Overspray Removal

Are you a victim of paint or contaminant overspray? The Wax Shack can restore your car gently and without any damage to your paint. We have been in business in Austin for 33 years, and haven't hurt one yet! Actually, by the time we are finished with your car, it will be healthier than before and look as good as new! We use a method that is nonabrasive, and will not leave behind scratches or swirls, will not require a body shop or new paint job, and will not cost you thousands of dollars. Before we tell you the secret behind how we do that, first let us tell you what we DON'T do:

1. We NEVER touch your car with a razor blade or other damaging object! If anyone tells you they can fix your paint with a razor blade, run (or drive) quickly away! This causes scratches all over your paint, and we have salvaged more than one paint job brought to us by customers who spent a lot of money to have their paint damaged by razor blades in the name of overspray removal, even by big name companies and dealerships. This is not necessary! We can remove your overspray gently.

2. We never remove overspray using a high speed buffer. This causes the contaminant to be swirled around down in your paint and results in severe swirl marks. It also means that to compound through the layer of overspray paint, a significant amount of the paint on your vehicle will be compounded away as well. This can result in lasting damage to your finish. Again, this is not necessary, and we can remove your overspray gently.

3. We never use highly acidic or damaging chemicals on your paint. Another popular method for removing overspray is to use caustic chemicals to eat away the overspray. While this method can be very fast, the consequences of using something that eats away paint to remove it from your cars... umm... paint, should be common sense. We don't feel like this one even deserves an infographic. Obviously using acids, paint thinners, or other caustic chemicals on your car's paint is not a good idea.

So, what's the right way to remove the overspray without damaging your paint? We use a special clay bar designed just for that purpose.

Yes, it's more time consuming. But the results are well worth the effort. It is a completely non-abrasive process, and we think what's best for your finish is what matters most. The process goes like this:

1. We hand wash the car using a pH-balanced gentle car wash soap to prep it for overspray removal. We don't even use a pressure washer because we believe in doing what's best for for finish every step of the way.

2. We spray the finish with a lubricant and patiently rub the clay repeatedly by hand over the entire vehicle, allowing the contaminant to bond to the clay and be gently lifted out in a completely non-abrasive process. As an added bonus, this leaves the finish silky smooth (it's actually noticeably smoother to the touch!) and opens up the paint to accept more of the feeder oils that we buff into the paint later in the process, similar to cleansing your pores before using a moisturizer.

3. Once all of the overspray has been removed using the clay bar, which can take anywhere from an hour to a day or more depending on the amount and type of overspray, we can move on to our regular paint correction process, used in our Wax Shack Exterior Detail. Your paint is carefully and skillfully polished first with a high speed buffer to remove surface scratches and swirl marks.

4. We polish your paint a second time with an orbital polisher to get the finish completely smooth and swirl free.

5. The third time we polish your paint is with a dual action polisher- a smaller buffer that buffs slower and deeper- to saturate your paint as deeply as possible with feeder oils and paint conditioner. Many people don't realize that your paint is oil based, and just like your skin, it loses its moisture (in the form of feeder oils) over time and that moisture needs to be replenished. Otherwise it dries out and the result is loss of luster, oxidation, and eventually peeling and cracking, much like dry skin. Replenishing that moisture is critical to maintain healthy, vibrant paint- especially here in Texas! And slow, generous buffing with a dual action polisher and high end feeder oils is the real secret to the envied Wax Shack Wet Look Finish. And as we mentioned earlier, opening up the pores of the paint with the clay process allows it to accept more of these feeder oils, so your shine will remarkable and last a long time.

6. We seal those oils in with your choice of 100% carnauba hand past wax or a polymer paint sealant to maintain your shine for months to come and help protect your paint.

7. We dress your tires with a no-sling dressing for the final touch.

Once we are finished with it, your car's paint will not only be intact, but healthier and shinier than ever! You can trust your car to our local family business, opened right here in Austin in 1982, where we care about our customers and take real pride in every car we work on.

Overspray removal is quoted on an individual basis as there is a wide variance in amount and type of contaminants and how long will be required to remove them properly. If you are looking to remove overspray caused by another individual or company, in many cases, the company or individual that caused the overspray or their insurance company will reimburse your expense and The Wax Shack is happy to provide a written estimate and itemized receipt and explanation to facilitate this process. Call 512-407-8000 to schedule your appointment to get your paint looking new again!

And yes, we can also fix this:

And this: