The paint on your car is not only the thing that makes it shiny and pretty, it is also what protects the structure of the car from damage like the weather, scratches and dings, and dirt and bird poo. Different types of paint have different qualities. Here is your guide to the different types of paint you can have on your car.

Acrylic Lacquer

This type of paint has many benefits. It is easy to apply, which means that a novice can conceivably paint a car without it looking like a child did it. It also makes the car nice and glossy, which is a desirable quality in car paint. There are some bad things about it, however. UV rays, chemicals, and chips weaken it easily, so a car painted with acrylic lacquer would need to be repainted often. Which brings us to the worst thing about it – it would be bad to have to use it often, because it is very bad for the environment. In fact, it has been banned in many states.

Acrylic Enamel

Acrylic enamel is much harder than lacquer, so it stands up to the elements better. Car manufacturers and professional car painters bake on the enamel. Acrylic enamel also come in spray cans, but because the paint is not as easy to apply. If you try to do it yourself, you might end up with a drippy, streaky car. Also, many enamels require a topcoat, so that’s a lot to do on your own.

Acrylic Urethane

Acrylic urethane combines the best of both the acrylic lacquer and acrylic enamel worlds. It is easier to apply like lacquer, yet tougher and more durable like enamel. It is also a bit more complicated. It comes in three different, separate products. First is the color, then the reducer that makes the color the right consistency, or viscosity, and finally a product that makes the drying time faster. Once you mix all three components together, you have to use it quickly, and throw away any paint that is left over. The paint is pretty toxic, so if you work with it you’ll need gloves, a respirator, and eye protection to make sure you don’t get it on or in you.

Water-Based Paint

Because so many of the other types of auto paint are so toxic, there is new paint available that is water-based, and non-toxic. This type of paint can be applied over existing pain, to the primer, and even to the metal of the car itself. There aren’t a lot of colors available yet, but more are being developed as the paint form grows in popularity. Water-based paint has long been used to add graphics or designs to a car’s paint job, but it can, in fact, be used to paint the entire car.

As paint technology evolves, there might be more options available. For now, these are the most popular forms of car paint. While it is possible to paint your car yourself, it is best to hire a professional, as the techniques are difficult to master, and how many cars are you really going to paint in your life, anyway? A professional usually as a spray booth and the proper tools to ensure that your car gets the very best paint job available. And then all you’d have to do is make sure you keep it in a garage or covered, because you don’t want to mess up the beautiful paint job!

Author Bio: Jack Labens works for Empire Covers, a leading provider of car covers and accessories such as truck covers and motorcycle covers. Empire Covers can be found online at: EmpireCovers.com .

Category: Automotive
Keywords: car paint, different types of car paint,