Need To Paint Your Car? Reasons For And Against Using Lacquer Paint

Posted on: 13 June 2015

If your car is going to be getting a brand new paint job due to a collision, one of the decisions you need to make is about the kind of paint you will use. Acrylic paint is what has been used by professionals for years, and it comes in either polyurethane, enamel, and lacquer. While lacquer is not used as often as the other two types, it has its advantages and disadvantages. By understanding what they are, you can decide if it is the best choice for your car's paint job.

Advantages

1. Lacquer Will Dry Quickly

If you need to get your car out of the shop quickly, lacquer has the advantage over the other acrylic paints due to its short drying time. A coat of lacquer paint can dry in as little as 5 to 10 minutes, while a coat of polyurethane can take 8 to 24 hours to dry.

2. Lacquer Comes In A Variety of Forms

No matter what technique you are using to paint your car, lacquer paint will come in a form that you can use. It works great for spray guns to quickly cover an entire car, or aerosol spray cans for smaller touch ups.

3. Lacquer Can Provide A Glossy Finish

If you have a classic or antique car, part of the appeal is having a finish that shines bright. You simply cannot get that kind of finish when using polyurethane or enamel paints, which is what makes lacquer the best choice.

Disadvantages

1. Lacquer Will Require Multiple Coats

Even though lacquer dries very fast, it will require multiple coats of paint to get a quality paint job. The car must also be buffed after the topcoat is applied, which allows that paint to shine so well. Applying multiple coats is difficult to do, as you need to keep your work area free of dirt and dust that can get into the paint job.

2. Lacquer Has A Short Life Span

Lacquer will not perform as well as other acrylic paints. This means you may find yourself repainting your car sooner than if you used a polyurethane or enamel paint. Lacquer paint will chip easily due to how soft it is, which can easily happen when driving on dirt roads with more debris.

If you are still undecided about what kind of paint you should use, work with auto body collision repair services to get their recommendations. They have a lot of experience painting cars, and know which one will work best for your vehicle.

Share