Auto Body Repair

The Infiniti G35 and the Subaru Impreza WRX STi are performance cars that appeal to separate markets. The G35 was a luxury sports car produced from 2003 to 2007, but the STi’s roots belong to…

Impact damage to your vehicle's bumper can happen when you least expect it. Bumper scuffs can be particularly annoying since they can occupy a larger area than a scratch, and contain transfer paint…

Suction devices, in the past sometimes called “plumber’s helpers” or “glazier’s helpers,” are tools that use a vacuum to draw out a dent in metal, returning the…

If a tire has been rusted onto your car it needs to be loosened before it can be removed. Learn how to loosen a rusted-on tire with help from an expert in the automotive industry in this free video…

Time has proven wise the man who originally declared that 90 percent of a good paint job was in the preparation. While most of us think of a paint job as the act of painting a car, the simple fact is…

Acrylic and fiberglass stairs are commonly used for the entrances to mobile homes. While they will last years with only little upkeep, they can crack with use. Once cracked, you have two choices --…

Although most vehicle owners worry about the appearance of scratches and chips on their paintwork, very few stop to consider the effects of natural materials. Dirt and grass in particular can easily…

Resembling tiny wasps with transparent wings and a reddish fringe instead of a stinger, maple callus borers swarm from late spring through summer. The sinister little moths deposit larvae that bore…

Cell phones and their screens become scratched with time, particularly when you accidentally drop the phone. Commercially available liquid products are available to polish damaged phones and screens,…

The 2004 Toyota Highlander is a crossover SUV that accommodates families by providing a third row of seats. Modeled on the Camry platform and influenced by the design of the Lexus RX 300, the…

If you enjoy taking great care of your car, you'll definitely notice when spider webbing or swirl marks occur, especially on a newer or darker colored car. These markings are types of scratches that…

In a perfect world, a car paint job results from just the right texture, coat thickness, proper atomizing, solvent mix and temperature. Professional automotive painting takes a long time to learn,…

Fiberglass is a durable and attractive material that is often used in boat construction because of its buoyancy and resistance to damage. Gelcoat helps give fiberglass panels their hardened exterior…

Paint functions as the primary barrier to protect car bodies from penetrating contaminants such as moisture, rust, UV light, bird stains and oxidation. Car body paint can also be damaged by scratches…

Chipped paint may seem like a minor blemish on your car’s body, but leave that chipped paint exposed to the elements and you’ll be dealing with rust in a short time. Moisture reaches bare…

Even though trucks are used for more than work, hauling cargo and off-road driving, they still get abused more than most cars. You may have large tires or tires with all-terrain tread, which is larger…

Repairs to a dent, ding or rusted area on your car need more than body filler for them to look professionally done. Body filler is porous and soaks up primer, paint and moisture, creating pinholes and…

Scratches make your vehicle look beaten up or just not taken care of. Scratches from shopping carts in parking lots, trees or bushes near the driveway or kids playing with toys or rocks near your car…

Stains on your car from redwood trees are caused by the high tannin content of the trees' sap. It appears as a spreading dark to rust-colored spot on the surface of the car's paint. Like all sap and…

Over time, your Electrolux refrigerator will develop scratches. Scratches occur because of cleaning the unit incorrectly or rubbing against the refrigerator cabinet with food containers. One way to…

A GE oven can work well for years, but with regular use, it may suffer wear and tear that detract from its appearance. When your appliance gets chips or nicks, you can repair a chipped surface with…

Bougainvilleas are tropical plants prized for their showy, numerous flowers. Depending on the species, Bougainvillea can be grown as a climbing vine, shrub or even trained on one leader to grow as a…

Body filler is very useful in repairing dings, dents or certain types of body damage on your vehicle. If applied correctly, body filler blends perfectly with your car’s surface and won’t…

Gelcoat is a polyester resin and coloring pigment applied to the inside of molds during the fabrication of boats, recreational vehicles and other fiberglass products. During the curing process,…

Buffing a car takes the oxidation and buildup off the top of the clear coat of paint. Buffing compound is slightly abrasive and removes these things easily to change your car's paint from dull and…

