Beyond every aorta of doubt, ceramic coatings are the newest and possibly the best method of auto detailing ever discovered. They are clear layers that protect paint jobs by acting as a second skin for cars. In essence, they are liquid products composed of ceramic Nano-particles which are suspended in clear resin, such that when it is applied on a car, it hardens and cross links to form an impermeable surface that is chemically bound to the car. If the ceramic coating for cars is applied the correct way, it will not separate into the constituent layers off the surface that it is applied on.
Ceramic coatings are semi-permanent as they are available on surfaces until they are abraded away. When ceramic coatings for cars are cured, most of them exhibit amazing water repelling ability, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, enhanced gloss as well as ultraviolet blockers which ensures that the color of the car does not fade and oxidation does not occur after auto detailing.
However, it is imperative that ceramic coatings should however not be mistaken for paints, as what they do is bond to paints and protect them. They are more of a second layer of skin for efficient protection than a skin themselves. The main ingredient of ceramic coatings for cars which is SiO2 is also used in the production of a quite a number of auto detailing such as paint sealants, soaps for washing cars as well as waterless car washes. Nevertheless, these are not coatings as they require a resin base to be considered one. Howbeit, they can offer protection ranging from a number of days to a number of months depending on what they originally were produced for. At this juncture, it is necessary that you are aware that ceramic coating for cars are not bullet proof and they do require special care.
It has often been discussed around by crooks on social media, on websites and by installers that ceramic coating is going to replace the need to wash vehicles and maintain them. This is, however, false as ceramic coating is not something from a science fiction novel come to life. What ceramic coatings are capable of doing, however, have already been mentioned.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the advantages of making use of the ceramic coatings for cars as a means of auto detailing which has been over touted and over marketed include the following:
Enhanced Chemical Resistance
Several ceramic coatings do not allow chemicals to go through and damage the clear coat of cars, but then, the car is not going to be impenetrable if there is consistent and long term presence of chemicals on the car. Auto detailing is important and necessary so as to keep the ceramic coatings for cars in shape.
Self-healing
Ceramic coatings for cars have been proven to self-repair on a very small scale under great heat. Meanwhile, certain ceramic coatings that have been saturated with enhanced self-healing properties does exist. However, general ceramic coatings cannot heal big scratches on your car even if you leave them in the sun for days on end.
Waxing not needed for a long time
Ceramic coatings are like waxes and paint sealants. When these ceramic coatings for cars are used, there would be no reason to seal or wax except if you want to during auto detailing. Some ceramic coatings are more efficient than waxes and paint sealants as they last a longer time. In fact, some ceramic coatings require that you reapply a booster product on intervals as part of the warranty requirements.
Warranty
Several ceramic coatings pride themselves on warranties ranging from two to five years. A couple of them even claim lifetime warranty if a lot of layers are made use of. However, to ensure that a warranty or guarantee by an installer holds true, it is essential that it is made in writing. Several warranties require occasional check-ups or applications of booster products and other auto detailing at your expense.
The Lighter Test
Also known as Lighter Fluid Test, this test is one where a lighter is used to hit the paint, and the scrapes on the paint just wipe away or where a lighter fluid is strewed on the car and then lit up making it appear difficult for auto detailing but it seems like magic as the paint does not melt. However, this does not mean that your paint job will not melt, the reason being that the heat on a lighter is not much enough, although the heat at the tip might be.
Enhanced Scratch Resistance
There are abrasion tests where pencils of various hardness are used and their different grades used to determine how susceptible the surface of a car is to scratches with “1B” pencils being the softest and “9” being the hardest. These pencils are used to scratch the surface of these ceramic coatings in order to grade how resistant the surface is to damage. Many automotive clear coats have a hardness of grades “4” to “6”.
Price
When compared to other wax and sealants, ceramic coatings are quite expensive. This is because the installation requires that the coating undergoes a surgical procedure so as to be able to bond and cure well.
Apart from the periodic auto detailing, it is important that anyone who owns a car and cares about the car should consult and work with a professional installer of ceramic coatings for cars for help on how to go about taking care of the car. Having this ceramic coating applied would be more of a commitment on your part to ensure that you take proper care of your car and to also learn how best to ensure the coating is in excellent shape. Proper auto detailing of the car should be carried out at regular intervals as doing otherwise would make the coating deteriorate.
So, if you believe that you cannot take proper care of your car by carrying out the essential auto detailing and more, then it is better for you make the effort to get your car a coat of ceramic coating
