Is the hood or some other spot on your car or vehicle not looking so hot these days? If you have picked up more than a couple stone chips due to flying objects kicking up from the road, you might be thinking of attempting a DIY stone chip repair. But if you've never tackled this task before, you don't want to do something that might actually cause more harm than good. To that end, here are some tips to keep in mind for stone chip repair to help you get your vehicle fixed the right way.

Make Sure You Are Prepared for the Job

In order to do your own stone chip fix, you'll need the right materials or equipment for the job. You likely already know this will include getting a touch-up paint kit from a local auto shop, but don't stop there. You should also make sure you get some soap or another auto cleaning solution as well as one or more microfiber cloths. If your vehicle will be outside during this job, make sure you check the weather first and have nothing but clear skies above, as rain falling onto your fresh touch-up paint will just make things look worse than they already do.

Make Sure the Surface Is As Clean As Possible Before Putting Any Primer or Paint Into Place

Once you have the right supplies, it's time to give your car a bath, paying special attention to each rock chip. Soap and water should be good enough, but you could also look into special cleaning chemicals or alcohols designed for vehicles in order to ensure you remove every last bit of grime from the affected areas. Putting touch-up paint or even primer down on an area that still has dirt or grime on it will mess you up and may leave the vehicle looking worse than it did before you began. Once the vehicle is sparkling clean, you can then use the touch-up primer and the matching color for your vehicle from the kit you purchased. Go easy at first, as you can always add another dab of paint if needed, but adding too much will leave the car's surface looking uneven or unprofessional.

There's No Shame in Seeking Out Professional Help If the First Chip Doesn't Get Fixed in the Way That You Want

If you want to DIY when it comes to stone chips, start with just one or two chips and wait for the paint to completely dry so you can inspect the results. If it looks like you did it correctly, you can then repeat the process. But if it's clear you did something wrong and left that spot on the car looking less than perfect, there's no shame in contacting a local stone chip repair service to fix the rest of the chips.