Paint depth
Paint depth is the thickness of a car's paint, measured in microns using a paint depth gauge.
What it means
Factory paint on most modern cars is between 100 and 150 microns thick across all three layers (primer, base coat, clear coat). The clear coat alone is typically 40 to 50 microns of that total. Paint depth is measured non-destructively with a magnetic or electromagnetic gauge that the operator places against the panel and reads in microns. Two situations make paint depth especially relevant. First, before paint correction, the operator measures depth across the panels to confirm there is enough clear coat to safely polish without cutting through to base coat. Areas with thinner clear coat get gentler treatment or are left alone. Second, when buying a used car, paint depth measurements quickly reveal panels that have been resprayed: a properly executed respray often reads thicker than factory, and a poor one can read uneven across a single panel.
Why it matters in Singapore
For Singapore used-car buyers, a paint depth gauge is one of the most useful pre-purchase tools, since accident history is not always disclosed. For owners considering paint correction, knowing the available clear-coat depth prevents a polishing pass from doing more harm than good. It is the kind of measurement that turns a guess into a fact.
How Revol Carz handles this
Revol Carz uses a paint depth gauge before any paint correction or major polishing work. We share readings with owners on request and use them to set the limit on how aggressive we go.