At one point in time, a paste wax was the top shelf choice to enhance your vehicle’s shine while also protecting your paint from external elements like rain, bird poo, dirt, etc…
Fast forward many years, a bunch of scientists work their magic in a lab, and we now have a far more durable and superior form of protection: ceramic coatings.
Unlike Mr. Miyagi, this is not a “wax-on-wax-off” application. The ceramic coating is a semi-permanent liquid layer that bonds to the vehicles surface. It is commonly referred to as a “sacrificial” layer of protection as it’ll absorb the weather elements like rain, dirt, and snow to better protect the paint underneath.
Getting your car ceramic coated is one of the best ways to bring out the shine and protect the paint for many years. However, if not done properly, you won’t get the results you were expecting. And worse, you end up with more problems you have to solve.
There’s a lot of spray on ceramic coating products you can buy at a store that make big claims, but are not true ceramic coatings. They’ll add shine and protection to your paint, but it’s not something you should pay hundreds of dollars for.
On top of that, you also have to properly prepare the paint to achieve maximum results.
At Luxury Car Detailing, before we apply a coating, your car goes through a detailed process by washing, claying, and polishing the paint to make sure the coating does it’s job.
Depending on the condition of your vehicle and the results you’d like to achieve, this time and effort will greatly vary. If your paint is already in great condition, it may only require a light polish and be done within a day. If your paint is heavily swirled and requires more extensive work, then it can take two to three days to complete.
Is polishing your paint necessary for a ceramic coating? Technically no, you don’t. You can apply a coating to swirled paint, but at that point, you’re simply not getting all the benefits of the coating. It’d be more ideal to get a sealant applied to your car.
Initial Assessment: Prior to applying the ceramic coating, Luxury Car Detailing conducts a thorough assessment of the vehicle's exterior condition. This step is crucial for identifying any existing damage or imperfections that need to be addressed before starting the coating process.
Preparation: The vehicle's surface is meticulously cleaned to remove any dirt, contaminants, or residues. This careful preparation is essential to ensure the ceramic coating adheres optimally.
Paint Correction (if necessary): Should there be scratches, swirl marks, or other imperfections on the paint, Luxury Car Detailing may perform paint correction to restore the paint to its best condition. This step enhances the final appearance of the ceramic coating.
Application of Ceramic Coating (Adams Polish): Adams Polish Graphene ceramic coatings create an invisible protective layer known for its extreme water repellency, superior chemical resistance, scratch resistance, and stain resistance. This protective layer serves as a strong barrier against environmental elements, UV rays, bird droppings, road salt, and everyday wear and tear.
Curing Process: After application, the ceramic coating goes through a careful curing process. This step is vital for the protective layer to bond firmly with the vehicle's paint, ensuring its durability.
Quality Assurance: Luxury Car Detailing ensures the ceramic coating is applied evenly, without any defects. Rigorous quality checks are carried out to confirm the coating's effectiveness.
Benefits of Ceramic Coating: The ceramic coating provides unparalleled protection against UV rays, environmental contaminants, and surface damage. It repels dirt, dust, and debris, making cleaning easier. With its exceptional durability, the coating offers lasting protection for up to five years or more with proper maintenance. Its water repellency reduces the amount of water needed for washing, contributing to environmental sustainability. The result is a finish that maintains the vehicle's new appearance all year round.
Maintenance Recommendations: Luxury Car Detailing may provide customers with personalized maintenance recommendations for their ceramic coating. This includes specific care instructions and regular check-ups to ensure the coating continues to perform effectively.
A coating isn’t like a wax or sealant where you just apply it, wait a few minutes, and then buff off. Applying a coating is a more tedious process because you have to know when the coating “sets” on the paint to remove it.
Each coating, depending on the brand and weather, has a “set” point on when to remove it. It’s not an exact time like 30 seconds and then wipe off. You have to know by looking at the coating when it’s the right time to remove it.
So you have to work in section with multiple lights to see where you’re working. If you buff off too early, you’re potentially not allowing the coating to fully set and the longevity moving forward may be compromised.
And if you wait too long, removing the coating becomes very difficult. Additionally, a problem that we see all the time with ceramic coated vehicles are what we call “high”-spots”.
This is an area of a panel that you’ve coated but didn’t fully buff off the paint and can see where the coating dried. It looks like a smear was left on the paint.
If it’s caught soon enough, you can simply buff it off. But if days go by and the coating cures, the only way to remove it is by polishing the paint again.
This is difference between a coating and a wax or sealant. It’s a semi-permanent layer of protection. You need to properly apply the coating to get the benefits of it. And if done wrong and you have high spots all over the vehicle, you’d need to polish the entire car again.
Can I install Ceramic Coating Myself?
Applying a ceramic coating to your vehicle is a relatively simple process, but the real challenge lies in performing the paint correction process. It is essential to have the right skills and knowledge to polish your car properly.
Using the wrong pads or compounds can cause significant damage to the paintwork, resulting in holograms or buffer trails that will prevent you from achieving a smooth finish. Therefore, it is crucial to be careful and use the right tools to ensure that your vehicle looks flawless.
Professional installation of a ceramic coating is crucial to enjoy its benefits. High spots, caused by not wiping off the coating after it dries, can ruin the finish. A professional installer can ensure a flawless finish.
Should I Ceramic Coat A New Car?
Yes, it is recommended to have your car coated right after purchase. This can save you both time and money in the long run as you will require less paint correction or prep work.
Additionally, the ceramic coating provides extra protection to your car's exterior and helps maintain its brand new appearance with minimal maintenance.
This is achieved by making your vehicle easier to clean and more resilient to environmental damage.
What Is The Best Ceramic Coating?
When it comes to selecting the right coating for your vehicle, there are many options available. While several companies claim to offer the best coatings, any coating can fail if not professionally prepared.
