Underbody Coating
UNDERBODY COATING:
- Underbody coating is a thick cladding (typically made of rubber) that is placed uniformly to the car’s underside.In Indian road conditions, a cars underbody is most prone to corrosion.
- Underbody coating provides long term protection from corrosion to car's underbody. It also protects parts like internal body panels, frame rails and other inner cavities that are not physically accessible but are prone to corrosion.
- There are 4 types of underbody coating,But rubberized coating is generally the best option for protecting your vehicle's undercarriage, as it provides the simplest and best protective measures against rust and moisture.
TYPES OF UNDERBODY COATING:
There are 4 types of underboidy coating,they are
- Rubberized Underbody Coating:This is widely considered to be the best underbody coating for your car. It protects the underbody from scratches and keeps it properly. It’s also not difficult to apply this to the undercarriage.Rubberized coating is ideal if you want to keep the road noise to a minimum and rust and corrosion away.
- Wax Based Underbody Coating:This transitory undercoating will, on the whole, fade away after a few months. On the plus side, wax-based undercoating is resistant to dampness. It is also the most cost-effective alternative.
- Asphalt Based Automotive Undercoating:Best suited for lorries, trucks and large vehicles this provides a greater degree of protection compared to rubber-based coatings. However, asphalt-based coatings contain little amounts of rubber for sound-insulation purposes. The process of applying this coating is a bit time-consuming though.
- Polyurethane Underbody Coating:This coating closes up splits and fractures on the underbody of the vehicle. It offers up good protection against corrosion and also bonds with the metal. Unlike in the case of asphalt-based coating, you can paint over the polyurethane coating.This type of undercoating always requires surface preparations before applying.
ADVANTAGES:
- Minimizes Sound: It minimizes the sound from underneath the car resulting a noiseless, smooth driving experience.Believe it or not, very thick undercoating can soften the noises that reach the cabin. Since the undercoating is often made up of rubber it absorbs some of the rackets
- Heat Insulation: It insulates the interior of the car from extreme temperatures from beneath the vehicle providing a comfortable cabin experience.
- Anti-chipping property: If any stone hits the coating it does not get chipped away hence protects the underbody from exposure to water.
- Corrosion Resistant:It plays an important role in keeping corrosion at bay. Underbody coating can come in handy especially if you live near the sea, where there is too much humidity, and rusting is just one of those everyday things. You should also seriously consider undercoating if you reside in a place where it snows in winter.
DISADVANTAGES:
- It is less helpful if corrosion is already present:For an undercoating to be the most effective, it should be in place before the underbelly of your car begins to rust. If you apply it over corrosion, you will still isolate the metal from further moisture and airflow, which is good, but the existing oxidizing/rusting process will still continue to occur. After rust is already present, applying an undercoating will slow the continuation of the corrosion process and will make your vehicle look better… until the rust breaks its way through the layer of undercoating you’ve applied. If you have rust present, it is better to remove the rust and then apply the undercoating.
- Cost is higher in used car:If you’ve purchased a used vehicle, then the cost of preparing the underbelly for an undercoating might be more than the value of the car. You must remove all the residue from the bottom before it can be applied. Failing to do so will seal in the debris that is present already, which can lead to more problems. The best time to have an undercoating applied is when a vehicle is purchased new because it offers a superior level of protection then.
