A small hole in your van's passenger door that resulted after a minor traffic accident can become larger after being exposed to moisture for extended amounts of time. Learn how to patch the hole with the following steps. Afterwards, apply a fresh coat of touch up primer and paint to the repaired section to give the door a uniform appearance.
Materials
Clean And Sand The Affected Area
Mix a small amount of automotive detergent with water. Dip a handheld scrub brush into the mixture and then clean the damaged portion of the door. Rinse the door off with water and dry its surface with a towel. If the metal surrounding the hole feels rough or if paint is flaking off, sand it with a piece of low grit sandpaper that has been secured to a hand sander. Once the damaged section is level with the rest of the door, briefly sand it with a piece of high grit sandpaper, Rub a tack cloth over the door to remove any sanding particles.
Fill The Hole And Apply Primer And Paint
Use auto body filler to fill the hole. Place the tip of the filler's tube over the area that needs to be repaired. After the filler has been added, smooth out its surface with a putty knife. Wait for the filler to dry and lightly sand it with high grit sandpaper, Wipe the repaired area with a tack cloth.
Apply touch up primer to the repaired area. If you are using a primer pen, shake the contents inside of it and then place the tip of the tool on the area that you are treating. Press down on the pen until primer comes out of the tip. Move the pen in straight lines. If you are using primer that needs to be brushed on, apply the product as evenly as possible. Once the primer is dry, apply touch up paint over it using the same method. One or two coats of paint will be needed.
Buff The Repaired Area
Smooth out the edges of the fresh paint by buffing them with automotive compound. Pour a few drops of compound onto a buffing pad. Move the pad in tiny circles over the repaired area. When you notice that the compound has a hazy appearance, remove the compound from the door with a lint-free cloth. Damage to the van's door should no longer be visible.
If you'd rather leave this job up to professionals, take your van to a company like Steven & Francine's Complete Automotive Repair Inc.
Share26 April 2016
After trying in vain to fix my car for a few months, I realized that I needed to hire a professional. I was tired of dealing with repairs that I was unfamiliar with, and I knew that I needed to get some help. I started looking around for a great auto mechanic, and even though one business was more expensive than others, I decided to work with them. They worked hard to fix my car, and I was really pleased with how great of a job they did. This blog is all about investing in proper auto service so that you don't have to deal with problems in the future.
