What is a Ceramic Coating?

A Ceramic Coating is a chemical polymer solution that is applied to the exterior of your vehicle to help protect your paint against external damage. It chemically bonds with the paint of your car to provide an additional layer of hydrophobic protection.

Why do I need a Ceramic Coating?

The first thing you’ll notice is how much easier it is to clean your car. Ceramic coatings have antistatic properties that help prevent the adhesion of dirt and other abrasives from entrapping themselves into your clear coat. These antistatic properties, as well as the hydrophobic properties make your car much easier to wash.

There is a ton of conflicting information online about ceramic coats. You’ll see ads promising that ceramic coats can do things like prevent water spotting. You’ll also see people say that ceramic coats can prevent swirl marks and other forms of scratches. As a business that is experienced with ceramic coatings, we can share what has caused people to promise these things and educate our customers on what is true and what is not.

Do Ceramic Coats protect against water spots?

In short, the answer is no. 

Ceramic coatings have hydrophobic protective properties that make it more difficult for water to lay on your cars surface, which in turn makes it less likely for water spots to form. The idea is that if less water sits on top of your cars surface, then by default there is less likelihood of water spots forming. Where this fundamentally may be true it is not enough of a premise to say that ceramic coatings in themselves prevent water spotting. Here is why.

Something to keep in mind is that a water spot in itself is the residual blueprint of chemicals, minerals, and dirt that was once in the water that is now stained onto the cars surface. Water carries impurities, the water finds its way to your car, the water evaporates and what you’re left with are the solid impurities that were in the water, hence the water spot. Meaning that no matter what you have on your car to protect it from water spots, the protective surface will experience the same exposure to the same contamination as any other surface, which will spot on the protective surface, thus weakening it and making its way to the surface it’s protecting. Especially when the protective surface (ceramic coating) is only microns in thickness.

So theoretically you technically could advertise that ceramic coats prevent water spotting because of the hydrophobic properties mentioned earlier but physically it just doesn’t make sense that they actually would as a standalone factor. However, with taking the science of water spotting into account we can deduct how water spots are formed and take a realistic plan of action to prevent them to the best of our ability.

Do Ceramic Coats protect against swirl marks?

Again, the answer is no. If anybody is promising otherwise, then they are lying to you.

Ceramic Coatings have anti-static properties which makes dirt less likely to adhere to the surface. Ceramic coatings also have a rating of 9H hardness on the Moh scale. These two protective properties are what give ceramic coatings their familiar “scratch resistant” reputation. But are these factors enough to protect against swirl marks?

What is a swirl mark? A swirl mark in itself is a micro scratch formed by dirt or another abrasive being pressed into the cars surface. Dirt finds its way to your car; you use a sponge or wash mitt to clean your car and while you are washing you are pressing the dirt into your clear coat which gives you micro scratches and what you are left with are swirl marks. All it takes is one “wrong” wash or a drive through a tunnel wash for your car to be covered in swirl marks.

The key takeaway is that if a ceramic coating cannot protect against dirt scratching your car, then they are not scratch resistant enough to be of any realistic benefit to somebody who has a ceramic coating. However, knowing how swirl marks are formed gives us better insight on how to prevent them from happening.

 

Do Ceramic Coats actually last 2+ years?

Yes, absolutely. However, that is completely based on your level of maintenance. The people who get ceramic coats and neglect their car are typically the ones who have complaints about longevity.

Every client who has gotten a ceramic coat and washes their vehicle regularly always rants and raves about how well the coating works and how long it has lasted. Proper maintenance is key. You cannot get a ceramic coat and expect the coat to hold up to its value while being neglected. Washing your car regularly will remove all of the impurities that are laying on top of the coat, where neglecting your car will give dirt and dirty water more chances to wear down the coating.

In short, if you get a ceramic coat and neglect your car then you would have wasted the money you spent on a ceramic coat, and it will be nobody’s fault but your own.

Ceramic coats are NOT for everybody. Please consider some of the points we’ve made before spending the money on one.

How is it done?

Your car comes in and is washed from top to bottom. We take care of the paint, glass, wheels, wheel wells and exhaust tips. After the washing process we begin decontamination where we use clay and chemical iron dissolvers to remove any harsh abrasives lodged in your clear coat. Following decontamination is paint correction. Paint correction is a term used to describe the process of buffing and polishing defects out of the clear coat of your vehicle. Some defects may include but are not limited to swirl marks, holograms, water spotting, surface scuffs, and light to moderate scratches. Proper paint correction is critical to the success of a ceramic coating not just aesthetically, but for the functionality and longevity of the coatings true potential as well. The defects mentioned above can inhibit the ceramic coating from adhering to the clear coat properly.

So why get a Ceramic Coat?

All in all ceramic coats do make your car easier to wash. Not only that but it makes the car look great for a long period of time. Imagine cleaning your car on a crisp autumn afternoon in your driveway scrubbing away at your car with less-than-normal effort while your neighbors rubber neck your direction because of how clean your car is. Some neighbors are red with admiration, while others green with envy and they’re all wondering how you got your car to look like that. That’s what it’s like having a ceramic coat.