If you have a door, a kitchen cabinet, or other stuff previously sealed with a clear coat and you want to repaint it, which question will come to mind first? Can you paint over clear coat? This is normal because who would love to scrape all the previous paint and start over?
The good thing is that you don’t need to spend all day scraping the old paint. Following the proper techniques, you can paint over a clear coat. All you need to know is the method to paint over a clear coat, and that’s what we are going to discuss in this article. So, let’s begin.
What Is Clear Coat?
Generally speaking, it’s a transparent layer of paint and it is used to cover the paint coat underneath. Usually, it is used as the last coat of paint on a painted surface and as it is clear, it is used over colored paint coats. A clear coat may come in a solvent-based or water-based form.
If you apply a clear coat on a surface, it does not just make it shiny, it has more benefits. It prevents harmful UV rays from damaging your paint. Plus, it acts as a protective barrier against weather damages. It prevents scratches and protects everything underneath.
You can call the clear coat a real money saver. It withstands all that tough weather conditions and scratches. So, ultimately it saves your pretty penny on restoring the paint every often.
Can You Paint over Clear Coat?
If you are thinking of applying paint directly over a glossy clear coat, it’s not a good idea. You are more likely to end up with a bad result.
You see, a Polyurethane clear coat is used to protect the underlying surface from grease, water, and dirt. It makes your cleaning process easier because you can get rid of dirt by simply wiping off the surface with a damp cloth and a cleaning spray.
So, the slick clear coat surface will be easy to clean, but if you were to apply paint over it, you will not get satisfactory results. The paint will not adhere well. That’s why you need to either sand the surface or use a special type of bonding product to make it suitable for paint application.
Can You Paint over Faded Clear Coat?
When we are talking about faded paint and a clear coat on a surface like the body of an automobile, it’s best to avoid painting over the faded, ugly clear coat. You need to go through a hard preparation phase which may include sanding. Even after all that hard work, you may not get satisfactory results.
And if you were planning for direct paint application over a clear coat, without any preparation, I’ve said earlier that it’s not a good idea to use paint over a slick clear coat surface. Instead, you can put aside all that hassle and go for a nice base coat. After applying a base coat, you can apply your desired clear coat.
So, to sum up everything, painting over a faded clear coat is not recommended. All your hard work can get wasted.
Do You Need to Apply Primer?
If you had a question like: can you prime over a clear coat? The first thing I would say about primers is that special types of primers help better paint adhesion. Bonding primer is a primer that helps better paint adhesion on a glossy, slick surface. If you are thinking of applying a primer, yes, go for a bonding primer.
But you need to make sure you give the bonding primer coat enough time to dry. It may take up to two hours. After that, you can use it as an undercoat for your paint knowing that the undercoat will help your paint sit on it properly.
How Do You Remove Clear Coat without Damaging Paint?
To remove a clear coat from a surface like the body of an automobile, you need to follow multiple steps. But first, you need to gather these supplies to get started.
- Sandpaper (400, 800, 1000, 1,200 grit)
- Electric polisher or Wool pad
- Water
Step 1: Clean the Surface
First, thoroughly wash off the entire surface. Make sure there is no dust, dirt, and grease remaining. After washing, you can use a clean, soft towel to remove the excess moisture and leave it for drying.
Step 2: Preparing the Sandpaper
In the case of sanding a clear coat to repaint a car body, you need to use the wet sanding technique.So, you need to soak 400-grit sandpaper first. Simply dip the sandpaper in water for some time which may take 10 to 60 minutes.
Step 3: Sanding with Wet Sandpaper
Take out the sandpaper from the water. Gently sand the surface using wet sandpaper. Make sure you don’t apply too much pressure which may damage the underlying paint. Try to maintain a 1-inch distance from scratch while using the sandpaper.
Step 4: Using Finer Grit Sandpaper
Now, you need to use finer grit sandpapers like 800, 1000, and 1,200 grit. You need to gradually switch to finer grit sandpaper. And you need to sand like half an inch outside the area you sanded with 400 grit sandpaper. Additionally, you can tape off all the fragile parts of your car like headlights, tail lights, etc to protect them from getting damaged.
Step 5: Dry Sanding
After wet sanding with 400-grit and continuing with higher grits, you need to allow the surface to dry. When the surface is completely dry, you need to start sanding with a fine 600 to 800-grit sandpaper to achieve a smooth surface.
After a while, you can pour some water to determine when you need to stop sanding. If you find the water milky, don’t sand anymore. Wipe it and allow it to dry.
Step 6: Polishing and Perfecting
Now, you can polish the sanded area using an electric polisher or a wool pad. Additionally, you can use a spray detailer to make the surface look perfect.
How to Paint over Clear Coat: Step by Step
Step 1: Cleaning the Surface
First, thoroughly clean the entire surface to remove dust, dirt, and grease.
Step 2: Sanding
You can’t apply the paint directly, so you need to remove the clear coat. Begin the process by gently sanding with 1000-grit wet sandpaper. Applying pressure may damage the underlying paint coat or leave scratches. You can switch to a 2000-grit sandpaper to achieve smoother results.
If the area is large, you may try 400-grit as well. Here, you can use dry or wet sandpaper. See which one works the best.
Step 3: Further Preparation
If you see the clear coat peeling off or huge scratches, you need to remove the entire coat from the surface. You can use 320-grit sandpaper or the likes to get rid of everything. You can apply a little bit of pressure here, still, stay careful.
But if the scratches are not too big, you may need to apply a coat of paint to balance everything after sanding. I’m not talking about a clear coat here, but rather a color coat.
Step 4: Cleaning the Surface
Clean off the entire sanding residue to ensure better paint adhesion. You can also use some polishing products for finer results.
Step 5: Priming
Applying a primer is a great way to ensure a stronger paint adhesion on the surface. Apply the primer evenly. After you are done, allow it to dry for a few hours.
Step 6: Applying the Paint
Start applying your desired color using a paintbrush or a sprayer. Make sure you apply thin and even coats. Depending on your work, you may need to apply three to five layers of paint. Always give enough time to dry in between coats.
Step 7: Applying the Clear Coat
Finish your work by sealing the paint with a clear coat. Apply the coat evenly and allow it to dry properly before touching.
Conclusion
Yes, you can paint over a clear coat while maintaining some conditions. In this article, I’ve discussed some useful topics and answered some important questions about painting over a clear coat so that you can deal with this situation easily.
So, if you are stuck with painting over a clear coat, follow our instructions and you will be saved from scraping all the paint.
