Surface condition Let me explain the importance of having a perfect reflection on your surfaces. 1) It will help the durability 2) It will provide very easy maintenance 3) It will look fantastic So, how does a correct surface profile help with durability and easy maintenance? In order to explain this, take a look at these doodles in an attempt to show how light reflects on a surface.  Pic 1 above shows how light should be reflected off of a smooth, fine profile, the light hits the surface once! and reflects a perfect image of the surface.  Pic 2 above shows light reflecting on a poor finish, the light is scattered and therefore returns a poor image.  A closer sketch of pic 2 shows light being trapped between the differences of surface profile.  An even closer sketch demonstrates just how much more surface is under attack as the light gets trapped and bounces around before being shot out at different angles.Of course these are examples of extreme magnification and are just sketches, but they do show how light behaves on a surface, be it smooth or rough.   The pictures above are of the same sq ft of gel coat on a sports boat. The one on the left shows a good reflection but as you can see from the one on the right, when light is added the true image is revealed. By the way this boat was only 6 months old and the owner informed me he had only cleaned it once and admitted to not pre-soaking nor pressure washing off the dirt first....Not a good start! It is very common to make this mistake and is usually the main reason behind accelerating the breakdown. Poor 'haf job' polishing techniques coming in a close second.  I once pulled into a supermarket and was nearly jumped on by a valet.."want your van washed mate"?"errr, what are you going to remove the grit with"? I asked as he was only holding a bucket and sponge. He looked at me as if I had come from another planet, looked into the bucket, frowned and said "The sponge?" A tempting offer, but I politely declined. So how does having a micro scratched surface affect the durability of the surface? Well, a smooth highly reflective surface, allows light to hit it once! But on a rough surface it is hit many times as the light rattles in the peaks and troughs, also more of the surface is being exposed. This action also increases those height differences, further damaging the surface. Tiny particles also find a home in the differences and are a pain to remove without harsh cleaners. Oxygen also plays a huge part in the breakdown process in much the same way as UV does. On a perfect profile you can offer quality wax as a barrier to oxygen, but with a rough surface you will only be trapping oxygen within the peaks, allowing the oxidation to continue. Thanks for reading Tony |
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