Tell me about ceramic coating

[Franklin Bing]

I've worked in the car business for quite a while and I've never heard of ceramic coating, ever, until I joined this forum. now I see people posting about it all the time. am I out of the loop? is ceramic coating really that popular? is it a regional thing? (I'm in the U.S.A) I know we sell a paint protection at my store but I always thought it was a little gimmicky or for people who are rough on their cars and need the warranty protection.... what does ceramic coating do? do I need it?

 

[Euljiro1ga]

uh... hard to answer. in short, yes, ceramic coating is a thing, everywhere in the world. it used to be very intricate to apply but in the past 5 years or so companies started to launch DIY friendly coating packages, I think it gained mainstream attention since.

main thing it promise is long lasting protective durability, years of never have to care for your paint, just wash and dry. then there are this about scratches proof and scratch resistant debate.

main downside is its semi permanent nature, making it hard to remove and repair.

you do not need it. waxing will also help give some protection and slickness to your paint. you just have to wax more often than applying coatings but its cheaper and easily applied. there are also ceramic infused waxes that promises long durability but easy application at the same time a compromise of both.

 

[Atheleus]

I had my Stinger coated with Crystal Serum Ultra, ceramic coating (professionally done).

I think the biggest part of the process is what they call the 'paint correction' aspect, and then they apply the ceramic coating once that has been completed. I brought mine in the week after I bought it, and upon doing my research, I had many questions. I found a guy in my area who had a good reputation online, he had a nice website, and many videos detailing the process. He has done many cars, Tesla's, Ferrari's, Porsche, you name it. I was initially confused about the paint correction, and he explained to me that between the factory and dealer, there was already improper washing technique that had been done, and even showed me the tiny 'swirls' in the paint that were already present from either the initial manufacturing process, washing, or both.

I went ahead and did it, and I am very happy that I did! It really made the color pop a bit more-it almost looked a bit darker since you no longer have the light refraction from the inconsistencies in the paint (Hi Chroma Red), and there were no more swirls at all. I had committed in my mind to making sure I wash this car carefully moving forward. No car washes with brushes or anything touching it. I either wash by hand with the water-less washing technique, or I take it through a touch free wash. The biggest thing that I notice is that not a lot of gunk sticks to the car. Like someone said, it is a very slick coating and water just beads up and rolls of the car. I am sort of a fanatic with keeping my car clean and new looking, and this makes it REALLY easy to care for her. I got the whole car paint corrected, and ceramic coated. I even had the wheels and calipers done, and had him apply a treatment to the windshield (similar to rainex) which has been really awesome. I live in snowy Minneapolis, and it has been a breeze keeping my car looking really sharp. I get SO many comments on my Stinger-people giving me the thumbs up, stopping to talk to me in parking lots, tons of heads on swivels.

In my opinion, the biggest thing about coatings is the paint correction being done first. When you coat, whatever is underneath is sort of 'locked in'. That was reason enough for me to go the professional route as I do not have the proper space, let alone the patience required for such a task. Not sure that it matters so much the brand of the coating, I honestly think that it is the person who is applying it who is going to be the biggest factor. Take your time, do your research, and find someone in your area with a good reputation and patience for this type of work. It is not exactly cheap ($1,500 for all that I mentioned above)-but I feel that it was 100% a solid investment. Better check back in 3-5 years to be sure though.

 

[Expert4]

Who did you correction and coating. I’m also in the Minneapolis area?

 

[voon]

Ceramic coating is not magic. It won't protect against real stonechips and it doesn't shine better than say some carnauba wax and there have been "nano" coatings lasting similar. It's the latest hype in coatings, because it contains SiO2 ... Siliciumdioxide. In the world of mineral enthusiasts, that is Quartz (which is why there's even a product with that name in). Quartz is fairly hard so they now all flood the marked with the MOHS scale (which is used to rate the hardness of minerals). So another product uses MOHS in its name. It *may* protect against light swirls. Otherwise, it's just a fairly long lasting coating in the same stalye of older coats, that would last half a year (or maybe more, although I never believe the top numbers quoted by the makers).

 

[Atheleus]

Who did you correction and coating. I’m also in the Minneapolis area?