Body filler, like the 3M brand Bondo, contains a paste filler of fiberglass polyester resin and talc, along with a small amount of styrene that acts as a solvent and vaporizes. Body filler also has a…

Truck fenders are easily dented because of the thin sheet metal the fenders are made from. Truck fenders are a small body panel in comparison with the rest of the truck’s body, but a dent can…

Boats, because of their constant exposure to UV light, water and the many chemicals in some bodies of water, are susceptible to hull fading. To help return a faded hull to its original luster, a clear…

Homeowners are excited to see the wall frames as their new dream home begins to take shape. Walls built out of alignment, however, can create a number of problems. They can make it impossible to hang…

A certain amount of rust in any car's cooling system isn't good, but it doesn't necessarily spell doom for the engine. It does, however, indicate the cooling system has been neglected and that you may…

Most types of silicone utilized in the auto body and paint industries are water soluble additives used in waxes, polishes and paint protectants. When fatty acids and polydimethylsiloxane derivatives…

Rust can damage the structural integrity of automobiles and other items. If rust remains undisturbed, it will spread and eat away car floorboards and other metal surfaces. Fiberglass is a versatile…

Surface scratches on the paint of a car can easily occur. Simply brushing up against your car with a zippered jacket can cause a surface scratch in the paint. However, these light scratches can be…

Particleboard is an inexpensive building material, and does not make for very attractive or safe furniture. A paint job over your particleboard cabinet not only gives it a fresh, new look, but may…

When waxing a car, the goal is to strengthen the paint's finish, which helps produce a shinier surface. However, when the car's paint has been applied poorly or has faded out, simply applying wax will…

Few things bring a car to life quite like a fresh paint job. When doing it yourself or getting a basic paint job from an auto center, a single or double coat is typically used, and the quality varies…

Sad fact of life: ask a simple question of a chassis engineer, and you're almost sure to get a 20-minute answer that still doesn't tell you what you wanted to know. But don't blame the engineer. There…

Most home projects seem to have at least one thing go awry. Following directions incorrectly or underestimating labor time are two common examples. Likewise, not having the right supplies on hand may…

Flutes are a common musical instrument for school and community bands. This lightweight instrument produces a high-pitched tone while the musician blows into the mouthpiece. However, the flute has…

Whether the marble in your home is in your kitchen, in your bathroom or on your floors, it needs a little buffing from time to time to maintain its shine and remove minor scratches. Both rubbing…

Just because your car has clear coat doesn't mean it won't get scratched. Take scratches out of clear coat cars with help from an expert in the automotive industry in this free video clip.

Lacquer creates a hard, glossy finish on a wood furniture piece or hardwood floors, providing protection and visual appeal. The application process requires patience and specific protocols to create a…

Bondo Corporation was acquired by 3M in 2007. Bondo developed, manufactured and sold its namesake product. Bondo originally intended for it to be sold mainly for automotive body repair, but after the…

A wall collage allows you to add a personal touch to a room using images that entertain you or invoke positive feelings. Wall collages may be affixed directly to the wall or they may be mounted on a…

If you are tired of your countertops, consider painting the surfaces with scratch-resistant paint. Not only does the paint protect the counters from scratches, it covers any dings, gouges and other…

Clear coat paint differs from an enamel or one-step paint in that it contains no pigments at all. It's usually not used alone like a varnish, but rather serves as a glossy protective coating over…

Laminated home surfaces, such as cabinets and countertops, provide a natural wood appearance at a much lower price than actual hardwood. Since laminate essentially consists of printed paper sealed…

Maple floors may dent for a variety of reasons, though many of them are preventable. Unsightly looking dents on a maple floor are more noticeable than they are on other woods. Fortunately, there are a…

After installing wood counter tops, you need to protect the surface with stain or a protective varnish. Before you can stain the counter tops, you need to sand them. Typically, orbital sanders are the…

Flooring installers repair a damaged pressboard subfloor, typically called OSB plywood, before installing the finish floor covering. Pressboard subfloor manufacturers compress wood chips and adhesive…