For many years, Bondo has been the preferred body filler in the automotive sector. It is incredibly effective at hiding scuffs, dents, and cracks.
It hardens quickly, can be quickly molded into the required shape, and is rather durable. You might be wondering if it’s okay to use Bondo to cover dents on your car. But can bondo get wet if it comes in contact with water?
Resin used in Bondo is waterproof. However, after considering the Bondo experiences that car owners have had, we can say that it is not completely waterproof.
Bondo is waterproof. When subjected to water for an extended period of time, this occurs. The majority of Bondo fillers are exposed for a brief period of time, which has no lasting effects. However, if Bondo is exposed to water on a regular basis, it will absorb it and eventually get wet.
Join us in determining the waterproofness of Bondo using the information in the article below. Are they actually safe for vehicle scratches?
What Exactly Is Bondo?
A polyester body filler that is frequently used in vehicle body repair projects goes by the brand name Bondo. The brand name, much like Kleenex or The Club, has become so generic that it is casually used to refer to any type of automotive body filler.
Given its texture, automobile filler is sometimes referred to as “putty” by those who perform body repair.
After a little collision or damage, automotive body filler is frequently used to smooth out surface flaws.
Body filler is used to cover minor flaws that are either impractical or difficult to correct, much like spackles might be used to cover a dent or small hole in a wall in a home or apartment.
Similar to epoxy, the body filler requires mixing one part of the solution with a catalyst, in this case a hardener.
After being applied to the surface, the filler will harden as a result of the two components being combined. After that, the filler can be painted to match the rest of the panel after being primed and smoothed.
Can Bondo Get Wet?
Bondo does, in fact, get wet. It isn’t entirely watertight. This indicates that Bondo will become wet after prolonged exposure to water.
However, because this exposure isn’t continuous, if your Bondo is merely exposed to rain or vehicle wash water, it won’t get wet.
Let’s examine why Bondo doesn’t get wet easily keeping the aforementioned in mind. Bondo resists becoming wet easily because of one of the chemicals used, plastic resin. Water doesn’t absorb into this substance.
As a result, it is challenging for the Bondo to become moist. Plastic resin absorbs water similarly to a sponge thanks to its unique formulation. The resin emits water when squeezed, then dries up. The reason Bondo takes so long to become wet is due to this plastic resin.
Now let’s talk about the other component, talc, which is a hygroscopic substance. It takes in moisture from the atmosphere. The ability of the plastic resin is offset by talc.
As a result, these two components compete with one another. Because of this component, Bondo isn’t completely waterproof. Bondo can become wet when exposed to large amounts of water because of its hygroscopic characteristics.
What Keeps Bondo Dry?
You must be aware of how Bondo’s constituents function. How is Bondo able to stay dry for so long since talc is hygroscopic?
Talc’s hygroscopic characteristics are offset by plastic. It does a terrific job of keeping Bondo dry because of the sun’s heat.
Even after it has rained on your Bondo, heat from the rising sun dries out any moisture that may have seeped into the Bondo.
That’s how it stays dry for a long time. You are more prone to have wet Bondo if you reside in a region with little sunlight. This will be the case because there is no heat source.
Can Bondo Get Wet Over Time?
It is true that this cannot be avoided. It is impossible to prevent bondo from becoming moist after a while.
Water will eventually leak through after a few months or years, depending on how thoroughly the Bondo was prepared and applied. And as soon as water enters the picture, that Bondo piece will shortly peel off.
Bondo needs to be dry in order to stick to an automobile. It starts to cause issues when it becomes wet because it loses its ability to stick to metal. If this occurs, you can apply fresh Bondo instead of removing the damaged one.
What Is the Proper Application for Bondo?
The best technique to fix an automobile that has been severely damaged or has considerable rust is to remove that metal and replace it with new metal, especially if the car is expensive.
Bondo is alright, but, if the damage is minor and/or the car isn’t valuable or in great condition. Bondo and other brands of body filler produce a lovely finish that ought to endure for a while when applied carefully and sparingly.
Car accidents are usually unavoidable, and body filler is just a tool that any auto mechanic would employ to aid with repairs. However, if utilized improperly, it might become a car owner’s worst nightmare.
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When Is Bondo a Bad Thing?
A type of finishing component known as body filler is used to cover small dings and gaps and to smooth out jagged edges.
It depends on the user having reasonably fixed the underlying structure and then filling in the little gaps where it isn’t possible or practical to patch them with putty.
Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped slack body mechanics from avoiding the metalwork repairs and instead merely applying body filler to make things appear somewhat correct. This is undesirable for various reasons.
It’ll probably look terrible, to start. When working with a large amount of thick putty, it can be difficult to ensure that vehicle character lines and dimensions remain true to stock.
However, priming and painting the surface can probably match the reflecting properties of sheet metal rather well.
Additionally, body filler isn’t as durable as sheet metal. Body filler won’t be able to withstand crash forces if there is too much of it covering up major structural problems.
Additionally, body filler isn’t always a rust inhibitor. Body filler will only serve to conceal rust damage if the rust has not been treated by being cut out or covered with a real rust inhibitor.
Under layers of muck and trash, that rust will continue to spread, but unseen. When it eventually materializes down the line, it will be a much worse catastrophe.
Additionally, even if body filler has been carefully applied, having body filler smudges all over the automobile may be a sign that it has lived a tough life.
What Is The Lifespan Of Bondo?
Any body filler, including Bondo, should last the lifetime of the vehicle if properly applied. Bondo won’t survive very long when used improperly, such as over corrosion without any rust inhibitor.
Bondo can crack and break due to excessive moisture, poor mixing or application techniques, or both.
Keep in mind that body filler, including Bondo and other brands, is just a tool for restoring a damaged car to good condition. It’s fantastic when utilized properly. It might become a fan’s worst nightmare if utilized improperly.
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How Can Bondo Be Prevented From Getting Wet?
To begin with, you can absolutely avoid washing or driving in the rain. All of these are impractical. Your car’s Bondo filler will occasionally become moist. That cannot be avoided.
What you can do is make sure that you combine it with the hardener in the right proportion. A too-soft bondo can be effortlessly removed by water. The other option is to seal it or use priming first, then paint.
Final Thoughts
Bondo can really get wet, therefore they can’t completely protect your car. As previously stated, we do still have some advice to help Bondo live longer. Bondo can shield your car for a longer period of time with the proper mix ratio.