Filling in paint chips can seem like a daunting task if you have never attempted it before. There’s the pressure of making sure you only get paint in the chip itself, along with the intensity of having only so much time to repair the chip properly. Langka removes all those barriers to really make paint chip repair an easy process, no matter how much painting experience you have. We have previously been impressed with Hycote’s aerosol can paint, although the spray tins didn’t seem great value if you were trying to repair a big area. For stone chips the smaller amount of liquid in the container is unlikely to matter, unless you’ve been driving behind a gritter lorry. It’s all quite comprehensive and the bottles have the same two applicators as the Hycote lid, allowing you to choose between a brush or a fine needle point for different size chips. But all the layers are simply too much for smaller areas or damage and we found it built up into an obviously raised appearance. It relies on having three days of fine weather to get the coats on too, and after all that the colour match was far from perfect. Verdict

Apply the primer or base coat. Use a very fine brush or paint pen if your kit comes with one. Allow to dry. Put on the rubber gloves that come with the kit. These are actually used in the application of the paint. There is a downside, of course, which is that the warranty on screen repairs is virtually non-existent, and if it doesn’t work you could still be in line for a windscreen replacement. If you’re not covered on insurance, or have a big windscreen excess, this is the risk you take. Don’t expect your repairer to do anything other than point to their disclaimer. DIY windscreen repair kits We put each option through its paces and assessed the end result. As well as appearance, we took into account whether the repair was permanent or needed repeating a few weeks later. We also considered whether the effort required, and the price, justified the results. Verdict

100% Colour Match Guarantee

Repairing paintwork is not the kind of job you want to rush into, and potentially make a mess of – so before trying each product, we rated their instructions. Some required more in-depth procedures than others, and we were keen to ensure that those which involved making a repair look worse before it got better spelled this out clearly. A full panel respray can be quite expensive if it’s just one or two little stone chips in a localised area but a good professional bodyshop should be able to offer a localised SMART repair for stone chips and will use colour-matching technology to mix the correct paint tone to match your car. This localised repair method involves repainting only the damaged area, making the repair faster and much cheaper. When removing stone chips, it takes time, a close paint match and a steady hand. Here are our step-by-step instructions for you to try to fix a stone chip repair on your vehicle: The instructions recommend leaving each stage for 24 hours to dry before polishing with a fingernail-sized pad for foam. It’s not possible to avoid ever getting stone chips in your paintwork but you can take preventative measures to reduce the risk and protect the paintwork by using a paint protection film like a clear vinyl wrapping. The vinyl wrapping will add an extra layer of protection and is a popular choice for prestige vehicles and those with custom paint that they want to protect – but it’s available to anyone wanting to protect their paintwork.

As every conscientious vehicle owner knows, car paint doesn’t stay perfect forever. Scratches, chips and rust spots inevitably develop on even the most well-cared-for vehicles, and that’s why car paint repair kits were invented. We were looking for products which offered an easy way to repair a variety of sizes and shapes of damage on metal panels and plastic parts. Points were given if they were simple to use and gave a good finish. We washed the damaged areas several times over the course of three months to see if the applied paint changed in appearance and flaked away.For more information on how vinyl wrapping could help protect your vehicle from stone chips, read our post on how and why to use vinyl wrapping. How Much Does a Stone Chip Repair Cost? Use car paint chip repair kits on painted surfaces only. For repairing damage to your wheels, seek out a specifically designed wheel repair kit that matches the wheels on your vehicle. Though they must be equally durable, car paints differ greatly from wheel paints. You can find a windscreen repairer online, but you’re just as likely to find somebody offering insurer-approved repairs in the car park while you shop at your local superstore. Best of all, you generally only have to give the repairer your insurance company details, and they'll invoice the insurer direct on your behalf. Scratches, chips and scrapes in your paintwork don’t just look bad, they can affect the resale value of your car. Whether you’re undertaking a full restoration, or just want to do some DIY-detailing, you’ll find all the car scratch repair and car paint repair products you need at Halfords. Our range includes: Car touch up paints They will start to 'bubble' once water gets underneath the paint, which will lead to rusting and further surround damage to that area