Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a Ceramic Coating?
A: It is a liquid polymer that is applied by hand to the exterior of a car, truck, boat, airplane, RV, or motorcycle. The solution chemically bonds to the vehicle’s factory paint or fiberglass coating, creating a protective layer. This is not a paint protection film, offering a more comprehensive solution for car protection, but rather an alternative to premium wax.
This liquid polymer produces a permanent or semi-permanent bond with automotive paint, which means it will not break or wash off and does not require repeat applications every 3-6 months. It also increases the hardness of the original clear coat up to as much as 9h.
Q: Is Ceramic Coating Good for Your Car?
A: You can spend an afternoon in the driveway washing and waxing the car by hand. However, if you are like most people, this laborious task is a considerable waste of time and you wonder if there is no better way to keep your car clean and new.
While it is true that you will still need to wash and wax to keep your car clean, its fresh shine will last much longer between washes with a ceramic coat.
Some benefits of ceramic coating:
- Each coating varies, but most are rated for 2-5 years.
- Greater surface protection. From washing and maintaining your vehicle to unexpected abuse and nasty environmental and chemical elements.
- The vehicle will not be damaged or scratched so easily.
- Easy maintenance!
- That “showroom” appearance all the time.
- Knowing that your prized possession is highly protected is a huge thing in itself.
- No more wax.
Q: Paint correction….Is It Really Needed?
A: You paid a lot for your new car, truck, boat, or RV…but have you really looked at your factory paint? We find that even the newest of cars will need some paint correction and detail before we apply our ceramic coating. But when we are done, you will think that your new car is even newer than the day you bought it….and if your truck or car is a few years old…you’ll be floored at how it looks and shines after we’re done.
This process cleans and reconditions your car paint and removes minor blemishes and rust. Your vehicle is machine polished using our swirl-free polishing process, resulting in a brilliant shine.
We use professional-grade automotive detailing products to achieve a wet-look finish while adding a protective layer to protect the paint from environmental damage.
The paint detail process:
- Complete microfiber hand wash and dry service.
- Cleaning of wheels and tires
- Removal of road tar, bugs, and dirt.
- Clay bar treatment to remove environmental, rain, and other related contaminants embedded to the paint
- Dress the tires and wheels
- A mix of machine polishing and hand polishing to create a clean smooth surface
Q: What is the Best Type of Ceramic Coatings to Use?
A: There are several types of ceramic coatings available on the market today, and each has its own advantages that car owners should consider before deciding to apply a ceramic coating to the surface of their vehicle. The coatings are semi-permanent and do not remove easily. This is one of the many reasons why you should hire a professional to apply the ceramic coating to your truck, RV, boat, airplane, or car. Decide on us to be the best at applying a ceramic coating on your car.
There is a multitude of companies in the industry that offer ceramic detailing products. This can overwhelm the consumer when choosing which product to use. Most of the coatings on the market are very similar to each other, unfortunately, some may be exactly the same but renamed under a different brand name. This is why choosing a reputable brand and a certified installer is crucial. Consumers can buy some coatings; however, we do not recommend it. Certified Installers receive training from company representatives, usually through informational workshops to hone their skills with these products. So, when it comes to ceramic detailing, do your research with the products and retailers of your choice. We also suggest you hire a professional to apply the ceramic coating.
Q: Can I Use a Ceramic Coating on my Boat?
A: Keeping that new shine on your boat’s surface is hard work, and once you’ve finally polished it like new, it never lasts that long, even with the most expensive wax products on the market. Your boat probably cost you a penny or two, and keeping it spotless costs even more time and money than you could be spending on more toys, right?
We know that washing and waxing keeps your boat clean and nothing will replace it. But that super clean shine can wear off in no time, forcing you to clean and wax again and again. Instead, have us apply a ceramic coat to the exterior of your vessel and it will keep your boat’s surface clean and shiny for much, much longer.
Q: Does the Ceramic Film (PPF) Work Well on my RV?