His name is Mehrdad Zarifkar, and his company is called EM-Detailing. He deals exclusively in paint correction and ceramic coating. www.em-detailing.com

 

[PA_RN]

Had CQuartz Finest, one of the higher end coating on my last car, and wasn't really impressed. The idea is it increased scratch resistance and acted as a long term (2 year guarantee) coating that didn't need waxed. I will say when the car was clean it looked GREAT, nice deep wet look to the paint. I also noticed far fewer swirl marks but it was also the first car that I really got serious about cleaning properly and regularly. Bird bombs also didn't seem to harm it either, which was nice as all I had was a covered parking spot at the apartment complex when I lived there. However, it did need some care to help maintain and extend the lifetime of the coating and regularly treated the car with CarPro Reload after washing. Yeah, it's faster than waxing but it was another after wash step. Water did bead nicely... until it got dirty, the same as a waxed car. I didn't notice any less dust from it's supposed anti-static nature.

It's important to have realistic expectations of the product. It does add a layer of protection against the environment and does help reduce swirl marks. It does enhance the pain color and metallic flakes. It does NOT protect against anything more than a light scratch or any kind of rock chipping. It does look great but does need to be cleaned like any car. It will get dusty, it will get dirty, and you will still have to wash it. Some of the installers and product information tries to sell you on the idea that everything will just not stick and run right off with a little bit water which just isn't the case if you drive in anything other than perfect weather days with well maintained, clean roads.

In the end it was an expensive coating that accomplished the same thing regular waxing and good car washing techniques. It may have been worth it when it was sitting out more exposed in the covered parking at the apartment but now that I have a house with a garage and better protect the car from the environment. If you're the type of person who hates waxing it may be worth it and I would definitely recommend it for a weekend/pleasure driving car because of the richness it adds to the paint. On a daily driver I'm just not convinced it's worth the cost especially if you don't mind waxing your vehicle regularly, unless you can get what you personally consider a good deal. I've seen installers offer a wide range of prices and it can vary depending of where you live. I think when I had the CQuartz Finest done it was $1500, with a cash discount down to $1200 in MD. Here in PA I've got an installer offering Modesta, which is usually more expensive, for $800, so if you're set on it try looking outside your area and get estimates like you would for any professional jobs.

 

[RaskyR1]

I've worked in the car business for quite a while and I've never heard of ceramic coating, ever, until I joined this forum. now I see people posting about it all the time. am I out of the loop? is ceramic coating really that popular? is it a regional thing? (I'm in the U.S.A) I know we sell a paint protection at my store but I always thought it was a little gimmicky or for people who are rough on their cars and need the warranty protection.... what does ceramic coating do? do I need it?

Ceramic coatings have really been gaining popularity over the last few years, though I started applying them in 2010. They are significantly different than what the new car dealers have offered in the past, which I also applied in the mid 90's (Basically paying for a warranty filled with restrictions and loop holes...read the fine print), though some dealers have started using ceramics now too, yet they neglect to do the most important part, which is the prep.

Some of the key benefits to coatings are; the ease of cleaning, they are highly chemical resistant, offer better protection from things like bugs, bird poo, road tar, and tree sap. Your vehicle will also tend to stay looking cleaner longer and attract less dust then traditional waxes and sealants, though it will vary slightly from product to product. They will also require less time actually caring for he car as all you really need to do is wash regularly using proper technique and good wash media. With coatings you don't have to be burdened spending most of Sunday afternoon waxing the car every month or two...not that there is anything wrong with that if you enjoy doing it. Coatings are also much thicker than waxes and sealants which is very important with today cars as their paints have become more delicate and thinner over the year, leaving less valuable clear coat for polishing. Adding a coating is kind of like a sacrificial layer and a lot of the light wash induced marring that accumulates over a few years will reside mostly in the coating and not so much the clear itself. This means when it comes time to polish the car and having the coating reapplied you will be remove less of the valuable clear coat on your car.

Now there is also a LOT of misinformation on coatings out there so do your homework. They will not stop rock chips and your paint can and will still accumulate scratches if not cared for properly. Be leery of long term warranties and read the fine print. Most require you follow a strict wash regimen and some even require you to come back for annual inspections. You miss the date and your warranty is void.

My advice is to find a well know and reputable installer that has been applying coatings for years. Ask questions and if things sound too good to be true or things feel off, look for a different installer. Don't expect the job to be cheap either. The most important part of coatings is in the prep and proper paint correction takes time.

Here is my tailgate during the winter with 8 different coatings and one highly rated wax, which just happens to be the dirtiest section.