Time and temperature for complete drying of gravitex

What is gravitex and how to apply it to individual parts of your car? Answers and recommendations.

What is gravitex for cars?
This is a special anti-gravel coating that protects individual body elements from damage by stones, sand and dirt flying from the road surface. Gravitex treatment is especially relevant for SUVs that drive off-road and require high-quality metal protection from corrosion. At its core, applying gravitex is very similar to a primer, only the material itself has a slightly different structure and you will need a special set of tools for the job. Unlike a conventional primer, this anti-gravel layer is not damaged, creating chips and pockets of rust. The following body elements are most often covered with gravitex: sills, underbody of the car, wheel arches.

Before purchasing this material, it is important to understand what types there are in order to buy exactly what is right for you. At the moment, there are two types of gravitex on the market: anti-gravel for a spray gun in a metal can, and a spray in a can. Also, this type of paint can be either painted (used for the outside of the body) or non-painted (for internal parts, or if there is no need to apply color).

Due to inexperience, beginners buy a type of material that cannot be painted, spray paint on it, and it chips in a short period of time. This is where the negative wave of reviews about this product comes from, but you just need to choose the right paint.

The scheme of work can be described as follows:

We buy a spray gun for gravitex and the paint itself.
We cover the non-paintable nearby surfaces of the body with masking tape and film.
Matting of the surface by grinding with abrasive P800 - P1000.
Degrease the part.
We spray the first layer of material and wait until the material sets.
Apply the second layer.
If you want to add color to the gravitex, then after a day you can apply the helmet in the body color, or highlight it with an accent.

Some car manufacturers offer the service of applying such anti-gravel directly from the factory.

Preparatory stage of work

If your task is to apply such a coating to an undamaged area of the body that has small chips, then washing, matting the surface and applying layers of anti-gravel will be sufficient.
Don’t worry about small scratches and chips, raptor-type gravitex hides all small irregularities, filling them, and due to its structure, visually aligns the plane of the part. If you have stripped areas with rust down to the metal, it is advisable to pre-prime the surface with an epoxy primer. Then it is also matted. If there is damage, first straighten and, if necessary, putty the part. After this, it is also opened with epoxy primer and then the technology is similar to that discussed above.

How to apply Gravitex?

As already mentioned at the beginning of the article, there are a number of features that you should know when using such anti-gravel. First of all, you will need to buy a spray gun, which is characterized by high air consumption, so the material is applied in stages, allowing the compressor to pump in air to maintain stable pressure.

The part is usually processed from top to bottom, gradually moving the spray gun along the surface. Here you need to look, if you notice that the pressure is dropping, you need to take a break and allow the compressor to pump in air, otherwise the spray gun will spit out material, forming sagging on the surface of the part. Move the spray gun evenly and do not hold it at one point to avoid surface waviness.

When painting a car with gravitex, it should be done with a sufficiently thick layer of material, with a characteristic surface structure and there should be no gaps.

After drying (about 12 - 24 hours), you can paint this anti-gravel with primer and paint. You can first remove dust using a vacuum cleaner. If you have already used the car, but still decide to add color to the coating, then it is washed under pressure, and then degreased and painted.

Matte paint is often chosen as the material for tinting, since it is with it that gravitex looks best. Here you can use either spray cans or apply with a spray gun.

As you can see, the technology for using this material is simple and you can easily do everything yourself.

Video instructions for working with gravitex.

Any chips and deep scratches can be easily repaired with this coating. To do this, the problem areas are carefully blown with gravitex and painted with the same paint as the rest of the surface of the part.

Important point! The structure of gravitex application depends on the distance of the spray gun to the surface and the air supply pressure. For example, the closer the tool is to the part, the coarser the grit you will get. You will get the same effect by reducing the pressure from the compressor.

There are many manufacturers of this anti-gravel coating on the market: Novol, 3Sila, APP, Body (992, 950), Blue-Car and others.

If we talk about how much does gravitex cost? Purchasing the material will cost an average of $4.5 – $7.5 per liter. You will also need an additional sprayer $6.5 - $8.

Have you used this coating on your car? If yes, please share your feedback in the comments.

