This article focuses on the best car painting companies in Nairobi and Kenya at large. The list focuses on highly rated companies that offer quality and affordable auto painting services for all types of vehicles.
Automotive paint is paint used on automobiles for both protection and decoration purposes. Water-based acrylic polyurethane enamel paint is currently the most widely used paint for reasons including reducing paint’s environmental impact. Modern automobile paint is applied in several layers, with a total thickness of around 100 µm(0.1mm). Paint application requires preparation and primer steps to ensure proper application. A basecoat is applied after the primer paint is applied. Following this, a clearcoat of paint may be applied that forms a glossy and transparent coating. The clearcoat layer must be able to withstand UV light.
Processes and coatings in car painting
Preparation
High-pressure water spray jets are directed to the body. Without proper pretreatment, premature failure of the finish system can almost be guaranteed. A phosphate coat is necessary to protect the body against corrosion effects and prepares the surface for the E-Coat.
The body is dipped into the Electro-Coat Paint Operation (ELPO/E-Coat), then a high voltage is applied. The body works as a cathode and the paint as an anode sticking on the body surface. It is an eco-friendly painting process. In E-Coat, also called CED paint, use is approximately 99.9% and provides superior salt spray resistance compared to other painting processes.
Primer
The primer is the first coat to be applied. The primer serves several purposes.
- It serves as a leveler, which is important since the cab often has marks and other forms of surface defect after being manufactured in the body shop. A smoother surface is created by leveling out these defects and therefore a better final product.
- It protects the vehicle from corrosion, heat differences, bumps, stone-chips, UV-light, etc.
- It improves ease of application by making it easier for paints to stick to the surface. Using a primer, a more varied range of paints can be used.
Base Coat
The base coat is applied after the primer coat. This coat contains the visual properties of color and effects, and is usually the one referred to as the paint. Base coat used in automotive applications is commonly divided into three categories: solid, metallic, and pearlescent pigments.
- Solid paints have no sparkle effects except the color. This is the easiest type of paint to apply, and the most common type of paint for heavy transportation vehicles, construction equipment and aircraft. It is also widely used on cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Clear coat was not used on solid colors until the early 1990s.
- Metallic paints contain aluminium flakes to create a sparkling and grainy effect, generally referred to as a metallic look. This paint is harder to manage than solid paints because of the extra dimensions to consider. Metallic and pearlescent paints must be applied evenly to ensure a consistent looking finish without light and dark spots which are often called “mottling”. Metallic basecoats are formulated so that the aluminium flake is parallel to the substrate. This maximises the “flop”. This is the difference in the brightness between looking perpendicularly at the paint and that at an acute angle. The “flop” is maximised if the basecoat increases in viscosity shortly after application so that the aluminium flake which is in a random orientation after spraying is locked into this position while there is still much solvent (or water) in the coating. Subsequent evaporation of the solvent (or water), leads to a reduction in the film thickness of the drying coating, causing the aluminium flake to be dragged into an orientation parallel to the substrate. This orientation then needs to be unaffected by the application of the clear coat solvents. The formulation of the clear coat needs to be carefully chosen so that it will not “re-dissolve” the basecoat and thus affect the orientation of the metallic flake but will still exhibit enough adhesion between the coatings so as to avoid delamination of the clear coat. A similar mode of action occurs with pearlescent pigmented basecoats.
- Pearlescent paints contain special iridescent pigments commonly referred to as “pearls”. Pearl pigments impart a colored sparkle to the finish which works to create depth of color. Pearlescent paints can be two stage in nature (pearl base color + clear) or 3 stage in nature (basecoat + pearl mid-coat + clear-coat).
Clearcoat
Usually sprayed on top of a colored basecoat, clearcoat is a glossy and transparent coating that forms the final interface with the environment. For this reason, clearcoat must be durable enough to resist abrasion and chemically stable enough to withstand UV light. Clearcoat can be either solvent or water-borne.
One part and two part formulations are often referred to as “1K” and “2K” respectively. Car manufacturer (OEM) clear coats applied to the metal bodies of cars are normally 1K systems since they can be heated to around 140 °C to effect cure. The clear coats applied to the plastic components like the bumpers and wing mirrors however are 2K systems since they can normally only accept temperatures up to about 90 °C. These 2K systems are normally applied “off line” with the coated plastic parts fixed to the painted metallic body. Owing to the difference in formulation of the 1K and 2K systems and the fact they are coated in different locations they have a different effect on the “redissolving” of the metallic base coat. This is most easily seen in the light metallic paints like the silver and light blue or green shades where the “flop” difference is most marked.
