What is the difference between 1/2/3 Step/Stage Correction?

June 20, 2022
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What Is Different Between Paint Correction Stages?

We get this question quite frequently. After all, you’re spending double the money above and beyond a one-step polish, right?


Our paint enhancement / paint correction process is part of what we call our prep work to prepare for ceramic coatings. Where the ceramic coating cost is more in the material cost of the ceramic coating itself, the primary cost of paint enhancement / paint correction is the labor. 


We do not charge more for a three-step paint correction differently than we charge for two-step, primarily because a lot of times we don’t know for sure if it will be required until we are in the middle of the paint correction. Since HHCC doesn’t want to charge you extra in the middle of a ceramic coating job, we only charge for a two-step. 


What is a one-step or one-stage paint correction / paint enhancement?

A one-step paint correction or paint enhancement is where we only have to make one pass over your vehicle’s paint with our polisher/buffer. This sounds pretty self-explanatory, and many people just call this “simple polish” – but it doesn’t always have to be just a polish. Sometimes, it can be a proper compound (cutting agent) on a proper pad and technique without having to polish afterward. We use, almost exclusively, Meguiar’s M110 Ultra Pro Speed Compound, which given the right pad and technique, can sometimes finish like a polish on certain paints.


What is a two-step or two-stage paint correction / paint enhancement?

Typically, with a two-stage paint correction, this is a compound followed by a polish. Many people call this “cut and buff.” The reason it is twice as expensive is that it takes almost twice the time. In this instance, we are compounding or cutting the paint to remove defects with an aggressive compound and pad on our machine polisher, followed by a polish on a polishing pad. The reason two stages are required in this type of auto detail, is because an aggressive pad and product can (not always) leave smaller scratches visible in the sunlight that we call holograms. The polishing removes the holograms and creates that mirror/shiny finish on your car’s paint.


So, what is a three-step or three-stage paint correction / paint enhancement?

Typically, in a three-step paint enhancement, we need an even finer polish because the heavier cutting polish might still leave micro-scratches or holograms. In this case, we need to go over it again. This happens a lot on softer paint which is more difficult to finish, or polish. 

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