(CLAY BAR DETAILING) Tips for Ceramic Coating Prep
Maintaining your car's paint is often a time consuming and often pretty pricey process, but it really makes a big difference regarding its overall look and quality. Over the past few years, a lot of products have hit the market that claim to be the best and that will keep the paint of your car or truck in excellent condition.
Recently, ceramic coating has really grown in popularity. We will go over ceramic coatings and if they are worth the effort. Over the past decade, ceramic coatings have gained tremendous popularity, offering the very best paint protection available.
The technology is now being marketed just about everywhere, from your neighborhood detailing shop to car YouTube channels, and everywhere in between. Almost everyone swears by this stuff. The first time people see the price tag, they usually are discouraged. First let's figure out what ceramic coating is. It's also known as a nano coating, and silicon dioxide, or silicon carbide, is the main ingredient.
It comes in a liquid form which allows it to be applied to a car and fully protect vehicle's finish.
After it hardens, the silicon dioxide and other coating characteristics form an additional protective shell that repels water and protects against UV radiation. The paint protection and auto detailing industry was dominated by waxes for a long, long time. Using animal fats and animal oils to clean horses' carriages in the 1800s and 1900s soon evolved into using plant-based products. A variety of waxes were used to detail automobiles and give them the beautiful, glossy sheen that their owners desired during the 1900s.
If you wanted to keep your paint looking good, repel water and add just that good little bit of layer of protection, adding a good layer of wax was your solution.
360 Products (available at ADSO stores) have a series of products that protect painted surfaces with nano-ceramic technology. This was a game changer. But like, why?
Why was this new product such a game changer? How did car wax differ from ceramic coatings and why did it cost so much? The biggest key differentiator between a wax and a ceramic coating is the longevity of the application. A good wax will last anywhere between like three or six weeks, before you're gonna have to do a re-application. In contrast, ceramic coatings last for anywhere from two to five years depending on the application and the quality.
In addition, ceramic paint protects better against UV rays and other things that harm your paint.
In general, it works excellently, and I don't have to sit here and tell you, you've seen mud fall off cars and trucks and then they can wash it out with a hose. There are, however, times when people seem to overhype it. It is my understanding that some detailers and people who promote ceramic coating tend to stretch the truth just a bit because it is so popular. I'm saying there are some misconceptions out there about ceramic coatings.
It doesn't get rid of water spots. I'm sorry, it's the truth, although it does help. Because of the hydrophobic properties of the ceramic coating, water and water droplets will run off the surface much faster, that is why you see it so clearly in the videos, website so that water spots are reduced. Thanks to the hydrophobic properties of the ceramic coating, water and water droplets easily run off the surface, which is why it appears on the videos, which lowers the chance of water spots appearing. Ceramic coatings don't protect your car from rocks chips and scratches.
The solution may protect against some light scratches here and there, but I wouldn't say it is scratch-proof. If something like that happens, maybe you should invest in some protective film or Clear Bra. The third thing is that it's really not that expensive.
When ceramic coatings first came out, it cost nearly $1500 to have them done. You can now have your car professionally ceramic coated by a professional detailer for around $700.
Many times, if you intend to have your car coated, you first need to have the paint of your car corrected (remove light scratches), which is where a lot of the extra cost comes from. That said, if you wanna just get a bottle of the stuff and do it yourself, learn the process, maybe screw it up a few times, that's cool.
Every new thing costs a bit at first, and over time, it'll eventually come down. That's just how it goes. The cost of ceramic coating your car is primarily covering the application process and having someone else do it for you. In the end, you have to decide if it is worth it for you and your vehicle.
A nice paintjob on your car is something you ought to protect. You can ceramic coat your car for a couple hundred dollars. It is not only your car that can be coated. Ceramic coatings for your wheels for instance, is extremely popular. As a result, we've begun offering it as an add-on option when you check out. This way, we can coat your tires before you head out of the door. ( you will see how much easier it is to clean them afterwards)
In addition, we've seen people get things like their seats and other interior parts ceramic coated, a bunch of things they don't want to worry about scrubbing down to get all the dirt off, and it makes the process so much easier.
If you think that's something worth it to you, then go for it. Ceramic coating technology has helped lots of people; many of the people here have it applied to their vehicles because they swear by it. All in all, it's gotta be worth it to you, it's gotta be worth it to be putting on your car or part of your car.
You want to protect your investment. Let us know what you think about ceramic coating and if you've ever had it done.