Gravitex - what is it and how to apply it

The main factor in assessing the value of a car is the body. The price directly depends on its condition. The car body is always visible, although there are hidden places. Depending on the climate where the car is operated and the condition of the paintwork, it depends on how quickly the metal of the body begins to “bloom.” In megacities during the winter, when the streets are sprinkled with a special reagent, if the body metal is not protected with high-quality primer and paint, it quickly corrodes. Also, metal located near the sea is highly susceptible to corrosion due to high humidity. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the metal with gravitex.

Using gravitex and how to choose gravitex?

Their special composition allows them to take on the impact of pebbles and other solid particles, absorbing it entirely, which minimizes the risk of damage to the body.

When covering areas of the body that are particularly prone to risk, these products guarantee protection of the car body and paintwork from numerous adverse factors:

— prevent damage from impacts from gravel, stone chips, pieces of glass and various debris;
— guarantee the integrity of the paintwork of wheel arches, fenders, sills, the lower section of the bumper and other components of the body;
— protect particularly risk-prone areas of the body from corrosion;
— maintain the beautiful appearance of the car;
— due to their springiness, they reduce body vibration and noise levels.

All this requires the least amount of time, effort and money.

What is gravitex

One of the effective means of protecting the body is the creation of a durable protective layer that is resistant to various influences. Gravitex is a substance that is applied either by gun or spray to a portion of a vehicle's body to create a durable protective film that can withstand impacts from gravel and other impacts.

What parts of the body are treated with gravitex?

Gravitex should be applied to the sills, the lower parts of the doors, and the bottom and wing arches. In practice, the entire lower part of the body is treated with a protective layer.

Gravitex composition:

rubber;
resins;
additives to impart anti-corrosion properties;
solvent.

Thanks to the rubber composition, pebbles will fly off from the resulting protective film, springing back, since the rubber will add elasticity to the protective layer. Various additives will provide resistance to frost and extreme heat. The solvent will ensure strong adhesion to the paintwork coating (LPC) of the body.

Gravitex for cars in a can

This happens because the stones spring well, while ordinary paint falls off the metal, forming a chip. Therefore, painting the coating with gravitex is carried out, first of all, on those places that most need protection (curbs, bottom of wings, doors). To do this you need:

Buy a special spray gun for gravitex.
Take off the gloss, as with any painting.
Cover the car (in the case of curbs, it is convenient to use both paper tape and electrical tape).
Degrease the coating.
Spray the first layer to avoid smudges.
Fill the second layer or produce the desired structure.

Conclusion Treatment of coatings with gravitex will provide the vehicle elements with a durable surface that has shock-absorbing properties.

Types of gravitex coating

There are several types of this product, they are divided by composition and method of application. Classification by physical state:

Gravitex in aerosol form is cheaper. You don't need a gun to use it; it already comes in a spray can.

Gravitex liquid is applied with a special gun, which is connected to a compressor.

Classification of gravitex anti-gravel according to processing is:

paintable;
not paintable.

Non-paintable gravitex contains a substance that forms a protective film on the protective layer. If the anti-gravel layer is painted, then over time the paint will fly off from falling stones, etc. and the appearance of the car will be ruined.

Paintable gravitex means that after applying and drying the anti-gravel, this body-protecting layer must still be painted. If you bought this type of gravitex, then painting is required. Without painting, the protective layer has the properties of a sponge and will absorb moisture and, conversely, destroy the body, forming pockets of corrosion. Therefore, if you decide to use paintable gravitex, then do not be lazy to paint it. As a result of incorrect application of gravitex, real negative reviews appear in which drivers write that anti-gravitex, on the contrary, destroys the metal.

Classification of anti-gravel by color:

black;
white;
grey;
colorless.

Many people like to make a black edging along the base of the body and choose black gravitex. For cars of white, black and gray colors, a different color is suitable, who does not want the protective strip to stand out. For cars of other colors, you can choose either black or colorless. You can also buy paintable gravitex, that is, which will also need to be painted with paint of any color you wish.

Gravitex car processing technology

In terms of coating durability:

— long-term gravitex coating;
— gravitex for temporary protection.

By type of container:

— aerosol, ready for use;
- an aerosol can that requires the use of a specialized gun.

