Clear Coat Feels Like Sandpaper & Rough Fix [4 Ways]

Suppose you paint your favorite vehicle and smooth finish it without providing a clear coat at the end and then leave it outside, what will happen then? Your vehicle will be exposed to sun rays, windy weather, or heavy rainfall. You don’t think paint can alone stand all these traumas, or do you?

The situation might seem quite tight and difficult for sure. Therefore, the application of a clear coat is needed. It not only saves your vehicle from ruining its appearance but also protects the underneath metal by increasing its durability.

But you might also face some downside of clear coat. Though it gives a very refined and glossy look, the clear coat feels like sandpaper sometimes. This happens due to some clear reasons.

A clear coat is supposed to protect and enhance the look of the vehicle. But if it gives a feeling of roughness then things are surely not going correct. It happens many a time that the wrong way of applying a clear coat leads the entire surface to feel like sandpaper.

Therefore, today we thought about talking about this serious topic to enlighten you with your problems. Also, we will try to bring suggestions on how to fix this rough clear coat and get back a smooth and glass-like feeling whenever you touch the surface. So, let’s dive into the primal segment.

6 Reasons for Sandpaper Like Feeling from a Clear Coat:

A clear coat is definitely a good way to make your vehicle look good. It knows how to protect the paint underneath it and also serves its duty solely. But some recklessness on the part of the applier leads to a rough surface instead of a seamless and even surface.

However, it’s not the fault of the person who is doing the job, it might be the problem of the clear coat as well. We assumed some of the very reasons why your clear coat feels like sandpaper and those are given below.

1. Ignorance of Applying

One of the very reasons that your clear coat feels so rough is when you are totally ignorant of the fact that how to apply a clear coat on a surface. Be it paint or topcoat, you need to proceed following certain steps to get an appealing end.

If you don’t learn the process in the first place and apply a clear coat following your heart, pretty chances have that you end up getting an unsmooth surface.

The first thing you should do is to learn how a clear coat gets set on a surface and then show your intelligence to make it more perfect. Knowledge and perfection are two important things that you need to get a successful result.

2. Reckless Way of Application

Even though you know every step of applying a clear coat, you might fail to provide enough attention while doing the job. Therefore, learning the steps isn’t enough. You must put full attention to your duty. It happens several times that an uneven surface comes out due to dust that was lingering on the surface before.

If you don’t put enough attention to the surface and clean the dust and debris out of the surface then the dust will get set with it. As a result, you will face a sandpaper-like surface.

3. Contamination

Another important reason that can cause a gritty surface after applying a clear coat is contamination in the product. This contamination embedded in it might not suit the paint underneath it and this apparently causes a rough surface.

Besides, a contaminated clear coat does not perform well at drying and setting up on the surface. Therefore, it is wise if you notice what ingredients the clear coat possesses before intending to apply it to your destined place.

4. Matching Problem

Another problem that we found severe for this project is the matching problem. The clear coat that you are intending to apply, must match the type of paint underneath. Some paints don’t ask for a clear coat and don’t go along with it.

Paints like epoxy, acrylic, and enamel go rightfully with a clear coat. These paints can be protected by a clear coat, unlike other ordinary paints. Therefore, the better you know on what base or paint, you are going to apply the clear coat.

5. Applying Excessive Layers

A clear coat on a surface is supposed to provide a smooth glide while you touch it. The layer of clear coat should be in between thick and thin conditions. Too much coating of clear coat runs down to the surface if it is positioned vertically and thus causes an uneven surface.

The drippings and running down of the coating get accumulated at the bottom of the surface. When you do not notice this, this gets cured in possible time. After that, when you touch it, you feel an unsmooth and sandpaper-like feeling.

Too little of a coating of clear coat can give you the same experience and a cloudy texture on the surface.

6. Too Much Exposure to Dirt

If you have a vehicle and clear coated it already, then a fine texture with a smooth surface can easily be gotten. But if you ride the vehicle on roads too much harsh and filled with dirt, then your clear coat has a problem there.

It is seen that too much exposure to dirt can lead it to penetrate deep into the clear coat and makes it feel gritty. If the coat is nonporous and done nicely, still dust and debris will find their way to cling to the coat so obstinately that you will need to think about the condition seriously.

4 Ways to Fix Clear Coat Feels Like Sandpaper:

As you have already known the reasons why the clear coat feels like sandpaper, you should not be disappointed thinking there is no cure for this problem. These are the very reason that your wall paint feels like sandpaper too.

But there are definitely some wonderful ways that can abolish this sandpaper-like feeling from your clear coat. Though some ways might seem laborious to you, these are worth the situation and patience. So, let’s check out the ways at once.

1) Wet Sanding:

The popular way to abolish the sandpaper-like feeling from your clear coat is to give it a sanding. For this job, you should use wet sandpaper. Start with sandpaper of 320 grits and then you can go up to 1000 or 2000 grits to give a great polish to the surface.