A: Absolutely! We recommend applying a “clear bra” to the front of your RV or motorhome. It really helps to protect your investment from the road. It also helps to reduce chipping, bug splatter, and tar from sticking to the front of your RV.Don’t get us wrong though, a properly applied ceramic coating will provide your RV, fifth wheel, or travel trailer with a lot of protection as well.
Q: What is the Best Ceramic?
A: Many products on the market now claim to contain some type of ceramic base. These products are generally high in silica and solvent-based content. Silica is one of the main compounds that make up ceramic coatings. Low-content products are mostly diluted and used for faster, less intensive detailing (such as spray wax). These products are often used alone. Although they are easy to apply and can give quick and brilliant results, they are not considered high in solids and do not adequately protect the car. Ceramic protection done the right way is usually a bit longer and more complex; however, this ensures that the vehicle is protected for years. Most coating companies manufacture maintenance products that are used to help extend the life of the coating after application. Although these products can be used alone for a quick shine or a light protective coat; they do not adequately preserve or protect your vehicle or as long as they are to a fully bonded coating.
Q: Why is Ceramic Coating so Expensive?
A: To answer this question, we thought we should explain the process of what we do to make sure that you’re getting what you pay for.One of the most important steps, if not the most important of the process, is the prep work. In our case, we first correct the paint situation. Which means we are doing paint corrections. We spend a lot of time improving the condition of the paintwork, even on new factory vehicles. You would be surprised by the number of flaws in factory paint.
The first step is to wash the car and then completely decontaminate it. Then there is the paint correction. After that, we check the entire car, even removing the small blemishes that are often overlooked by the inexperienced eye. After this step, the vehicle is washed again and then cleaned with a solvent to remove any oil or polish residue that may have remained on the surface.
Then comes the ceramic coating. This coating offers the strongest and longest-lasting surface protection available today. Some even as hard as 10h. For reference, most factory paints are from 2h to 3h.
Q: What Types of Ceramic Coatings are There?
A: There are several types of ceramic coatings available on the market today, and each has its own advantages that car owners should consider before deciding to hire a professional to apply a ceramic coating to the surface of their vehicle. You do not want to mess up the application of a ceramic coating product because they are very difficult to remove. This is one of the many reasons why you should hire a professional to apply ceramics to your truck, RV, boat, plane, or car.
Quartz Coating
Quartz ceramic coating is less common and slightly more expensive than polymeric ceramic coatings. The trade-off is that the quartz ceramic coating is even harder than the polymer coating, which helps protect the car from even more scratches and debris. Quartz coatings are also more difficult to remove, but they retain an illustrious shine that lasts up to three years at a time. Quartz coating can be applied at home, but it is often a good idea to pay a professional to apply your quartz ceramic coating to make sure the job is done right the first time as it is much more difficult to remove the quartz ceramic coating.
Polymer Coating
Polymeric ceramic coating, or ceramic epoxy coating, is the most common type of ceramic coating for vehicles because it is easy to apply and is ideal for most types of factory paints and finishes that manufacturers apply to RVs, boats, cars, and trucks today. It is also incredibly strong, creating a permanent bond between the paint and the polymer layer that is extremely strong and resistant to damage from harmful particles. However, due to this chemical bond between the paint and the nano-ceramic coating, it can only be removed by polishing the exterior.
Hybrid Coating
Hybrid ceramic coating combines a standard liquid polymer coating with the extremely tough protection of the quartz ceramic coating. Hybrids create a nice, hard shell around the exterior of your vehicle, but there is some controversy about the efficiency of hybrids or even the need for them. After all, a regular quartz ceramic coating already provides the added protection that liquefied quartz glass provides, which means that a hybrid ceramic coating product is not much more than a diluted quartz coating. It is up to you to determine what type of ceramic coating is the best option for your car based on what you drive, where you drive, and how you drive.
Q: What Features Should You Look for in Ceramic Coatings?