By color: transparent, white, gray, black.

Nowadays, “Gravitex” exists in white, gray, black colors and in the form of a product that creates a colorless film.

For the gravitex coating to be effective, it must be painted in the color of the car body.

Info

Finally, gravitex products are relatively divided into a number of groups based on the presence of auxiliary agents in their composition.

In particular, gravitex can contain anti-corrosion agents, rust converters, as well as agents for better adhesion to car body coatings.

Gravitex treatment

How well gravitex adheres to the car body depends on the condition of the body, the substance applied and the method of application.

Materials for preparatory work:

Any solvent for degreasing the surface.
Clean rags.
Masking paper tape.
Paper or film to protect against untreated parts of the body.

The correct procedure for applying Gravitex:

Wash the body area larger than the surfaces being treated from dirt and dust.
Let's dry it.
Cover the untreated surface of the body with paper or film and secure it with tape.
Use sandpaper to clean the surfaces if they have dents.
Degrease.
If there are dents, you can immediately putty and level the surface.
Apply anticorrosive.
Prime and wait until dry.
Sand the putty and primed surface again.
Degrease.
Apply Gravitex in one even layer.
Wait for the first layer to dry.
Apply gravitex in a second even layer.
We wait 24 hours for the anti-gravel protective layer to dry completely.
Here, depending on what type of gravitex you bought, which needs to be painted or not, we paint it or not. Let me remind you that it can be painted or unpainted. We paint only if we have used paintable gravitex. A frequently asked question: how long after applying anti-gravity can you drive? Answer: every other day in a warm room. During this time it will completely set and dry.

Applying Gravitex correctly to a car

Let's dry it.

Cover the untreated parts of the body with tape and paper.
Using sandpaper we sand all problem areas (dents, chips).
Degrease surfaces.
We fill the dents with putty.
We treat the chipped areas with an anti-corrosion agent.
We prime.
After the soil has dried, we sand everything again.
Apply Gravitex in 2 layers, allowing time for the 1st layer to dry.
Dry the anti-gravel (naturally or using a hairdryer).
We are painting.
If everything is done correctly and the technology is fully followed, then no problems will arise in the future, and the applied Gravitex will fully perform its functions.

Gravitex in a can: what is it, where to buy, how to apply

Hello, dear friends! All kinds of road debris, stones, reagents and moisture contribute to damage to body elements, the formation of chips, scratches and ubiquitous corrosion. Yes, there are effective rust converters that can be used to combat saffron milk caps. But it is much more correct and logical to prevent such problems. One solution is gravitex in a can.

These are special compounds that are created to protect body elements that are most susceptible to negative external influences. They protect against rust. Today you can buy such a product in almost any store, and the price is not bad. As reviews and my personal experience with Gravitex clearly show, the drug works effectively.

But I advise you to get acquainted with it first, find out which one is better and how to apply it, and then confidently treat sills, cavities and other vulnerable spots on the body of your vehicle.

How to apply Gravitex video

If you learn how to work with this anti-gravel, you can protect the body of your own vehicle from various damages for a long time. Of course, today there are many similar means for protecting the body.

Info

But you can hardly find anything better than gravitex. You just need to learn how to apply it and no problems will arise. Order contract spare parts Tired of paying fines? There is an exit! Forget about fines from cameras! An absolutely legal new product - NANOFILM, which hides your license plates from IR cameras (which are installed in all cities).

Composition and scope

If you want, we can make a separate rating of the best gravitex type products. If you support this idea, write in the comments.

Speaking of composition, all manufacturers adhere to approximately the same general recipe, but each additionally adds certain components that supposedly make their development the best and most effective. But the fact is that gravitex usually includes synthetic resins, rubber and organic solvents. This helps create a hard and durable layer when the solvent evaporates and only the solid components remain. In this case, the thickness depends on the number of layers applied. Gravitex also remains quite elastic, which prevents chips and peeling from occurring when stones or other objects get in there.

In many videos you can see how you paint almost the entire body yourself using gravitex. Others process only individual elements.

