How to Mask a Car for Paint

How to Mask a Car for Paint

 

To protect areas adjacent to the repair from refinished coatings and overspray, proper masking is an important step in the collision repair process. Learn what steps to take and what products to use when masking a car before painting.

 

Step 1: Clean the car's Repair area 

 

Clean the repair with a compliant cleaner recommended by the paint manufacturer.

 

Preferred Products:

  • REVvive by RSG Surface Degreaser (66623391009)
  • Farécla All-Purpose Microfiber Towel (66623391497)
  • DeVilbiss Paint Prep Wipes (803657)
 Cleaning the car's repair area

 

Step 2: mask the car

 

Once clean, make sure the vehicle is thoroughly dried prior to masking. 


If you have difficult contours to mask, use fine line tape first. 


Next, use masking tape and paper or overspray sheeting to cover windows, lights, and trim within the spray area to prevent paint overspray on these surfaces.

 

Preferred Products:

  • Norton Paint Check Polycoated Masking Paper - 18" x 750'  (63642500404)
  • Norton Blue Sheeting - 16' x 350' (63642503345)
  • American Brand OM Masking Tape - 3/4" (08714300306)
  • American Brand OM Masking Tape - 1 1/2" (08714300308)
  • American Brand Fine Line Tape - 1/8" x 36 yds. (66261182688)
  • American Brand Fine Line Tape - 1/4" x 36 yds.(66261182686)
  • American Brand Fine Line Tape - 1/2" x 36 yds.(66261182685)
 Using fine line tape when masking the car

Use fine line tape for contours that are difficult to mask.

 

Masking the car

Use masking tape and paper or overspray sheeting to cover windows, lights, and trim within the spray area.

 

Step 3: outline and cover the car

 

Outline the refinish area with white polycoated masking paper. This helps when trying to achieve a good color match, as white paper will not distort the light that reflects into the paint match area, as can happen with colored masking paper.

 

After outlining the repair area with 1 1/2" masking tape, cover the rest of the vehicle with blue sheeting and cover the wheels with protective plastic wheel maskers. Cut out the area to be sprayed and attach the sheeting along the cut edge to the tape outline using 3/4" or 1 1/2" masking tape. 

 Covering the car's wheels with protective plastic wheel maskers

 

Preferred Products:

 

Step 4: give the car a Final check

 

With all of the masking applied, double check to ensure that there are no exposed areas that shouldn’t be refinished.

 

Preferred Products:

 

 

 Checking the car once the masking has been applied

 

Step 5: remove the masking tape

 

After painting, remove the masking tape from the car at a 90° angle to ensure that all of the adhesive residue is removed.

 Removing the masking tape

 

 

SGA image