Underseal
Encyclopedia
Underseal is a thick resilient coating applied to the underbody or chassis
of an automobile
to protect against impact damage from small stones, which would rapidly chip ordinary paint
, allowing rust
ing to begin.
Historically a bitumen-based compound was used, but after approximately a decade this becomes brittle and water can become trapped between the underseal and body metal, ironically creating a more favourable environment for rust than if no underseal was applied at all. Wax
-based underseals do not have this disadvantage but can be eroded and eventually washed off by enthusiastic use of a hot pressure washer
. Rubber
-based underseals are also sometimes used.
Vehicles for sale in some territories are not undersealed, because the climate
is not sufficiently aggressive to warrant it. If such a vehicle is subsequently imported into a country with high rainfall, cold winters and where salt
ing of the roads is common, application of underseal is strongly recommended to ensure the vehicle has a long life.
When concrete on streets, parking lots, or warehouse floors begins to degrade, there are a few methods of repair available. Concrete undersealing is a process by which hot asphalt is pumped underneath the concrete slab so it flows into patches that were hollow and eroded. After concrete undersealing, the concrete is more stable and can be overlaid with a thin layer of asphalt to repair cracks, saving the expense and time of replacing the entire surface.
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
of an automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
to protect against impact damage from small stones, which would rapidly chip ordinary paint
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
, allowing rust
Rust
Rust is a general term for a series of iron oxides. In colloquial usage, the term is applied to red oxides, formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or air moisture...
ing to begin.
Historically a bitumen-based compound was used, but after approximately a decade this becomes brittle and water can become trapped between the underseal and body metal, ironically creating a more favourable environment for rust than if no underseal was applied at all. Wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
-based underseals do not have this disadvantage but can be eroded and eventually washed off by enthusiastic use of a hot pressure washer
Pressure washer
A pressure washer is a high pressure mechanical sprayer that can be used to remove loose paint, mold, grime, dust, mud, and dirt from surfaces and objects such as buildings, vehicles, and concrete road surfaces. The volume of a pressure washer is expressed in Gallons Per Minute, which is designed...
. Rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
-based underseals are also sometimes used.
Vehicles for sale in some territories are not undersealed, because the climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
is not sufficiently aggressive to warrant it. If such a vehicle is subsequently imported into a country with high rainfall, cold winters and where salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
ing of the roads is common, application of underseal is strongly recommended to ensure the vehicle has a long life.
When concrete on streets, parking lots, or warehouse floors begins to degrade, there are a few methods of repair available. Concrete undersealing is a process by which hot asphalt is pumped underneath the concrete slab so it flows into patches that were hollow and eroded. After concrete undersealing, the concrete is more stable and can be overlaid with a thin layer of asphalt to repair cracks, saving the expense and time of replacing the entire surface.