No scratches and no dirt. This is how coating manufacturers and retailers advertise ceramic coating. Well, in all honesty, these advertisements exaggerate the real properties of ceramic coating. It may mislead the customer to believe that applying the ceramic coating to the vehicle would make it bulletproof and almost invincible to many harmful effects.
On the other hand, ceramic coating is a significant level up from powder or wax types of coating. It lasts significantly longer and has more advantages than the other two.
In this article, we are going to review ceramic coating from an unbiased point of view. You will learn how many of the advertised properties are true. We described the true qualities of a professionally applied ceramic coating. Compare all the pros and cons, and decide for yourself if the ceramic coating is really worth applying to the vehicle.
What is Ceramic Coating Exactly?
It is a layer of protection chemically bonded with the paint finish. It is a liquid polymer material that can be described as a high-quality upgrade of a wax coating.
While wax coating has to be renewed every month, the ceramic coating provides protection for at least two years. It makes the maintenance of a vehicle’s paint finish easier and sustains a fantastic look.
Ceramic Coating Protection Against Dirt
One of the properties ceramic coating manufacturers advertise is the high protection against dirt. Sometimes they state that your vehicle wouldn’t need washing with the coating, but this is definitely an overstatement.
Let’s clarify this question once and for all. Ceramic Coating indeed provides better protection against dirt and increases the time between required washing. But it does not remove the necessity of washing the vehicle altogether.
You still have to wash the vehicle with applied ceramic coating, and it will gradually become dirty, although slower than vehicles with other types of finishes. The washing process is much faster and easier when the car has a ceramic coating. Without timely washing, the ceramic coating will lose its properties. Particularly moist repelling properties and abrasion protection.
Ceramic coatings indeed provide high-quality protection and make the vehicle look shinier and cleaner. But these properties have to be preserved with proper maintenance.
Ceramic Coating Protection Against Scratches, How True is It?
Another advertised property of ceramic coating is scratch resistance. The truth is that ceramic coating protects only against minor scratches. These include swirl marks, the most common paint finish deterioration.
Swirl marks are microscopic scratches that appear from improper cleaning. Dry fabrics, sponges, brushes, or brooms damage the surface of the common paint finish. Automatic car washers with hard brushes also damage the paint finish. These marks are visible under the direct sunlight and make the vehicle look old and ragged.
Ceramic Coating is durable enough to be resistant against swirl marks, but more deep and hard scratches can still damage it. Ceramic Coating works as a layer of protection so that the paint finish wouldn’t be damaged by such minor inconveniences.
They Say Ceramic Coating is Permanent, is It True?
Simple answer: no, it is not true. But ceramic coating definitely provides a good layer of protection to make your paint finish last longer. Ceramic Coating lasts between two and six years depending on how well maintained the vehicle was. We will talk about proper ceramic coating maintenance later in this article.
Pros and Cons of Ceramic Coating Protection
Advantages
1. Easy to clean. The coating repels moisture and dirt with it, so the washing process takes less time and energy.
2. Ceramic Coating works as a sunscreen for your vehicle’s paint finish. Without it, the paint would dim and deteriorate much faster.
3. Less damage from minor scratches and swirl marks. It doesn’t protect against more serious damage though.
4. Glossy look. Resembles the look paint finish gets after waxing, but the ceramic coating will keep that look for years if maintained properly.
5. Ceramic coating also provides protection against some chemicals and acids.
6. Great look and some degree of protection can be sustained for up to six years.
Disadvantages
1. Ceramic coating doesn’t provide protection against rock chips and scratches. As was stated above, scratch protection applies only to minor accidents.
2. The coating doesn’t offer one hundred percent protection against water spots. Hard water that dries on the surface can still leave spots behind.
3. Professional ceramic coating isn’t cheap, but applying it yourself is not recommended too. The average price can go up to three thousand dollars for a full coating.
4. Paint defects have to be corrected before applying the ceramic coating. If disregarded, defects would just be sealed under the coating. They will remain visible, and there is no way to hide them after the ceramic coating is applied.
Can a Ceramic Coating Peel Off When It Wears Off?
One of the amazing properties of ceramic coating is that it doesn’t peel off when it gets older. Ceramic coating just slowly gets thinner and disappears as time goes on, so it is actually hard to determine when it has completely worn off.
Ceramic coating can have swirl marks and look dirty if it wasn’t maintained properly. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it got worn off or that it is not functioning as it was advertised. Most of the dirt and swirl marks can be removed from a ceramic coating
Proper Maintenance of Ceramic Coating
1. If you just applied ceramic coating on your vehicle, it is important to let it properly cure in the first few weeks. It would prolong the life of the coating and ensure maximum protection from it. To let it properly cure, when the vehicle is not used, it has to stay in a garage on any other covered parking. It is important that no dirt, bird droppings, or pollen stick to the surface. It doesn’t mean that you cannot use the vehicle, just use the garage to park for two or three weeks.
2. Wash your vehicle at least once a month. Don’t use automatic car washers, the hand washing services are much better. Microfiber fabric is the best type to use for ceramic coating.
3. Once every six months it would be a good idea to detail ceramic coating. It would keep the great looks and sustain the protection against moisture and dirt. 4. Don’t apply the ceramic coating if the temperature around the vehicle is lower than 50°F and higher than 90°F. Applying the ceramic coating beyond these limits is not recommended, because it just won’t cure properly. It would be a waste of material and money.
