An Honest Guide to Ceramic Coating Paint Protection

You’ve just bought a new car and you’re considering having a ceramic coating applied.

Well, you need to read this before you go any further.

In this guide we will give you all the information you need about ceramic coating and hopefully, allay some myths that you may have heard.

I’m sure you have seen promotional videos where water and mud are thrown over a car’s bonnet. The liquid immediately beads off the surface and you probably found it extremely therapeutic. In some other videos, you find clips where the detailer is seen scratching the car’s surface with a sharp object.

Could this all be true?

A ceramic coating becomes a layer of protection over your car’s paintwork. The main active ingredient found in ceramic coating is Silica Dioxide (SiO2). After application, this viscous liquid crystallises and forms a hardened shell over the clear coat layer of the car’s paint. The coating bonds on a molecular level with the clear coat, filling up small microscopic holes in the paint. This increases water contact angle with the surface, thereby creating beading, better known as the hydrophobic effect. Due to the active ingredients in silica dioxide based ceramic coating, the resulting layer is UV and chemical resistant. This means for example, those unsightly bird droppings, that are acidic, are less likely to etch onto the surface, making it easier to clean off.

The benefits of having a ceramic coating applied include;

You’ve been told a ceramic coating will prevent scratches, swirl marks, and stone chips .

The scratch-resistance nature of a ceramic coating is constantly exaggerated in many ways.

Your ceramic coating will deflect some minor scratches that occur in the lifetime of your car’s ownership, however, it is not possible to completely resist the damage from a stone chip or scratch from a key or even a plastic box. Improper car washing techniques will continue to cause swirl marks on your car’s surface. A ceramic coating does not substitute products that can prevent serious scratches or stone chips.

Most ceramic coating formulations are rated 9H on the pencil test scale. If you understand this test, 9H rating is the highest possible grade available. However, it does not mean it is impenetrable. Most ceramic coatings for cars are simply not flexible enough to deflect the impact of a stone hitting your paint at high speed or to resist against someone scratching your car on purpose.

If you are searching for paint protection to prevent this sort of damage, then you need to look towards having a Paint Protection Film applied, something we can do for you. We have various options available, please check out our website.

You’ve been told you won’t have to wash your car again .

Certainly a ceramic coating will help to keep your car looking like new.

However, it does not mean that you don’t need to put in the work to maintain your car the right way. Ceramic coatings are low maintenance, they aren’t no maintenance.

Wash your car regularly. Not every day. Just once a week is good enough.

Use a pH neutral shampoo without wax or other additives to ensure a clean coating surface. The benefit of a coating is such that it makes your washing regime faster, easier and less labour intensive. It also takes away the need to wax your car every month and thus, reduces the amount of money spent in the long run. Proper maintenance will extend the life of your ceramic coating.

We highly recommend that after each wash you use a ceramic detailer spray to maintain and increase hydrophobic properties of your ceramic coating. We stock suitable products which have been tried and tested, we know they work.

Car coatings are permanent. Really?

Nano ceramic coatings are considered semi-permanent, as it forms a molecular bond with the car’s paintwork and crystallises into a hard and glossy sacrificial layer. The good news is you won’t need to re-apply the coating every few months to achieve that glossy, wet appearance to your car’s paintwork. For good quality coatings, the life span can range from 1 to 5 years. However, there is a definite life span to all coatings and re-application will be required after a certain time. Nothing lasts forever.

Ceramic coatings can be applied very quickly. You take too long to do it.

With more DIY kits in the market, ceramic coatings are becoming easier and faster to apply. However, to ensure that a job is done correctly, we do have some procedures that are required before we can lay down that layer of coating on your car’s paintwork. We can’t emphasise enough how important this process is, it is vital, and will be the determinant factor in how good your ceramic coating looks. If this isn’t carried out, then it’s no different to sticking “lipstick on a pig”.

Before application, the paint surface has to be free of blemishes, this rule applies to even brand new vehicles. The process that we carry out before each application is called paint correction. Depending on the condition of your car’s paintwork, our paint correction packages range from 1 pass for brand new cars, all the way up to 4 stages for cars that might not have received any care in the last 10 years.

As the ceramic coating bonds semi-permanently, it will add a layer over your car’s paintwork. Therefore, it is imperative to restore the paintwork and increase physical gloss levels before any form of application.

Ceramic coatings are glossier and shinier than sealants and wax.

This is not necessarily true. Nano ceramic coating for cars do not increase physical gloss or add too much artificial gloss to the paintwork, the gloss enhancement comes from the prep work that is done to the paint surface. If you have faded paint or a badly scratched surface, applying any type of coating to your car will not cover the blemish. It might make it more obvious in some cases.

The same theory applies to holograms and swirl marks, these unsightly imperfections will be “locked” under the coating and can become more obvious once the coating is applied. Besides, due to surface irregularities, the coating cannot form a good bond with the paint surface and bubbling or de-lamination can occur over time. Therefore, as a friend and fellow consumer, I urge you to choose carefully and find a detailer who has the experience and knowledge about coatings before you hand your hard earned money over.

Sprinter Signs Auto Styling.