Underbody Coating
INTRODUCTION
While you are sitting on the driving seat enjoying the smooth ride, the underbody of your car is always exposed to muddy water, stones, rugged roads, and potholes. This makes it prone to wear and tear, which is often not in plain sight but could lead to serious issues if not taken care of.
We all are aware of the fact that the underbody of the previous models was made from durable metals such as steel, which is easily damaged and oxidized, forming rust. The speedy beast today is made up of polycarbonate material, aluminum, and other tough materials that are more stable against corrosion. Not to mention, car underbody treatments make them more durable.
Maintaining car underbody coating can be a lifesaver for the driver. Conventional underbody treatments such as road salt or magnesium chloride are still used for rust or corrosion-related issues. However, the real concern is the need for these products for our cars today.
REASON OF RUSTING
Rust happens when a material that contains iron is exposed to moisture. When the two substances come into contact with each other, it causes an atomic reaction that results in oxidation. Automobile bodies are typically made from steel because it’s strong, durable, and readily available. Unfortunately, steel contains iron, which means it’s susceptible to iron oxide.
When a car manufactured in the plant, it goes under different paint processes to keep the car protected from dust, dirt, rusting, rain. In the factory, the whole body goes in the same process of painting as shown in the picture.
The result is layers of carefully laid out coats, all of which put together are only slightly thicker than the average human hair.
Different types of Underbody Coating.
Having undercoating professionally applied to your vehicle can be expensive, but fortunately, if your budget is tight, you can do it yourself for a fraction of the price. Here are some of the various types of undercoating available.
- Rubberized Underbody coating
Rubberized Underbody coating is easy to apply and offers sound cushioning as well as protection from dust, moisture, and dings or dents.
In addition to your undercarriage, rubberized undercoating is also safe to use on wheel wells and quarter panels, and dries to a soft rubbery finish that prevents further rust, damage, or moisture seeps. The coating can be painted over and, if necessary for bodywork, can be easily removed with an undercoating removal spray.
Overall, the 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.
- Polyurethane Undercoating
The other option for undercoating your vehicle is to use a polyurethane-based sealant. This type of vehicle undercoating is a little bit quicker and easier to apply.
Oftentimes, polyurethane undercoating will come in canisters ready to preload into an application gun. This type of sealant works by seeping into all cracks and seams, displacing salt and moisture and oozing around rusty areas to bond with and protect the unoxidized metal. It also sands quickly in case you'll need to perform bodywork and can be painted over.
On the flip side, this type of car undercoating generally requires a little bit more surface prep work before applying -- sanding and applying an etching primer to bare metals before using are generally recommended.
- Wax or Paraffin based undercoating
A paraffin-based undercoating will be the cheapest and quickest option available with which to protect the undercarriage of your vehicle. However, keep in mind that it will wear off quicker than other types of undercoating and will need to be stripped and reapplied at least once every year.
Wax-based undercoatings never truly harden. During application, they drip or flow into seams and cracks to provide protective properties. They are usually available in a spray gun canister or in an aerosol can and offer at least a base protection in moderately humid climates.
- Asphalt based undercoating
For standard vehicles, any of the aforementioned types of undercoating will provide sufficient protection. For large trucks and heavy machinery, asphalt-based undercoating provides a bit of extra durability against rocks, chips, and moisture.
Asphalt-based undercoating generally contains a little bit of rubberized material that sets up firmly and also helps soften noise. Generally sold in five-gallon containers, this type of undercoating also needs more cure time than the other three, and is NOT paintable, making it best to use only for undercarriages
Advantages Of Underbody Coating
- Protects Against Rust & Corrosion
The primary objective of getting underbody coating done is to prevent metal components that are exposed on the bottom side of the car to damage from corrosion. You can shut out the Adverse effects of corrosion on your car by simply applying a rubberized anti-rust coating all over the belly of your car.
- Reduces NVH (Noise Vibrations Harshness) Levels
Our country is filled with roads having uneven patches and potholes and while we maneuver our cars through such sections, the unpaved crumbs, and pebbles hit the car from underneath or get stuck in the wheel wells. The underbody coating’s consistency is so thick that the layer it creates absorbs all the unpleasant noises and vibrations and marginally improves the driving experience.
- Prevents Paint Chipping
Running on the highway or while pacing through a city road, you will often encounter sharp gravel or any other unattended object hitting the belly of your car with high momentum. This scrapes and chips off the metal from down below. A thick layer of Underbody Coating definitely comes to aid and minimizes the effects of such contacts on the body.
- Protects Vital Components
Underneath a car is somewhere a lot of indispensable parts of a car are left exposed like the Engine, silencer, etc. One simply can’t afford to let these parts go bad due to rusting and hence in order to save yourself from a hefty repair bill, a considerably less expensive Anti-Rust Coating is a must.
Disadvantages of Underbody coatings
Despite having some great advantages, undercoating comes with some drawbacks that don’t help that many vehicles of certain conditions.
- Less effective if corrosion already exists.
Once there is rust underneath, vehicle undercoating won’t give you many effective results. Though the coating will be covering the damage that already took place, the rust inside will continue its job to lead to corrosion.
Undercoating slows down the process, but you must remove the rust first before coating.
- Works well on new vehicles.
If your car is already old enough or you bought a used one, then undercoating wouldn’t be a good choice. As coating the underneath of a used or old car requires the removal of all the residue, it will cost you more which is definitely not the best idea.
So, it’s better to apply coating on new cars as they offer premium protection.
For someone who changes his vehicle every 3 to 5 years, then vehicle undercoating is not a good use of your bucks. Because most new cars offer almost 5 years of default underneath protection that you can rely on.
- Not impervious to damage.
An undercoating doesn’t always mean protection for a fixed amount of time. Based on your road trips and the things you have to drive against, the lifespan of your coating can be minimal.
If you are bound to drive on dirty areas, gravel roads, it can reduce the quality of this protective layer earlier than expected.
- Need to reapply every 3 to 5 years.
For ongoing protection, you need to make sure you are ready to invest in undercoating your vehicle every 3 to 5 years. Most users can ride their vehicles for 5 years without worrying much once the underpart is coated. But if you happen to live in coastal areas then you might need to do it every 3 years for best results.
Why Car needs an underbody coating?
- A must-have if you live in coastal areas
Vehicles in the coastal areas are much more prone to corrosion than in any other region. The content of salt in the water floating around during the monsoon season is way too high. Adding to this is the humidity in such areas and these elements further speed up the process of corrosion. Hence getting your car done right with a nice underbody coat job is of utmost importance for people living that beach life.
- Or if you live near un-paved/muddy roads
If you live in areas having large sections of unpaved roads, then the monsoon is just going to make things worse. The sand is going to mix with the water and all that muck will get stuck to your car’s belly while you tread over such a course. This makes your car’s underbody more vulnerable to damage and a nice and thick coating will surely help.
- It also affects your car resale value
All that damage due to corrosion, if left unattended could lead to some permanent damage, which will cost you in terms of rapid depreciation in your car’s resale value. This will make it almost impossible for your car to pass a strict inspection when you put it up for sale. Hence, regular checks of your car’s underbody condition are the key to maintaining its value.
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