Northeast Louisiana is a hard place to own a shiny car. Nine months of strong UV, humidity that keeps the surface wet overnight, spring pollen, lovebug season, and pine sap all work on your clear coat at the same time. Paint correction at Redeemed Auto Body in West Monroe, LA removes the damage that has built up in the clear coat and brings back the depth and gloss the paint had when it was new.

Correction versus repainting

Paint correction is a machine-polishing process. It removes a very thin layer of clear coat to level out defects that sit in the top of the finish. It does not add paint. That distinction decides what it can and cannot fix.

Correction works on:

Oxidation: the chalky, hazy look on hoods, roofs, and trunk lids that get the most sun
Swirl marks and fine scratches from automatic car washes and dirty wash mitts
Water spots and mineral etching from sprinklers and hard water
Light etching from bird droppings, bug residue, and sap that was left on too long
Holograms and buffer trails left by a previous polishing job
Dull, flat-looking paint on an otherwise sound finish

Correction cannot fix:

Clear coat that is peeling, flaking, or has turned white and rough. Once the clear has failed, the panel needs to be refinished.
Defects that have gone through the clear into the color coat
Rock chips or damage down to primer or metal

We tell you which one you have before any work starts, so you are not paying for polishing on a panel that needs paint.

How we do it

Wash and decontamination

The vehicle is hand-washed, then treated with an iron remover and clay to lift embedded brake dust, rail dust, and industrial fallout out of the clear coat. Polishing over contamination just grinds it into the paint.

Measuring the clear coat

A paint depth gauge is used on each panel before polishing. It tells us how much clear coat is there and whether a panel has been repainted before. Panels with thin clear get a lighter correction so we do not go through it.

Compounding

A cutting compound and a machine polisher remove the defects. The amount of cut is matched to the severity of the damage and the hardness of the paint, which varies a lot between manufacturers.

Polishing

A finer polish refines the surface, removes any haze from compounding, and brings out gloss and clarity.

Protection

The corrected paint is bare and needs protection immediately. We apply a sealant or a ceramic coating, depending on how long you want the protection to last and how you maintain the vehicle.

Keeping the results

Correction removes clear coat, so it is not something to repeat every year. To make it last:

Wash with the two-bucket method and a clean microfiber mitt, or use a touchless wash
Dry with a plush towel or a blower, not a bath towel or chamois
Remove bird droppings, bugs, and sap within a day or two
Reapply sealant every few months, or maintain a ceramic coating with the recommended soap
Park under cover when you can; a carport does more for paint than any product

Paint correction questions

Is one polishing stage enough?

For light swirls and haze, a single polishing stage often is. Heavier oxidation and deeper swirls need a compounding stage first, then polishing. We quote after seeing the paint under inspection lighting.

Can you correct a repainted panel?

Yes, once the paint has fully cured. Fresh refinish work from a collision repair needs about 30 days before it should be polished or coated.

Does paint correction help resale value?

A vehicle that looks cared for photographs better and sells faster. Buyers and trade-in appraisers see chalky paint as neglect, even when the vehicle is mechanically sound. Correction is one of the cheaper ways to change that first impression.

How do I book?

Call or text (318) 789-6675 or come by 2144 Jonesboro Rd in West Monroe. We correct paint on daily drivers, trucks, and weekend vehicles, and we are an auto body shop first, so if the inspection shows the clear coat has failed, refinishing is done in-house.