Potentially increase resale value on your car by taking care of that rust!
Now one enjoys the sight of rust on their car, especially if they ever have plans to re-sell it as a used car. The better your car looks, the more value it has, and doing away with rust can actually help you earn more money on re-sale. But how do you get rid of this rust, and if it was easy, wouldn't everyone be doing it? Fortunately, fixing car rust simply takes a little education and initiative. We'll supply the education; the initiative is up to you.
First, you'll need the right tools. An effective way to prep a rust area for re-painting is to sand it down. This is difficult to do by hand, so a sanding wheel will be most effective - use 150 grit. Don't necessarily aim to get rid of all of the rust at this stage of the game; instead, simply work to make the surface consistent with the rest of the car. You'll want to notice the change in level as little as possible. While you're using the sanding wheel, don't try to do too much work at once. Instead, work in small increments so that you avoid large mistakes that will be difficult to go back and fix.
After using a power sanding wheel, it's time to use sandpaper by hand - again, using 150 grit. You'll use this sandpaper to wear down any of the stubborn rust spots that still seem to be hanging on. Make sure that the area is now fully smoothened out and ready for a new paint application.
Using painter's tape (that doesn't leave behind much adhesive) to corner off the section of rust, you're going to be applying some primer next. Apply a few coats of primer but make sure to focus on thoroughness rather than thickness. You want the primer to get in as many little areas as possible so that the layer of paint you apply afterwords will be complete.
After applying a few coats of primer, let it dry overnight. When you're ready to paint, use your color-matched paint and apply in thin coats similar to the way you applied primer. When you apply one coat, wait a few hours for it to dry before applying another one, and once you're finished, let the area dry overnight.
If you already had a power sander handy, this repair probably didn't cost you much money at all - it's a great way to keep your car looking fresh and new, and possibly increase the re-sale value.
Photo Credits: OpenSkyMedia
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Posted by Fix Handyman on September 18, 2009 in
Car, How to Fix, Mechanic
Painting the outside of your home?
In order for you to understand how to fix your paint job, it will be important for you to first understand how paint applies to your home's exterior in the first place. Remember that oftentimes, simply painting over a problem with the old paint job won't do the job - at the very least, it will only cover up the problem. If you want a paint job that is smooth and covers no hidden problems, this article is for you.
Fixing exterior paint jobs is all about understanding how paint sticks. Either you'll want to be removing paint, or applying paint in a way that it provides a thick uniform coat and doesn't chip off. In order to accomplish this, you're going to need a few tools: paint and a paint brush, sandpaper, paint primer, and possibly a paint scraper.
In order to fix your exterior paint job, you're going to have to answer one crucial question: how large is the area you're looking to coat with a new paint? Some people only want to fix an area where the old paint job is chipping and falling off, using the same color to coat over it. Others are looking to replace the paint job altogether, starting from square one on the exterior of their home.
If you're looking to fix a small area on the paint job, make sure you have the right paint color before beginning. Call your contractor to see if you can find out the specific paint used - you might also be able to chip off a piece of the paint job and bring it in to the hardware store for color matching. This might not be perfect, but the closer the color is, the less the old paint job will be noticed.
Next, chip off the old paint using a paint scraper - be careful not to damage the wood itself. If you can't chip certain areas of the paint off, try to sand it down with the sandpaper. Make sure that you sand the entire area to get it as uniform as possible. Once you've sanded off the area, clean it out - there will probably be a lot of wood debris in the area.
Next, apply your primer. The primer itself needs a uniform coating, and will require some time to dry. Make sure you follow the primer's directions and allow it to dry before applying the new paint. Once you've done that, you're ready to apply your first coat of paint. Well done!
Photo Credits: eye of einstein
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Posted by Fix Handyman on August 25, 2009 in
Handyman, House, How to Fix, paint
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