A: Characteristics to look for in ceramic coatings for your vehicle, rv, boat, or airplane. Like any detailing product on the market, any ceramic detailing product will be covered in purported features and benefits as they try to sell you this manufacturer’s secret recipe for success. What should you really look for in professional ceramics? What makes them better than the rest and how do you know which ceramic coating to choose for your car? If you value the convenience of not having to wash your car as often, your top priority is better dirt resistance. If you appreciate the brilliant shine of a high-gloss paint job, you will need the ceramic coating kit that offers the most clarity. Here are the top features you’ll want to look for to find the best ceramic protection:
Hardness
When it comes to protective coatings, hardness refers to the ceramic coating’s ability to resist nicks and scratches. As a general rule of thumb, the harder the coating, the easier it is to remove blemishes. There are different levels of hardness in ceramic and you will often see a 9H rating on most of the best products.
Clarity and shine
Although ceramic coatings are a clear liquid, you must ensure that the ceramic coating that you apply to your car is of high quality, and does not contain adulterants. A low-budget ceramic coating can do a good job protecting paint, but what good is it if it dulls or discolors your paint job in the process?
Resistance to water and dirt
While this is true in harsher climates and dustier locations, our own Southern California ocean and desert climates put a lot of stress on the surface of your car, truck, RV, and boat. You want to protect your car with a ceramic coating that is highly resistant to water (hydrophobic) and dirt. Some ceramic products are designed to shine and protect the paint, but they do not repel dirt or prevent it from sticking to the exterior. And if you’re always showing dirt, what’s the point in trying to make your car look good in the first place?
Q: What is Paint Correction?
A: Paint correction is a very labor-intensive process and is often the longest part of the detailing process. It is the process of removing scratches and blemishes from a vehicle’s paint surface, which involves the use of polishes and a range of different polishing pads. A fully corrected vehicle when viewed in direct sunlight will only show true glare and no swirl marks, scratches or blemishes will be seen with the naked eye.Finally, it is important to distinguish between a truly corrected paint and paint that has been treated with products designed to hide and fill surface imperfections such as an all-in-one detailing product. This should not be considered a paint correction even if there are no obvious scratches or blemishes as they have not actually been removed and are still present under the fillers, which will wear off over time and cause the blemishes to resurface.
Q: What is the Paint Correction Process?
A: Prior to any paint correction, the vehicle is thoroughly washed and decontaminated. The paint is properly washed and cleaned to remove dirt and debris and then after the washing process, it is clayed with a specialized automotive clay bar, which safely removes all related surface contaminants such as paint stains, tar, and industrial pollutants.
It is important that these contaminants are removed prior to the paint correction process, because if they come off and get caught in a polishing pad they could easily damage the surface very quickly. It also helps to leave the surface very smooth, which in turn allows the polisher to move freely on the surface, reducing the possibility of chipping or sticking. Finally, the clay on the paint helps you to keep a good eye on the progress of the correction process, as you can see the actual state of the surface as you work.
Q: What Does Polishing my Car’s Paint Do?
A: Polishing is generally a multi-step process using a variety of different grades, ranging from heavier cutting compounds, which remove material from the surface, to thinner products which then remove all the marks that the heaviest products can’t remove. These, typically, are able to generally refine the finish coat. During the paint correction process, it is common to use a paint depth gauge.
This measures the thickness of the paint on the metal panel and is used before, during, and after the process to monitor the amount of material removed and ensure that excess paint is not removed as that can cause irreversible damage such as complete removal of the paint. Specialized halogen or LED lights that mimic the effect of direct sunlight on the surface are also, sometimes, used during the process to check the condition of the paint and see how successfully scratches and blemishes are removed from the surface.
In fact, some scratches or blemishes may be too deep, or severe, to be removed safely without risking removing too much paint or clear coat to come off from the surface, and are therefore best minimized and hidden by using techniques with the polishing machine and polishers that round the edges of scratches and make them much less visible in direct light.
After correction, the panels are cleaned with isopropyl alcohol which removes any oil that may have remained in the paint or clear coat and reveals the new, true finish, including areas that could have been missed or required a bit more work. When finished, the fully corrected paint will shine brightly and produce amazing reflections as there will be no more scratches and blemishes to scatter and reflect light rays in different directions.