Heard About Ceramic Coating? You’ll Want to Read This…
So what’s all the buzz about this new clear coating that supposedly protects my car, boat, and even my RV from dirt, harmful contaminants, UV rays, and fading unlike anything ever before? We car owners have always dreamed of such a product but nothing ever seems to hold up in the end. Technology has definitely revealed a few amazing possibilities in recent years so maybe, just maybe this one is the real deal?
THE SCIENCE
Unlike traditional coatings, which are typically concocted from polymer resins, a car ceramic coating is silicon dioxide or silica (SiO2) based. Commonly derived from quartz crystals and sand, silica creates an invisible “nanotechnology coating,” which when combined with elements like titanium dioxide, polysilazane, triethanolamine, water, and various other ingredients, becomes quite resilient. Once cured, this viscous liquid turns into a crystal-clear shell, a product that is commonly referred to as a nano ceramic coating, or ceramic coating for short.
So why haven’t we heard about this magic potion? And more importantly, why don’t car manufacturers use it on our cars?
Ceramic coating was discovered in the 80’s and apparently car manufacturers have been using it, just not on the automobile’s outer skin. It’s been used to coat many other car’s parts to give them better protection over the years!
THE CLAIMS
Protection from Harmful UV Rays (Ceramic coating will protect your car’s paint from oxidizing, preventing it from fading and wearing a dull look)
Protection from Chemical Stains ( A coating will prevent acidic contaminants in the air from bonding into the paint)
Hydrophobic Nature, Ease of Cleaning (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 (It will give your car a glossy look, bringing the best out of the original paint job)
Long Lasting Protection (A high quality coating will offer protection for 2-3 years and may last as much as 5 years)
Increase Car’s Value (Nano Ceramic Coating offers a level of protection that paint, wax, or other protective coatings can’t match, increasing a car’s value for it’s advanced qualities)
THE COST
A high quality ceramic coating product applied by an industry pro starts at around $500. That doesn’t seem bad for what it claims to do right! That’s for the ceramic coating product and application, there are a few other steps required to ensure that it does it’s job. Although a $500 intro price for just the application of the ceramic coating itself may seem tempting, the fact remains that most cars require quite a bit of prep work via a clay bar, followed by a lot of microfiber clear coat polishing. Being that time is money, this surface prep stage often adds a lot of zeros to the final bill. Expect the real deal to come in around $899 – $3000 if a licensed pro is doing the job. The price will vary depending on the condition and size of your car or other vehicle.
The DIY version required the product which is more like $20 – $130. Everyone agrees that is awesome so what’s the catch? Guess who’s doing all that prep work mentioned earlier. Still the difference in price is convincing and as long as your product comes with detailed, understandable instructions you can save yourself a bundle! Know your product before buying. There are a handful of manufacturers and each one has a different formula, make sure your choice is the right one.
THE TRUTH
It Works! Ceramic coatings offer better protection than waxes or sealants, hands down. They also last much longer – usually multiple years. Many professional grade coatings even offer warranties. In most cases, when your car’s coating is damaged in an accident, the coating of the newly repaired areas of your car will be accepted in your insurance claim, but confirm with your insurance carrier to be sure. Once the claim has been processed, and your car has been repaired, your Ceramic Coating dealer can re-apply the same coating to the new parts that was used on the rest of your vehicle! Ceramic Coatings repel dirt and water like nothing else, which makes them easier to clean. Their slickness and deflection helps to prevent swirl marks and marring from washing.
However, remember is that proper prep work and application are critical to the product’s performance. It’s also true that not all cars benefit from Ceramic coatings. If your car is garage kept and virtually never sees the sunlight or it has a specific paint application (single stage paint) that doesn’t necessarily play nice with ceramic coatings.
The formula quality varies greatly so no your products. A high-quality ceramic coating should be sticky, yet never gooey, and it should always go on smoothly without appearing watery. It should contain at least 80% silica dioxide (SiO2). The stronger the SiO2 dosage, the harder the ceramic coating will cure.
In order to keep a ceramic coated vehicle looking sharp you should regularly hand wash the entire vehicle with water and a pH neutral car shampoo.
Finally, removing ceramic coating from your vehicle will be even more fun than applying it when it comes to elbow grease. It’s meant to last…
If you have the cash, and protecting your baby means the absolute best protection money can buy, having a professionally installed ceramic car coating applied to your vehicle is the best option according to most if not all satisfied customers. For the average Joe, the DIY hydrophobic coating route for our daily driver is a good alternative too. Yes, a little elbow grease, and some TLC are needed to get her looking awesome and keeping her that way, but a small price to pay compared to $2000.00. Either way, when it comes to your car’s paint protection, you have a “crystal-clear” alternative to scrubbing, compounding, and waxing from now on with Ceramic Coating!
Call or text (757) 560-4252 and ask for Mike Love, I have answers.
TM Auto Wholesalers, Chesapeake Va
Source:
C, Tim “Ceramic Coating: The ultimate car protection guide” AVALONKING.COM. February 14th, 2018, Web. Retrieved 9/15/2020 from: https://avalonking.com/blog/the-truth-about-ceramic-coatings/
Lau, Anson “Ceramic Coating: What is it? Benefits? Disadvantages?” www.vive-houstin.com. June 15, 2019, Web. Retrieved 9/15/2020 from: https://www.vive-houston.com/blog/ceramic-coating-does-it-work
Silvestro, Brian “Road and Track: These Are the Cars That Depreciate Most” www.roadandtrack.com. Oct 12 2018, Web. Retrieved 4/1/2019 from https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/buying-maintenance/g23723032/cars-with-high-depreciation/
Staff “How to choose the best ceramic coating for your boat – 38 Scout” www.Glidecoat.com. Web. Retrieved 9/15/2020 from: https://www.glidecoat.com/case-study/how-to-choose-the-best-ceramic-coating-for-your-boat/#:~:text=In%20many%20cases%20the%20marine,very%20similar%20to%20the%20automotive.&text=The%20lack%20of%20longevity%20of,gel%20coat%20and%20painted%20fiberglass
