. Polish first, protect second. The other order is the most expensive mistake we see.