Have you ever thought about applying ceramic coating to your car? Do the popular claims of it preserving your car’s paint job hold true? Is it better than waxing and polishing? How does it fare against the advantages of a paint protection film (PPF)? And is it really worth it considering its price tag?
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We know you have asked these questions many times only to end up more confused than before. The amount of contradicting information available on the web can be annoying at times. Which is why we have decided to clear them once and for all.
Today, we will walk you through the basics of ceramic coating for cars. What it is, what are its advantages and disadvantages, how it fares versus waxing and other alternatives, and what we as experts think about it. Here goes…
We get it. You want your car to look lovely all the time and you are open to trying anything that’s effective and permanent.
You have tried all the basic stuff like daily washing and monthly waxing to get rid of those scratches, stain marks, dirt, grime, and what-not. And yet they come back the following day with the additional swirl marks from all the washing.
So, you think of something else. A solution that will make your car look heavenly day in and day out with just little regular maintenance. Something that is a one-time affair against the menace of chemical etching and oxidation: you apply it and then forget about it for years.
Let us introduce you to ceramic coating, the magical potion for cars that everyone’s talking about. We know you have heard about it before. From that friend who recently applied it on his Torch Red Chevy Corvette and who couldn’t stop raving about it.
But what about the naysayers? The critics who doubt about its reliability? Is there any truth in what the critics say about ceramic coating?
Is it really the best solution for preventing dirt and grime sticking in your car? Let’s find out.
Industry-grade ceramic coating is a chemical polymer solution that is applied to the exterior of a vehicle to protect it from external paint damage. Typically applied by hand, it blends with the paint of your car and creates an additional hydrophobic layer of protection.
Due to this chemical bonding and creation of a new layer, the car’s factory paint job remains untouched.
While many car enthusiasts and even detailers believe it to be an alternative to clear bra (paint protection film), ceramic coating, in reality, is an alternative to waxing. The main idea is to prevent dirt, grime, and stain marks from appearing on the paint job and ruining the clear coat.
Ceramic coating, also sometimes called nano-ceramic coating, is a permanent or semi-permanent solution to your worries depending upon the coating and type of polymer used. Due to its chemically intrinsic properties, it does not break down in normal atmospheric conditions like rain or summer.
Modesta, Nanolex, CQuartz, Ceramic Pro and IGL Kenzo are some of most popular brands of ceramic coating today. They are widely used in and around the Houston area and elsewhere in Texas. But before you decide if you really want to try it out, let’s dig deeper.
People keep raving about it. So what more can it do for your car?
Take anything that contains chemical compounds and you are looking at a resilient solution. Same goes for ceramic coating, which is both permanent and easier to clean once applied. Other than the obvious, here are a few more reasons to apply it in your car:
Protection from Harmful UV Rays
You can only imagine the damage that the sun’s harmful UV rays can do to your car’s paint job. Ceramic coating will protect your car’s paint from oxidizing, preventing it from fading and wearing a dull look. This is absolutely critical if you park your car outside.
Protection from Chemical Stains
Chemical stains arising from acidic contaminants in the air is another potential damage to your car. A coating will prevent these contaminants from bonding into the paint. With air pollution rate only rising in the city, ceramic coating can be a huge relief.
Hydrophobic Nature, Ease of Cleaning
When it comes to waxing and other types of detailing, washing your car becomes a headache. With ceramic coating, you don’t have to worry about the polymer wearing off. (Incidentally, removing it completely requires another process involving a polishing and wet-sanding.)
Not only does it blend with your car’s paint but also repels water. This means that all water-based dirt and grime will bead on the surface and eventually slide off. A quick jet wash afterward and you have yourself a spotless, ageless car.
Candy-Like Gloss
This is where the aesthetics all car owners will love. Much like car bra, ceramic coating also gloss and depth into your car’s paint. It will give your car a glossy look, bringing the best out of the original paint job.
