People ask "what's the difference between a Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 Paint Correction, Paint Defect Removal or Machine Polishing?. If you are a detailer or enthusiast, you may already know that this refers to how many pad/polish combinations we use to complete a job.

Stage 1 Paint Correction or Single stage paint enhancement is just that, polishing the paint work in one stage or one step with only one type of polish and pad combination. This is suited to paint work in good condition already that have no real visible swirls and only very minor marring – the Stage 1 or Single Stage Machine Polish involves refining the paint work with a finishing polish and a finishing pad only and is generally not abrasive enough to remove swirl marks and scratches, it is then followed by a wax or ceramic coating to protect the paint work.

Stage 2 Paint Correction is suited to cars that have moderate swirl marks and light scratches and involves using 2 different polish and pad combinations; the first step is generally a cutting (abrasive) polish or compound to remove imperfections such as swirl marks, light scratches and other moderate paint defects. This is followed by a finishing polish and finishing pad to refine the paint work even further by removing any marring or holograms left by the previous step, it is then followed by a wax or ceramic coating the paint work.

Stage 3 Paint Correction is suited to cars that have heavy swirl marks, scratches and other paint defects, it involves using 3 different polish and pad combinations, and this can also include spot wet sanding for heavier scratches. The first step is a heavy cutting compound with a heavy cutting pad to remove those deeper swirl marks and scratches, the second step is a cutting polish and polishing pad to remove further swirls marks followed by the finishing polish and finishing pad to further refine the paint work to a swirl, mar and hologram free finish, it is then followed by a wax or ceramic coating protect the paint work.