Can I get only the Ceramic Coating With No Paint Correction?
It is crucial to perform a paint correction before applying a ceramic coating on a vehicle. This process involves one or multiple polishing steps to eliminate any swirls or webbing. The paint will be leveled to the depth of the scratch or swirl before the ceramic coating is applied.
Neglecting this step will magnify any defects in the paintwork tenfold by the ceramic coating. To ensure the best results, the vehicle's paintwork must be thoroughly prepped before coating. Without proper preparation, the coating may bond to an unclean surface, leading to a shorter lifespan and a suboptimal outcome.
Is Ceramic Coating Worth it?
Ceramic coating is an investment worth every penny. It provides excellent protection against environmental damage and corrosion, ensuring the integrity of your vehicle's paint for a long time. Investing in ceramic coating services is a good practice to ensure that your vehicle maintains its glossy appearance, similar to when it was brand new.
Moreover, it makes maintaining your vehicle ten times easier than a non-coating vehicle, and it can significantly increase its resale value. In short, ceramic coating is a great way to protect your vehicle and keep it looking like new for years to come.
What are the advantages of doing a coating?
Clints often opt in for ceramic coatings due to their long-lasting protection. These coatings create a hard shell that acts as a barrier, preventing water stains, bird droppings, road grime, and other substances from damaging the paint. With a quick rinse, these substances can just slide right off the surface.
The word "hydrophobic" is worth mentioning here. Though the word "phobic" may have a negative connotation, in this case, it's all positive. A ceramic coating can create a hydrophobic layer that repels water, which means that mineral deposits and dirt have less opportunity to damage the paint surface.
A ceramic coating is a fantastic option for gloss and protection, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.
Click the video to learn more about the benefits and use case of a ceramic coating.
For instance, if you have a work truck that goes to the job site and is always getting brushed up by branches, boxes, and people, a coating might not be the best option since the truck is heavily used.
But you can also have a work truck that you travel across the country in and you want to better protect it from the dirt, rain, and so on.. so a coating would be ideal for you.
There are a lot of coating companies that make some pretty big claims of what it can do. Although there’s some truth to the claims, I don’t like to oversell the capabilities of it.
So here are some benefits you actually get with a coating:
✅ Produces a durable layer of protection that lasts 3 to 5 years
✅ You only need to apply it once (and not every 3 months like other forms of protection)
✅ Adds a ton of gloss compared to other forms of protection like wax or sealant
✅ Provides unmatched hydrophobic properties that keeps your car cleaner and makes it easier to wash
Before the coating is installed, your vehicle must first be properly prepped and corrected with one of our paint correction services. If you apply the coating without the proper prep work, you’re not able to get all the benefits from the coating.
Coatings offer long-lasting and durable protection, but that doesn’t mean your vehicle is invincible. Many car owners overestimate the capabilities of ceramic coatings and end up disappointed when they notice swirls or etchings in the paint. To set the right expectations, let’s clear up some common myths about coatings:
While many coatings claim to be scratch-resistant, this doesn’t mean your paint is immune to damage. The resistance applies only to very light scratches, like those caused by wiping off a spray wax with a high-quality towel.
However, if you drag a dirty wash mitt across the surface or rub against the paint with your clothing, you will create scratches. While coatings offer some level of swirl resistance, it’s minimal and doesn’t prevent deep scratches or impact damage.
If you’re looking for protection against rock chips, a ceramic coating won’t do the trick. The only true solution for preventing rock chips, debris damage, and scuff marks is paint protection film (PPF).
No matter how many layers of ceramic coating you apply, it cannot stop the impact of rocks or road debris hitting your vehicle. What coatings do well, however, is repel water, dirt, and road grime, making maintenance easier. But for maximum paint protection, PPF is the best choice.
A ceramic coating makes your car easier to clean, but that doesn’t mean you can skip regular washes. To maintain the coating’s effectiveness, you should wash your car at least once a month using proper techniques.
Avoid automated tunnel washes, as their harsh bristles can cause swirls and degrade the coating over time. Instead, use high-quality wash mitts, drying towels, and pH-balanced cleaners to keep your coating in top condition. The difference between proper maintenance and neglect could mean your coating lasts four years instead of two.
Ceramic coatings offer fantastic benefits, but they have their limitations. Understanding what they can and can’t do will help you make the best decision for your vehicle. If you want ultimate paint protection, consider combining a ceramic coating with PPF for the best of both worlds.
Ceramic coatings offer excellent protection and shine, but if you're looking for the ultimate level of protection, paint protection film (PPF) is the superior choice. PPF provides an 8mil-thick barrier that absorbs impacts and shields your paint from rock chips, road debris, and scratches—something no ceramic coating can match.
After the ceramic coating is applied, your vehicle should stay dry for at least 48 hours to allow the coating to fully cure. Additionally, we recommend waiting at least two weeks before washing your car to ensure maximum durability and performance.
No, a ceramic coating cannot replace or repair a failing clear coat. If your paint is chipping, peeling, or fading due to clear coat failure, the only solution is a repaint. Ceramic coatings are designed to enhance and protect a well-maintained clear coat, not restore a damaged one.
No, we do not apply ceramic coatings to vehicles that haven’t undergone the proper prep and paint correction. Skipping these steps means the coating won’t bond properly, and any imperfections in your paint will be locked in underneath the coating. To fully reap the benefits, proper surface preparation is essential.
I would absolutely love to hear from you and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Make sure you let me know the color, year, make, and model, of your car so I can most accurately quote you without seeing it in person
19 Pepper Bush Trail, Saunderstown, Rhode Island 02874, United States
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Luxury Car Detailing LLC
19 Pepper Bush Trail, Saunderstown, Rhode Island 02874, United States