But you need to be careful as sandpapers are harsh and might affect the beautiful paint underneath the clear coat.

2) Clay Bar treatment:

Another great way to solve the problem of the roughness of the clear coat is to apply the treatment of a clay bar to it. If you see your clear coat is contaminated with dirt and debris then use a clay bar on it.

It pulls out the dirt and stubborn contamination and helps in making the surface smooth again. However, the process might not seem so effective in tougher cases.

3) Use Solvents:

If the clear coat is affected with tar or metal scales somehow, then you need to use some serious products. Solvents are able to loosen these grease and metal scales to a great extent.

But as they come in different ranges to cure the issue, they might affect paint. That’s why you need to choose a mild solvent to loosen tar or things like this without affecting the coating.

4) Apply Coat Correction and Polishing:

Applying coat correction is an easier way to get rid of the rough feeling of your clear coat. It also ensures the success of the job. Besides, polishing is also an effective process for this job.

If you wet sand the place before polishing it, the whole job would be more fruitful. Therefore, you should notice if the surface requires wet sanding first or not and then decide to polish it. Read Also: Get Smooth Finish with Spray Paint [In 6 Easy Steps]

How Do You Make Rough Clear Coat Smooth? – Full Process:

We have already mentioned some effective ways to get rid of the gritty or rough surfaces of clear coats. Still, some confusion remains in the air because the exact process of applying those ways also needs to be learned.

This also helps in saving one from going on the wrong path of smoothening the clear coat. Therefore, we thought to come out with a possible procedure to make rough clear coat smooth step by step. Powder Coat Vs Paint Wheels [Which is Most Durable]

Step 1: Take the Necessaries

Before jumping into the main steps make sure you have the necessaries. If you are not a DIYer then you might not have all the necessary restored. In that case, you can get the following substances from any hardware store.

1. Sandpapers
2. Electric polisher
3. Soft foam buffing pad
4. Wax
5. Spray gun
6. Soapy water
7. A rag
8. Finishing polish

Step 2: Soak the Sandpaper –

As you can see you don’t need to have many materials. Just some materials and more labor will do your job. For this step, you need to soak the wet sandpaper.

It is important to mention that you need to have sandpaper of several grits from coarse to normal. Soak the coarse one with 300-800 grits depending on the roughness of the surface.

Step 3: Sand the Surface –

Now it’s time to sand the surface with coarse sandpaper. Sand in a mild motion so you don’t put too much effort. The back and forth motion with a light pressure of sandpaper on the surface is all we are asking.

Also, make sure you are covering all the space. For spaces where there are too many scratches, you can pace up the sanding with carefulness. But don’t let affect the coat with too much sanding. Read Also: How to Spray Single Stage Urethane Paint [Pro Finishing Guide]

Step 4: Sand to Polish –

Once you are done sanding with coarse sandpaper, you need to sand the surface again to polish it. To polish the surface you need to have sandpaper of 1000 to 1200 grits. Sand the surface again following the exact process that we have uttered in the immediate step.

You might require some labor to do the whole sanding process. Besides, your patience is all that you need to be successful here. Also, remember to sand the space keeping it wet all the time.

Step 5: Clean the Surface –

As polishing with sandpaper is a messy job, you will find chalk-like dust, debris, and dirt. You need to clean them before stepping into the next phase of the process. Take soapy water in a spray gun to remove all the dust from the surface and make it fully clean.

Wipe excess water using a rag and let the surface dry after that. Surprisingly, you will still find the surface rough and not entirely smooth. To get rid of this situation, use an electric polisher. Read Also: Removing Paint from Steel Wheels – In 5 Effective Ways

Step 6: Buff the Place –

Electric polisher will help big time to provide an even surface. However, still, it’s not enough as a shiny look will last only when the surface is perfectly and seamlessly even. Therefore, start to buff the coat on the surface.

To buff the place, use a soft foam buffing pad with a finishing polish. This will perfectly remove all the uneven spots and make it look smooth again. Read More: Powder Coat Vs Paint Wheels [Which is Most Durable]

Step 7: Wax the Surface –

To get back the shiny look on the surface, you need to wax it in this step. But before that, don’t forget to clean the buffing area properly. After that use a quality liquid wax and apply it to protect the surface for a longer period of time. Once you apply it, let the application harden, and then you are done with making your rough clear coat smooth.

Final Word:

Hopefully, you understand how Clear Coat Feels Like Sandpaper? Using the above steps will help to give your car paint a shiny appearance. For shiny finishes, you need high-quality materials and products. We assumed given above, hope those guides will be helpful to solve this problem. Thank you.

FAQs –

Q. How do you fix a textured clear coat?

Ans: The safest way to fix a textured clear coat is to first spray clear coats on texture areas at first. If the situation is worsening then wet sand the area. Spraying a clear coat on an old one is only required if the textured spot is limited and won’t affect the evenness of the surface.

Last Updated on October 13, 2025 by Rogers Weber

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