All of these benefits have revealed the truth about ceramic coating, haven’t they? Over the past few years, its popularity has only risen in and around the Houston area. Reviews from both users and auto industry experts have been extremely positive.
A look at our own records of the past twelve years here at Vivë Auto Detailing gives us a good idea about car users’ general willingness to try out this superb protection for their car.
But there still are some myths and incorrect information swaying around when it comes to this advanced protection. Some of the most common myths about ceramic coating are listed below.
Every product in the world has drawbacks. Whether they are deal breakers or not is for us to decide. These are not exactly demerits; just things that ceramic coating just does not promise to do.
Protection from All Types of Scratches and Swirl Marks
Ceramic coating will not protect your car from the usual threats: scratches, swirl marks, and rock chips. Despite its blending properties, it still retains the characteristics of paint. This is why you should still expect your car to be at the receiving end of these common, undesirable elements.
For protection from scratches and chipping, you should opt for the more advanced paint protection film.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Sand Storage Hopper manufacturer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Protection from Water Spotting
As discussed before, after the application of ceramic coating, water-based contaminants will bead on your car’s surface and eventually slide off. But they still contain natural minerals and soluble particles that will stay on the surface after the water has evaporated.
Ceramic coating cannot get rid of the water spots that are produced as a result, removal of which will require a far more hands-on approach.
Stop the Need for Car Wash
You will still need to regularly wash your car. A layer of ceramic coating does not give your car superpowers to auto-clean itself. While we are all waiting for a miracle product that would do that, for now, let’s focus on the bright side of ceramic coating.
The short answer is yes. As we have seen in this article, ceramic coating has great benefits that will add value to your car in the long run. It will make your job of cleaning and maintaining it less tedious. So that you spend more time driving and enjoying your car than thinking about ways to keep it protected.
But if you ask us whether it is a one-stop solution for all your paint worries, we would slant to the negative. There’s no one product in the market that will guarantee a complete protection of your car. If there were, we wouldn’t be discussing ceramic coating, one of the finest car paint protection services available today.
Moreover, weighing the cost of ceramic coating against that of the yearly maintenance and waxing makes it a no-brainer.
The key to retaining the look of your car is to carry out regular maintenance. But if you are a car fanatic and are convinced about the wonders of ceramic coating and the value it will add to your car, get a quote from us today. Click here to get in touch with us.
If you are looking for something more advanced for your brand-new sports car, check out our guides on clear bra and other detailing techniques. Keep following our website for more guides, how-tos, and latest industry news in the world of automobile detailing.
Paint coatings have become quite popular over the past several years. When these coatings were first introduced, only authorized professionals could get their hands on them. Although that is still the case for some of the more exclusive products, now there are plenty of great options that are available for all consumers.
From Left to Right: 22ple VX1 Pro, Opti-Coat 2.0, CQuartz UK, CQuartz Finest (CQuartz Finest is available to authorized installers only).
As these coating products continue to gain popularity, you might find yourself wondering if they are the right product for you and how they differ from traditional forms of protection like a wax or sealant. I am personally a big supporter of paint coatings and hope to share some information with you that will help you to determine the benefits of a paint coating compared to a sealant or a wax.
Note: For the majority of this article, I will be speaking about coatings in general and not referring to any particular individual product. Many coatings share the same overall benefits, however each product is unique. Be sure to research the differences between individual coating products as you may find that one will suit your needs better than another.
In my opinion, a big selling point of paint coatings is their excellent durability and superior protection. Most coatings will provide several years of life, while offering excellent protection against UV damage, hard water spots, bird bombs, and other typical risks associated with daily driving. Coatings tend to be much more chemical resistant than traditional forms of protection and will stand up to environmental hazards much better in the long run.
The small, tight beads show the strong layer of protection on the paint.