Here is a list of the best car painting companies in Kenya.
Motor Care Ltd
Auto painting in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Langata Rd, Nairobi City, Kenya
Phone: +254 716 233382
Auto Village
Car repair and maintenance
Address: Langata Rd Auto Village Complex Karen, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 722 710310
Mash Auto
Car repair and maintenance in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Chiromo Ln, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 722 704085
Extreme Auto Centre Ltd
Car repair and maintenance in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Ngong Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 733 555151
ProWrapp
Car detailing service in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Mbaazi Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 716 448404
AK Automotive
Auto body shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Location: Thome, Garden Estate Road.
Phone: 0721 690 000.
Unity Auto Garage (Nbi) Ltd
Auto repair shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Kampala Road Nairobi City KE, Kenya
Phone: +254 721 206033
Golden Auto Body LTD
Address: Pemba St, Nairobi, Kenya
Posh Autobody (EA) Limited
Address: Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 709 112200
Diastar Auto Care Centre
Auto body shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Location: Enterprise Road, Industrial Area.
Phone: 0718 752 172.
Apex Motor Mart Limited
Location: Donholm.
Phone: 0722 817 799.
Xtreme Kustoms
Car repair and maintenance in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: 99 Oldeani Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 722 706413
Central Motor Service Ltd
Auto repair shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Location: Pokomo Road, Industrial Area.
Phone: 0720 441 250, 0735 204 887.
Auto Village
Location: Opposite Uhuru Gardens, Langata Road.
Phone: 0722 710 310.
BHATTI PANEL BEATERS LTD
Auto body shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: NO 10 CHEPKORIO ROAD BARICHO ROAD NAIROBI KE, Kenya
Phone: +254 721 234175
Spray Master Karen
Repair service in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Ngong Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 724 945644
AutoGurus Body Shop & Garage
Auto painting in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Super highway Roysambu, Kenya
Phone: +254 720 483161
Toyota Kenya- Body Shop
Auto body shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Kampala Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: 0719 029 014, 0719 029 000.
DT Dobie Body Shop
Location: Lusaka Road, Industrial Area.
Phone: 0711 057 000, 020 760 4000.
Align My Car (Car Repair Services, Auto Garage & Auto Body in Nairobi)
Address: Kiambu Road, Ridgeways, Behind Truce Grille, Nairobi, Kenya
Products and Services: m.facebook.com
Phone: +254 714 227669
Odamblason Auto Painters
Location: Roysambu, Opposite PAC University.
Phone: 0704 725 561.
Corner Garage
Location: Likoni Road, Industrial Area.
Phone: 0719 275 023, 0726 777 333.
Kenya Car Guy Limited
Auto repair shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Ngao Road, Kenya
Phone: +254 733 666597
Midland Autocare Ltd
Location: Along Busia Road, Industrial Area.
Phone: 0722 230 624, 0721 258 771.
Performance Arts Auto Centre
Auto body shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: City Park Link Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 710 777775
Crown Paints Kenya PLC -Kenya’s #1 Paint Manufacturer
Paint manufacturer in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Likoni Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 709 887000
Vins auto centre
Car dealer in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: next to Kenyatta university refferal and teaching hospital, Kenya
Products and Services: vins.co.ke
Appointments: vins.co.ke
Phone: +254 110 000016
Charley Automobile Ltd.
Auto body shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Chambers Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 721 200227
Accidental is Now Ashante Auto Garage (Thika) Ltd
Auto body shop in Thika, Kenya
Address: 323-01000, Next to Seventh Day Adventist Thika, Umoja Thika Chief’s Office., thika, Kenya
Phone: +254 721 883262
Tj And U Auto Garage
Auto repair shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Rabai Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 721 222585
JDM Auto Kenya Garage
Auto repair shop in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Off Langata rd. Phenom Estate Rd Behind Carnivore, Kenya
Phone: +254 722 793945
MASTERS AUTO BODY REPAIR
Auto painting in Nairobi, Kenya
Address: Ngong road behind THE TANKARD Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 725 291830
