Oxidation Removal in Cornelius, NC

Oxidation removal is the process of eliminating the chalky, hazy layer that forms on your boat's gelcoat or car's paint when UV exposure breaks down the surface over time. We use a laser gloss meter to measure how severe the oxidation is (most oxidized boats on Lake Norman measure 20-40 gloss when they should be 70+ from the factory), then we wet sand or compound in stages to remove the damaged layer and restore the high-gloss finish underneath.

Scratch Removal Certified

Paint Correction Certified

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All Lake Norman Marina's Certified

What to Expect With Oxidation Removal
  • Timeline depends on how far gone the oxidation is. Light oxidation (50-60 gloss) takes 4-6 hours at your Lake Norman dock because we're doing medium compound and polish stages. Severe oxidation (20-30 gloss, chalky and white-looking) takes 8-12 hours because we're wet sanding to remove the heavily damaged layer, then progressing through heavy compound, medium compound, light compound, and polish before we're done.
  • You'll see us measuring gloss readings with our laser meter to determine which correction stages you need. Below 30 gloss means wet sanding (we're removing material to get under the damage). 30-50 gloss means heavy compounding. 50-70 gloss means medium to light compound and polish. We're not guessing what your boat needs, we're measuring and adjusting our approach based on actual numbers.
  • Lake Norman UV exposure oxidizes gelcoat faster than most boat owners realize. Boats stored uncovered at Peninsula Yacht Club, Morningstar Marina, and LNYC drop from factory 70 gloss to 40-50 gloss in just 2-3 seasons of sitting in summer sun. White and light-colored gelcoat shows oxidation as chalky haze, dark colors show it as fading and dullness.
Oxidation Removal
Why Oxidation Removal Matters
  • Severe oxidation becomes irreversible if you wait too long. Boats only have 20-24 mils of gelcoat from the factory, and heavy oxidation means you're burning through that thickness trying to restore the surface. We see 10-15 year old boats at Lake Norman marinas where oxidation penetrated so deep that wet sanding would remove too much material (at that point you need gelcoat repair or repainting instead of simple correction).
  • Oxidized boats lose $5,000-$15,000 in resale value because buyers assume neglect across the board. When buyers at Peninsula Yacht Club or Morningstar Marina see chalky, hazy gelcoat measuring 30-40 gloss, they're thinking the engine wasn't maintained either (even if you have perfect service records). They'll lowball you or walk away entirely because the boat looks tired and cheap.
  • Most boat owners try DIY oxidation removal with rubbing compound from the auto parts store and make it worse. They use the wrong grit compound for their oxidation level (burning through gelcoat or not removing enough damage), they don't measure results so they have no idea if it worked, and they give up halfway through when their arms get tired. Then the boat sits oxidized for another year.
Why Oxidation Removal Matters
How AJW Detailing Handles Oxidation Removal
  • We're the only Lake Norman detailer with a laser gloss meter that measures oxidation severity. Most detailers eyeball it and guess which compound to use (usually wrong), but we're measuring your baseline gloss, determining exact correction stages needed, and verifying improvement after each pass. The nearest detailers with gloss meters are on the coast or in Florida.
  • We've removed oxidation from over 1,200 boats in 10 years on Lake Norman. That's everything from bow riders at Charlotte Ski Boats to yachts at Peninsula Yacht Club with severe oxidation from sitting uncovered for years. We know exactly how Lake Norman's climate accelerates oxidation (spring humidity, summer UV intensity, fall temperature swings), and we've corrected every level of damage from light haze to severe chalking.
  • We're fully mobile to your Lake Norman dock so you don't trailer anywhere. We work at Peninsula Yacht Club, Morningstar Marina, LNYC, Charlotte Ski Boats, Holiday Marina, and private docks throughout Cornelius, Mooresville, Huntersville, and Davidson. No shop drop-off, no waiting weeks for service, no trailering a 30-foot boat.
How AJW Detailing Handles Oxidation Removal
Common Questions About Oxidation Removal
How long does oxidation removal take on Lake Norman boats?
4-12 hours depending on severity. Light oxidation (50-60 gloss, slightly hazy) takes 4-6 hours with medium compound and polish. Severe oxidation (20-30 gloss, chalky white appearance) takes 8-12 hours because we're wet sanding and progressing through multiple compound stages. We measure at each stage to track progress and know when we're done.
Do I need to be at my dock while you work?
Nope. Most customers at Peninsula Yacht Club, Morningstar Marina, and LNYC drop off keys with the marina office or leave them on the boat. We send progress photos showing gloss meter readings at baseline, mid-correction, and final stages so you can see the improvement. You're welcome to watch, but it's not required.
How often should I remove oxidation from my boat?
Depends on how you maintain it between corrections. Boats with ceramic coating don't oxidize (ceramic blocks UV damage), so you're looking at 3-5+ years before needing correction again. Boats that get regular waxing might go 2-3 years. Boats sitting uncovered at Lake Norman docks with no protection need oxidation removal annually because UV damage happens fast.
Can you remove oxidation from a boat that looks completely chalky and white?
Yes, but we need to assess thickness first. Severely chalky gelcoat (15-25 gloss) usually means we're wet sanding to remove the damaged layer, which removes material thickness. If your boat still has 18-20 mils of gelcoat remaining, we can restore it. If you're down to 10-12 mils (from previous bad correction attempts or age), wet sanding might punch through to the fiberglass substrate.
What if my boat is dark blue or black and looks faded instead of chalky?
That's still oxidation, just looks different on dark colors. Dark gelcoat shows oxidation as dullness and color fade (measuring 30-50 gloss when it should be 70+). We remove it the same way as white oxidation (compound and polish stages based on gloss readings), and the color comes back vibrant when we're done.

