Tips To Prevent Paint Damage to Your Car

River North Collision Repair • May 14, 2024

If you care about your vehicle, you probably want to keep it in good condition. One of the first things people notice about a car is its paint job. Bold, vibrant, eye-catching paint helps your vehicle pop and shows that you really care about keeping it looking as new as possible. Unfortunately, there are lots of things that can cause paint to fade, peel, and chip. River North is here with some helpful tips to prevent paint damage to your car. This way, the color will last longer, and you won’t have to spend as much time or money fixing it up.

Avoid the Sun

One of the most obvious ways to avoid paint damage is to limit your vehicle’s exposure to the sun. Harsh UV rays can take a toll on the paint job and result in fading and cracking before you know it. Whenever possible, you should try to park your car in the shade.

If you don’t have easy access to shade or indoor parking options like a garage or carport, you may have better luck investing in a car cover. Tossing the protective cover over your car may seem like a hassle, but the thick material can do a lot to help protect the paint from the sun.

Apply Paint Protection Film

Perhaps the most helpful way to prevent paint damage to your car is to head to your local body shop and invest in a paint protection film. These specialized covers aren’t the cheapest options, but they’re some of the most reliable.

Body shops carefully lay a thin layer of plastic around the shape of your car. This plastic works similarly to a screen protector for your smartphone. Not only does the layer help protect your paint from harmful rays, dirt, pollen, and other debris, but it can defend it against scratches and other forms of body damage.

Use Paint Waxes

Whenever you wash your car, you can apply a coat of wax onto the body to help protect the paint. While the wax may not be as effective as a full protection film, it does provide some protection against the elements and is a more cost-effective option that you can do at home. You can find car wax at your local hardware or auto parts store and apply it as necessary.

If you’re serious about protecting your car, you may want to speak to the folks at your local body shop. North River Collision Repair is here for you if you’re looking for car scratch repair in Chicago. We offer a wide range of auto services and can help you get your car looking fresh and new. Contact us today to learn more about what we have to offer.

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Why Ignoring Small Dents Can Lead to Bigger Problems

January 30, 2026

It is an awful feeling when you walk out to your car after a long day and see a small dent on your passenger door. While it may appear to be just a cosmetic issue, you should still get it fixed, because ignoring small dents can lead to bigger problems for your vehicle. Don’t let small dents on your car go untreated; let's talk about why you need to tackle these issues ASAP. Rust Loves Chicago Winters We all know the drill here in the Windy City. We have beautiful summers, sure, but we also pay the price with brutal winters. And what comes with winter? Salt. Tons of it. Your car’s paint job acts as a suit of armor protecting the metal body underneath. Even a minor dent often comes with microscopic cracks in the paint—sometimes too small to see with the naked eye. Once that seal is broken, moisture and road salt sneak in. They settle against the bare metal and start a chemical party you definitely don’t want to host. Oxidation begins immediately. By the time you notice bubbling paint or that tell-tale orange stain a few months later, the rust has already been eating away at your door panel from the inside out. Resale Value Takes a Nosedive For many people, maintaining their car is a valuable part of purchasing a new vehicle. When that day comes, curb appeal is everything. Used car buyers (and dealership appraisers) will judge your car by its exterior appearance. If they see a vehicle riddled with door dings, bumper scrapes, and ignored scratches, they see a car that wasn't cared for. They assume that if you didn't care enough to fix the outside, you probably didn't care about the rest of it either. It lowers the perceived value instantly. Maintaining your car’s body and its paint is an investment in your future trade-in value. Paint Damage Spreads Like a Virus When a dent or scrape compromises the integrity of the paint, the surrounding paint loses its grip. High-pressure car washes, wind, and temperature fluctuations cause the paint to flake away from the initial injury site. A scratch the size of a quarter can grow into a patch the size of a softball over a couple of seasons. It’s Easier (and Cheaper) Than You Think Here is the good news: fixing these things early is surprisingly affordable. Modern body shop technology is amazing. For many small dings where the paint isn't cracked, we can use techniques that massage the metal back into place without spraying a drop of paint. River North Collision Repair offers paintless dent repair in Chicago to fix minor dents. Regardless of what nicked your door, we can help remove the dents and maintain a seamless look for your vehicle. Don’t Wait for Problems Don't let minor dents turn into a big nightmare. Save your future self the headache (and the cash). Swing by River North Collision Repair for your quick and easy repairs. Because driving a car you’re proud of? That’s a feeling you can’t put a price on.