fresh paint: how long before waxing?

A

anaxagoras

New member
I just had my front bumper painted, i asked the guy how long i have to wait before waxing and he told me that the paint is already dry and i can go ahead and wax it immediatly if i want.



Does that sound right? I thought you always had to wait at least 30 days?
 
depends on how it was done. id wait at least 30 days. u can use a polish like meguiars #7 a pure polish if u need to put something on it. it has no cleaners in it. dont use any wax it will seal the paint. u may have to wait 60 days if the weather is hot. i waited 60 days when i had work done last yr. the autobody shop told me i could apply #7 polish. when i picked up the car they had already put something on the finish. some lovely buffer burn and swirls. i went ahead and used the #7. had no problems.
 
Sure, I would think the paint is dry, but it is not fully cured.



Personally, I would wait 1-2 months to allow it to fully harden before applying sealant or wax.



In the mean time, you can apply something like Megs #80 which will provide some protection but still allow the paint to cure.
 
I would wait 30 days as above. You can use meguiars #3, 5, or 7 Polish. It will allow the paint to "cure"........
 
We need a sticky on this as it gets asked all the time.



A while back MirrorFinishMan contacted all the major paint manufacturers, and (without exception) they confirmed what some of us have been saying all along: assuming the paint was mixed properly and baked, you still have to wait at least 90 days (and most recommend waiting 120).



I can say from first-hand experience with dozens of repaints that the paint continues outgas for a long time and it gets harder as it cures.



If you wax/seal too soon the only downside is that the paint won't attain its maximum potential hardnesss. People have posted about super-soft repainted areas and it often comes out that they waxed these areas before the 90/120 days were up.
 
Yes, at least a month to wait before you hit it with any stuff... Just QD it. If you want to definitely see it shine, get a bottle of Meg's Quik Wax and apply it... That' ll be on the safe side...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top