Many of us have become accustom to performing a light polish on our vehicles every couple of years to remove minor swirls, water spots, and other defects that have developed on the surface. This polishing process, while usually light, is still removing a small layer of our clear coat. Due to the added thickness of paint coatings (typically between 1-3µm), any light defects that occur after a coating has been installed will reside in the coating and not in the clear coat. The next time you need to lightly polish your vehicle, you will simply be removing the coating and little to no clear coat. This thick layer of protection also helps to make sure bird bombs, bug splatter, and other harmful contaminates never actually reach your clear coat. This will help to preserve your vehicle’s appearance for a very, very long time!
Clear coats are very sensitive, and sometimes it seems like no matter how careful you are, it is impossible not to leave behind some very light marring or swirls after washing and drying. Paint coatings are typically harder than your vehicle’s clear coat. This added hardness helps to protect your paint from light marring. Remember, coatings can still easily be scratched, however they can help to reduce the amount of lighter defects from appearing over time. This means you will need to polish your vehicle less often.
I’m sure most of us know the feeling you get when you have just spent hours washing and waxing your vehicle, only to park it and return to a car covered in a thick layer of dust. Paint coatings resist dirt and dust better than traditional protection, so your vehicle will stay cleaner for longer periods of time. Your paint will be extremely easy to wash because dirt wipes away easily – no scrubbing is required if you properly maintain your vehicle.
Due to the awesome hydrophobic properties of paint coatings, you will also find that drying is much quicker and easier. You can sheet/flood the majority of the water from the surface and then easily blow the rest off with your Metro Vac N’ Blo or SideKick.
Fewer contaminates will bond to the surface of the coating, so you will find that you will need to clay your vehicle much less often. In fact, treating your vehicle with Iron X a couple of times a year may be all that is needed to remove the bonded contaminates from the coating.
Coatings provide exceptional beading and sheeting abilities.
Last, but certainly not least, is the amazing gloss associated with paint coatings. Your vehicle will look fantastic, be easier to maintain, and be very well protected.
The vehicle shown in the photo above has been coated with 22ple VX1 Pro for a year and continues to look fantastic.
Coating products are significantly more expensive than many traditional protection products. Coatings are typically sold in very small quantities (20-50 mL), so most people consider the price to be a big turn off. These coatings, however, require very little product to cover an entire vehicle. They are applied extremely thin, so it is not uncommon to be able to coat multiple vehicles with one small bottle of product. When you consider all of the superior qualities of a coating, and all of the time you will save after your coating has been applied, the price is not much of a “con” in my opinion.
While traditional sealants or waxes can be applied to a painted surface without having to polish the surface, a coating requires a significant amount of prep. The paint should be polished to near perfection because any defect remaining in your paint will then be beneath the coating and will take more effort to remove it in the future. After polishing, you must be sure there are no remaining polishing oils on the surface of your vehicle as these oils may reduce the strength of the bond between the coating and the paint. To remove these oils, it is usually recommended to wash the vehicle and then wipe the paint with diluted Isopropyl Alcohol or CarPro Eraser. Once you are certain that your paint is surgically clean, you may apply the coating. Again, it is important to note that every product is different, so be sure to carefully read the instructions provided with each coating and follow the guidelines for prep and application.
Coatings require more time and more finesse in terms of application compared to traditional waxes or sealants. Coatings are often more sensitive to ambient conditions, like temperature and humidity, so you must monitor the coating closely to ensure proper application. Once you get the hang of it, it’s really pretty simple!
*Be sure to carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for surface preparation and coating application!
The image above shows 22ple VX1 Pro Being Applied using a CarPro applicator block wrapped in a microfiber suede cloth. The image above shows 22ple VX1 Pro immediately after application. After several minutes excess product is wiped away to reveal a glossy finish.
Hopefully this article has provided you with a basic understanding of paint coatings. These products can be great for both daily drivers, show cars, and everything in between. It is also worth noting that many of these great products can also be used to protect other areas of your vehicle such as wheels, exhaust tips, and trim pieces.
Be sure to check out the many different coating products available at Detailed Image (click here to be directed to the Detailed Image Coating Page), and be sure to ask if you are unsure which product is right for you!
Thanks for reading!
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