Auto body repair & detailing: Water spots on cars refinish, swirl marks, water spots

Question
Hi, I read an article(s) about water spots on my cars paint.  I washed my car the other day, I live in a hard water area.  The type 1 spots came off after I washed the car again.  But , now , I have type 2 water spots, Type II Water Spots - Below Surface Water Spot Etchings, this from Meguiars.com.  Is my clear coat or paint damaged from these?  If I get a professional buffing will this remove them?  Bottom line, if I do nothing, will they affect the cars paint in the long term?  Thank you.

Answer
Hi Sydney,

The etching type of water spots are acid rain spots. They have to be removed either by: 1)buffing out 2) wet sanding. This is where the professional experienced bodyshop comes in handy. Make sure the bodyshop knows what acid rain is and the procedure to remove them is described and explained in detail to you. Otherwise the damage they do will be irreversible and require repainting. I have seen good and bad in both. The good will make the car look brand new. The bad will leave swirl marks and damaged paint. The paint will be thinner after a wet sand procedure because a layer of clearcoat has to be removed.

The effect the etching has on the paint would have to be based on how deep the damage is. If it is just below surface and still in the clearcoat finish than most likely it is more cosmetic. If it is below the clearcoat and into the paint this could lead to paint breakdown in the future.