Our Simple Step by Step Process

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3. Vehicle Details 🚗

3. Boat Details: 🚤

3. Other (Motorcycle / RV / Trailer) Details 🛻

4. Car Detail Goals 🎯

4. Boat Detail Goals 🎯

5. Car Condition 🚨

  1. Boat Condition 🚨

  1. Water & Power Access ⚡

To perform our services on-site, we require access to a standard garden hose (water) and a grounded electrical outlet.

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Reliable Mobile Detailing handled start to finish.

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Where We Provide

Oxidation Removal

  • Cornelius, NC

  • Huntersville, NC

  • Mayhew, NC

  • Bells Cross Roads, NC

  • Denver, NC

  • Davidson, NC

  • Mooresville, NC

  • Terrell, NC

  • Sherrills Ford, NC

  • Westport, NC

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Other Services We Provide

Need something else? Check out the

other services we offer for Mobile Detailing.

What We Can Help You With.

Our Services

Boat Detailing

Boat detailing is a deep clean of your boat's interior and exterior (not just a quick wash). We're scrubbing mold out of upholstery and carpets, cleaning vinyl and gelcoat, treating all the plastic and rubber, and finishing with wax or sealant on the hull. Think of it as a full reset before the season or after a summer of Lake Norman use.

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Car Detailing

Car detailing is a deep clean of your vehicle's interior and exterior (not just a quick car wash). We're extracting carpet and upholstery stains, cleaning leather or vinyl, scrubbing door jambs and vents, washing and claying the exterior paint, and finishing with wax or sealant. Think of it as a full reset that removes months or years of buildup that regular washing doesn't touch.

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Boat Ceramic Coating

Boat ceramic coating is a permanent protective layer applied to your boat's gelcoat that shields it from Lake Norman's UV damage, oxidation, and water spotting for years. We use Glidecoat Pro ceramic coating with a laser gloss meter to measure your boat's surface (aiming for 90-100+ gloss readings, higher than the 70 gloss your boat came with from the factory).

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Car Ceramic Coating

Car ceramic coating is a permanent protective layer applied to your car's paint that shields it from UV damage, swirl marks, water spotting, and road contaminants for years. We use Glidecoat Pro ceramic coating with a laser gloss meter to measure your paint's surface (aiming for 90-100+ gloss readings, higher than most factory paint which sits around 75-85 gloss when new).

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RV/Camper Detailing

RV and camper detailing is a deep clean of your motorhome or travel trailer's exterior and interior (not just a quick rinse at the RV wash station). We're removing black streaks, oxidation, and road grime from fiberglass or aluminum sidewalls, treating the rubber roof, cleaning awning fabric, scrubbing the interior, and sealing surfaces to protect against North Carolina UV damage and humidity.

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Fleet Washing

Fleet washing is scheduled maintenance cleaning for businesses with multiple vehicles (work trucks, vans, trailers, boats, service vehicles). We come to your location in the Lake Norman area on a recurring schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) and wash your entire fleet so your vehicles stay presentable without your team spending time on it.

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Oxidation Removal

Oxidation removal is the process of eliminating the chalky, hazy layer that forms on your boat's gelcoat or car's paint when UV exposure breaks down the surface over time. We use a laser gloss meter to measure how severe the oxidation is (most oxidized boats on Lake Norman measure 20-40 gloss when they should be 70+ from the factory), then we wet sand or compound in stages to remove the damaged layer and restore the high-gloss finish underneath.

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Paint Correction

Paint correction is the multi-stage process of removing defects from your car's clear coat (swirl marks, scratches, oxidation, water spots, holograms) using progressively finer compounds and polishes until the paint is mirror-finish. We use a laser gloss meter to measure your paint at each correction stage (targeting 90-100+ gloss readings, compared to most factory paint which sits around 75-85 gloss when new).

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Scratch Removal

Scratch removal is the process of eliminating surface scratches from your boat's gelcoat or car's paint by leveling the surrounding material down to the depth of the scratch using wet sanding, compound, and polish. We use a laser gloss meter to measure the area before and after correction (targeting 85+ gloss minimum after we're done), and we can only remove scratches that haven't penetrated completely through the gelcoat or clear coat layer.

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Interior Stain Removal

Interior stain removal is the process of extracting deep-set stains from carpet, upholstery, vinyl, and fabric in your boat or car using commercial-grade equipment and specialty cleaners. We're treating everything from mold and mildew stains (common in Lake Norman boats that sit closed up) to food and drink spills, sunscreen residue, fuel stains, and mystery marks that have been sitting for months or years.

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Wheel & Rim Restoration

Wheel and rim restoration is the process of removing brake dust buildup, curb rash, oxidation, and clear coat failure from your wheels to restore them to like-new condition. We're polishing out scratches, repairing minor damage, cleaning embedded contaminants, and sealing the surface so brake dust doesn't bond as aggressively (which is a constant problem in North Carolina humidity and road salt).

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Water Spot Removal

Water spot removal is the process of eliminating mineral deposits etched into your boat's gelcoat or car's paint from hard water evaporation. Lake Norman's hard water leaves calcium and magnesium deposits that bond to surfaces when water dries (those white circles and spots you see everywhere), and we use acid-based cleaners, compounds, and polish to remove them before they etch permanently into the clear coat or gelcoat.

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