Ceramic Coating Prep for Your Car - Clay Sponge
A car's paint must be kept in excellent condition to keep its quality and look. Several products have hit the market in the last few decades that claim to help keep the paint of your car in good condition, and some are saying to be the greatest.
And one that has really been in the forefront of all this and I would say the last ten years or so, has been ceramic coating. We are going to go over whether ceramic coatings are worth the cost and whether they would be worth the effort. The ceramic coating industry has skyrocketed in popularity during the last ten years, providing the best paint and clear coat protection on the market.
You will find it endorsed almost everywhere, from detailing shops to car content creators. There are plenty of people who swear by this stuff. A lot of people get a little turned off once they get a good look at the cost for the first time. Let me first reveal what ceramic coating is. Silica dioxide or silicon carbide are the primary ingredients in ceramic coatings, also referred to as nanocoatings.
It is available in liquid form which allows it to be put on to a car or truck and protect finish.
Once solidified, the Silicon dioxide and other characteristics of the coating combine to produce an additional protective layer that repels water and provides some protection from the sun's UV rays and other harmful rays. For the longest time and I mean a long, long time, waxes ruled the paint protection and car detailing industry. It used to be that when old horse carriages needed a good shine, they used animal fats. But that quickly changed, thankfully, into more cruelty-free solutions using plant-based products. As early as the 1900s, different waxes were used to detail vehicles and give them that shiny, glamorous appearance that their owners desired.
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.
One of 360 Products' (available at ADSO stores) products was developed with nano-ceramic technology in order to protect and enhance the paint finish of vehicles. Due to this, everything changed in a big way. But like, why?
How did this new product change the game? Why is a ceramic coating so expensive compared to car wax? What are the factors that distinguish ceramic coatings from car wax? The biggest key differentiator between a wax and a ceramic coating is the longevity of the application. Generally, a wax will last between three and six weeks before get more info a reapplication is necessary. In contrast, ceramic coatings last for anywhere from two to five years depending on the application and the quality.
It's better to use ceramic coating because it protects against UV rays and other things that can damage 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, situations when people seem to overhype it. In other words, a lot of detailers and people who are promoting ceramic coating like to slightly overstate the truth. The product and ceramic coating in general are subject to a few common misconceptions.
It does not eliminate or prevent water spots. Unfortunately, it is the truth, even though it does help. Using a ceramic coating that has hydrophobic characteristics, water and moisture droplets may flow off the surface much more easily, which is why water spots are less likely to appear. But if you let those drops or spots dry on the surface, you're gonna get the water spots, that's just how it goes. Furthermore, ceramic coatings do not provide adequate protection against rock chips and scratches.
Even though it may protect against light scratches here and there, I wouldn't see it as a 100 proof solution. Think about getting some protective film or a Clear Bra for something like that. And third of all, it's really not as expensive as you might think.
Ceramic coatings were quite expensive when they first appeared, reaching upwards of $1500 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. Or, I mean, if you wanna just get a bottle of the stuff and do it yourself, learn the process, maybe mess it up once or twice, more power to you.
Every new thing costs a bit at first, and over time, it'll eventually come down. That's just how it goes. Getting your car ceramic coated is a lot of work, so you'll have to pay someone to do it for you. Ultimately, it has to be worth it for you and your vehicle.
A nice paintjob on your car is something you ought to protect. If you want to make sure that your cars painyjob lasts longer, it is a good idea to go ahead and have it ceramic coated. And your car isn't the only thing that can be coated either. Ceramic coatings for your wheels for instance, is extremely popular. Having this done is so popular that we have started offering packages as an add-on when you're checking out. We can literally do it for you before you leave and it makes cleaning your tires so much easier.
But that's not all either, we've seen people get things like their seats and other interior parts ceramic coated, a bunch of things that they just don't wanna have to worry about scrubbing down to really get all the dirt off, it just makes the whole process so much easier.
If you think that's something worth it to you, then go for it. There has been a lot of progress in ceramic coating technology, and a lot of people here have had their vehicles coated because they swear by the results. You've got to think about it from all sides, and it's gotta be worth it for you to be protecting your car or part of your car with it.
This is an investment, so it is best to protect it. If you've had ceramic coating applied to your car, or wheels, or seats, please let us know how you liked it.