Who is right and who is wrong? In both cases, we can talk about the correctness and appropriateness of the decision. Covering the entire car is important if the car is actively used on bad roads outside of asphalt. You should apply the composition to the sills, bottom and other vulnerable places if you mainly move in the city and on asphalt.

Considering the ability of the drug to protect not only painted metal, but also plastic from scratches and chips, various areas are treated.

thresholds;
bottom;
door opening areas;
internal cavities of wheel arches;
lower door edges;
area under the front and rear bumper;
exhaust system elements;
plastic inside the arches;
plastic at the bottom of the doors;
front bumper;
rear bumper, etc.

You just have to decide whether gravitex is needed specifically for your car or not. For new machines it is usually not required. But after a certain mileage, the motorist realizes that it was better to think about protection earlier.

Varieties

Before applying anti-gravel to rust and using gravitex for its intended purpose, you have to choose a product. And there are quite a lot of options on the market. Go to any specialized store in Moscow, Voronezh, Gomel, Vitebsk. Minsk or Rostov-on-Don, and see for yourself.

All varieties can be divided into 2 types depending on their state of aggregation:

aerosol in cans;
pistol cans.

In the case of cans, you have to think separately about what to dilute, how to find a gun, how to connect it correctly, where to find a power source. There are many questions, but virtually no advantages.

Banks require less consumption; you can save some money by purchasing one jar, thereby replacing several cans at once. But such savings are not very justified if you additionally have to buy a pistol. If you have all the components, then it’s really more profitable and rational to take the product from a bank. You will have to spend more money on spray cans. Here everyone decides for himself which of the two types of gravitex according to packaging methods to give preference to. Personally, I found it more convenient to use an aerosol.

Spray cans have an undeniable advantage in the form of mobility. You don't need any auxiliary elements. When the work is done outside the garage or far from home, you don’t have to look for a compressor, buy an application gun, select a power source, and so on. The cylinder is completely ready for use. He opened it, shook it and got to work.

Gravitex or anti-gravel has another classification. Here the emphasis is placed directly on the composition and features of working with it.

Gravitex for car treatment can be:

Paintable. After application and drying, a layer of paint of the color and texture you desire is applied on top. Allows you to make it invisible against the background of body elements;
Unpaintable. Accordingly, it does not stain after application;
With pigments. The desired pigment is added to the product. This is usually black, blue, white or grey. But there are other options;
Transparent. It does not require additional coloring or adding pigments, since it does not visually change the appearance of the treated area.

As you understand, pigments can only be added to gravitex, which is supplied in jars. Be sure to study the composition, type of anti-gravel and the specifics of anti-corrosion treatment specifically for a particular substance.

Recommendations for use

Leading manufacturers always describe in detail how to use their product correctly.

There are several key nuances that I want to share with you.

Types of treated coatings. Different gravitexes are designed to work with different surfaces. Usually this is metal, plastic, different types of primer, putty, etc.;
Pistol nozzle. Required for canned gravitex. Typically, nozzle diameters should be from 2 to 4 mm;
Pressure. The substance should be supplied under pressure from 2 to 4 atm;
Drying. The time between coats is usually 5 minutes;
Complete removal of the solvent. This depends on the specific formulation, but often a minimum of 40-50 minutes at 20 degrees Celsius;
Consumption and layer thickness. A layer 100 microns thick provides a consumption of about 1.8 liters of gravitex per 3.5 square meters. It is optimal to apply 2-3 layers.

It is not recommended to apply anti-gravel to rust. Otherwise, corrosion under the product will soon progress and quickly destroy the protective layer. First, pockets of corrosion are removed, and only then gravitex is used.

Composition, places of processing

Most manufacturers use a mixture of synthetic resins, organic solvents and rubber to make gravitex. Due to this, after drying, a dense layer is formed on the surface (the thickness depends on the number of “passes” and their saturation), which has shock-absorbing properties. In other words, gravitex is elastic enough that it does not lead to peeling in the event of stone impacts.

This is why gravitex is used to treat:

thresholds;
lower zones of internal door openings;
internal cavities of the wheel arches, if the car does not have plastic fender liners installed. Some types of lockers do not provide protection for the extreme edge of the wing;
car bottom;
lower edges of doors;
plastic protective linings installed on arches and lower parts of doors.

