Underbody Coating

UNDERBODY COATING

Underbody coating is usually a dense cladding applied uniformly to the undercarriage of the automobile. It is normally sprayed or painted on when the car is just out of the dealership and is clean. But even if you are getting the undercoating applied after a couple of years, it’s fine too. This is because it can prevent further damage to the undercarriage.

Underside of vehicles serves as an intermediate between metal components of a vehicle and outer environment. Underbody of vehicles is prone to damages due to harsh environmental conditions. Coatings are applied to the underside of vehicles to protect them against factors such as corrosion, chemicals, moisture, water damage, and chipping of the underbody. Automotive underbody coatings offer a protective layer to vehicles' underside.

Most of these coatings provide chemical and corrosion resistance, along with several other properties based on different product formulations. Protection of underbody and wheel arches against chip damage is achieved by applying automotive underbody coatings, which protect the metal from debris of gravel, stones, salts, etc. tossed by the road.

Coating process of a vehicle body (automotive coating process) comprises minimum five layers of paint, while the underbody coating process comprises the first two layers in the overall coating process. These two layers provide durable protection against corrosion; however, damage over time requires renewal of these coatings. Automotive aftermarket service providers often provide these services during scheduled vehicle maintenance.

PURPOSE OF UNDERBODY COATING

• Prevent from stone chip

There are thousands of pieces of stones on the road, and they are constantly hitting your car on the under body, wheel arches, sills and the trunk lower part while driving on the road. In some cases, the under body might be scratched by uneven road. As such the thin corrosion protection coating on the metal sheet will be destroyed and leave the bare metal exposed to the air, which will soon come to corrosion when contact with the moisture in the air. If not promptly getting anti-rust treatment, then the rust will soon spread to large areas. Under body coating or the anti-stone chip coating is a thick elastic layer which could not be easily damaged by stone chipping or scratch, therefore could basically protect the metal sheet of the under body.

• 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 minimises the effects of such contacts on the body.

• Protects Against Rust & Corrosion

The primary objective of getting underbody coating done is preventing 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 rubberised anti-rust coating all over the belly of your car.

• External influence

External environment, such as the baking from the hot road in summer, the road's anti frozen gent in winter, raining water and the salty water in the atmosphere, will attach the under body of a car. Particular in coast areas, the wind from the sea will bring more salt to the air, which will accelerate the corrosion and reduce the service life of a car. While the under body is covered by the thick and tight layers, it would act as a strong barrier to prevent these external substances attaching the metal sheet.

• 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.

• Keep the value

A car could keep a high value while it is well maintained. It means that if a car is well treated on under body protection, it could keep the car in a good condition and extend the car's service life, or you could charge a higher price in a used-car trading.

• Reduces NVH (Noise Vibrations Harshness) Levels

Our country is filled with roads having uneven patches and potholes and while we manoeuvre 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.

TYPES OF UNDERBODY COATING

1. Rubberized Underbody Coating

This is generally thought of as the best underbody coating for your car. It preserves the underbody well, protecting it from scratches. Applying this to the undercarriage is not much of a hassle either.

2. Wax Based Underbody Coating

This – more or less – ephemeral undercoating will wear away in a few months’ time. On the upside, wax-based undercoating puts up a big fight against moisture. It is also the most affordable option out there.

3. 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.

4. 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.

Pros of Underboady coating

• Undercoating gives an extra layer of protection against rust and corrosion, protecting your car.
• Undercoating will eventually wear out, but you can get years of protection from it. Even vehicles in warmer climates gain protection as debris is repelled and kept away from eating at the vehicle.
• It can be self-applied.
• It minimizes the sound from underneath the car.
• It insulates the interior of the car from the extreme temperature from beneath the vehicle.
• The coating does not chip away when hit by stones

Cons of Underboady coating

• Undercoating will not help you if corrosion already exists and the corrosion needs to be removed first before it can be applied, which can be expensive for you.
• It must be reapplied every 3 to 5 years for the best results
• It adds weight to the vehicle.