Some car owners cover the entire car with anti-gravel. Basically, this solution is beneficial for people who often move in rough terrain. Gravitex helps protect paintwork and plastic from scratches.

Varieties

Gravitex can be of only a few types. By application method:

in cans;
in cans for a special gun.

The advantage of formulations in cans is their mobility. You do not need any additional equipment for processing. If anti-gravel is applied far from the garage (for example, several hundred meters to the inspection hole), then you do not need to use a compressor, a special gun, or an autonomous electricity generator.

The composition in jars is convenient if you have all of the above components. A gun connected to the compressor is screwed in place of the cap. Gravitex is ready for application.

Based on the type of coating, anti-gravel is divided into the following types:

paintable. Gravitex can subsequently be given the desired color;
unpaintable;
with the addition of a certain pigment. The most common 3 colors: black, white, gray;
transparent.

Application

The instructions that are located directly on the container with the composition will help you apply Gravitex correctly. Every self-respecting manufacturer provides the following information:

types of coating that can be coated with gravitex. For example, for Novol GRAVIT 600 MS these include: polyester type putties, primary primer, two-component epoxy primer, steel, plastics;
diameter of the gun nozzle for applying the composition. The minimum recommended diameter is 2 mm, desirable is 4 mm;
air pressure (usually the value ranges from 2-4 Atm.);
interlayer drying period (5 minutes);
the time required for the solvents to completely evaporate (dry). For Novol GRAVIT 600 MS, the manufacturer allocates 40-60 minutes at a temperature of 20°C;

consumption and recommended layer thickness. If you apply a uniform layer 100 microns thick, then a volume of 1.8 liters will cover an area of 3.5 m². It is recommended to apply at least 2 layers to the surface, observing the drying interval between layers;
color;
conditions and expiration date.

How to apply gravitex to a car video

The former are much easier to use because they do not require additional equipment, but they are more expensive. Gravitex in liquid form is applied using a special gun connected to a compressor.

If surface treatment is possible, anti-gravel can be unpainted or painted. It is these varieties that become a “stumbling block” for many car owners.

The fact is that non-paintable Gravitex contains substances that create a protective surface layer. Applying a paint coating on it leads to the fact that after a certain time the paint simply begins to peel off, spoiling the appearance of the car. But it’s worse if paintable anti-gravel is applied to the body, but subsequent processing is not carried out. Gravitex itself has the structure of a sponge, and if there is no protective paint layer, moisture will gradually penetrate through the anti-gravel.

Do-it-yourself anti-gravel treatment

Gravitex can be applied correctly in several ways. The technology will depend on the method of combining the protective layers of metal. But there are a number of preparatory operations that are valid for all types of anti-gravel treatment.

Thoroughly wash and dry the surface to be treated;
remove all areas of corrosion;
degrease the surface;

As we saw with the example of Novol GRAVIT 600 MS, the manufacturer allows gravitex to be applied to “bare” metal. If you applied gravitex to unprotected metal, after drying the surface must be varnished.

Anti-gravel, if you look at it under a microscope, has a porous structure, which suggests the ingress of some amount of moisture. In addition, constant temperature changes and gravel flying from under the wheels have a negative impact on the coating.

Over time, the protective layer will crack and begin to peel off (after 3-4 years this can happen even if you apply anti-gravel to an old glossy paintwork). Therefore, we recommend priming the surface before treating with gravitex. After drying, the primer should be sanded with P240 abrasive, and only then the compound should be applied. Even if you used a primer, coating with varnish will only increase the degree of protection.

Covering the car with gravitex

Based on these data, we decide on the product - we take anti-gravel in the form of a liquid in sufficient quantity, preferably with anti-corrosion additives and a paintable type. Gun for Gravitex In addition to the equipment indicated above, you will also need:

sandpaper;
putty;
primer;
body anti-corrosion treatment agent;
dye;
gun for applying Gravitex;

Video: Gun nozzle for anti-gravel Under these conditions, the effectiveness of using anti-gravel largely depends on the preparation of the surface. In general, the body processing operation looks like this:

We clean and wash all surfaces to be treated.