Cars / Bikes / Trucks

Everything you need to know about coating your vehicle.

Welcome

It is easy for a car to get scratched and stained, either from spilled fluids, bird droppings and other falling objects as well as plant life. Some debris may also cause corrosive damage if not removed as soon as possible. Car coating offers an extra level of protection to your car’s paintwork to stop marks appearing.

Car coating is a secondary coat that is placed on top of the autos existing paint. This is usually applied by a professional paint business as it is more challenging to apply than a simple wash of protection. The coats are synthetic and do not look like car waxes or paint sealants as they usually have the consistency of water.

While a conventional car wax usually lasts a few weeks, a paint coat forms a much stronger and harder bond that can last for years if maintained properly. Even new cars do well with a coating since these have usually been left under the sun and rain for long periods of time and are given a simple polish and wax to maintain the exterior. Once you have the new car home, the surface defects previously concealed by the wax will resurface.

Different types of car coatings

Glass and ceramic are the most popular car coatings on the market. In terms of car coatings, glass is not a transparent material found in windows, but instead describes a material where the particles are randomly arranged. One definition is of glassy is an inorganic, amorphous product of a rapidly cooled metal.

The difference between a glass coating and a ceramic car coating happens on an atomic scale which creates some structural differences, even though they can have the same composition. For example, it is possible to turn a glass coating into a ceramic coating by simply heating it up. This changes the random structure of glass into an ordered, more stable structure of ceramic.

Glass coating

Glass coating has several names, including liquid glass, nano-glass and quartz coating. Glass coatings are created from either quartz silica or silica. Quartz silica has a manufacturing process that makes it more expensive, but it offers a more durable, shinier coat than silica. Glass coating bonds to the car paint immediately upon application, which makes it an easier and therefore cheaper option.

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Ceramic coating

Ceramic coating provides a strong, protective surface to the vehicle body that can defend it against foreign objects and reduce the risk of them causing damage. To put on a ceramic coat, the process requires heating, which accelerates the curing process. but usually this is only necessary for countries with a cold climate.

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The benefits of coating your car

Paint coatings resist dirt and dust better than traditional protection of wax and sealants. This means it is much easier to clean and maintain your car whilst keeping it looking like new. The most obvious benefit is the gloss and shine the coat gives to the car

Glass or ceramic coatings are usually tougher than the vehicles factory coat. This added hardness helps to protect the paint against UV damage, hard water spots, guano and other environmental pollutants associated with daily driving. Coatings also tend to be much more resistant to chemicals than traditional forms of protection.

The most obvious benefit is the gloss and shine the coat gives to the car, so not only is the car easier to maintain and well protected, but it looks great too. The car still needs maintenance but waxing and sealants are no longer needed, and the upkeep is much easier, with no need for scrubbing when cleaning.

Applying a car coating is not an excuse to neglect a car and never wash it. There are proper techniques to wash and maintain your car once the coating has been applied, so there should be a commitment to learn how best to keep the coating in the best condition. The professional installer will be able to provide all the advice you need on proper maintenance, including which products and techniques are best to use when cleaning.

DIY or professional application

Unless you have a lot of experience in preparing paint, coatings should be applied by a professional. If you have a particular brand in mind, it may be that it is one that can only be used by professionals. Whilst you can spend a lot of money on the coating, it is the preparation of the surface that ensures the best results as it must be totally clear of any blemishes and nicks. This multi-stage preparation process does make car coating expensive, but it will give a pristine shine.

Some of the chemicals in car coatings can be harsh, containing high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), organic chemicals that have a high vapour pressure at ordinary room temperature. For some people, VOCs can make them feel light-headed. Make sure to read more about VOC's, as they can be quite dangerous.

If you make any errors with applying the coating, making a paint correction is both difficult and expensive. If you have to repaint, you lose the coating and all the money used in the coating process as the preparation work needs repeating too.

Car coatings are not just for paint

Whilst paint is the most common area of the car to be coated, you can also apply coatings to other parts of the car too. Protecting the exterior trim from UV damage and yellowing helps extend the life of the plastic, unpainted panels, and plastic headlights.

It is also possible to coat the exterior glass on a vehicle so that it repels water and dirt from its surface, which not only makes cleaning easier since less can stick to the surface, but also improves vision as there are no light scratches or swirls on the glass.

Coating the face of the wheel helps keep the maintenance levels low, particular if the wheels have intricate designs.

Gift for car lovers

Car coating will make the perfect gift

Car enthusiasts are extremely particular about what goes in or onto their cars, so buying gifts for them can be difficult, particularly if you’re unsure about the list of rare parts or custom-built wheels they have told you they are looking for.

If your partner’s vehicle is their pride and job and getting scratches on the paintwork is a major concern, car coating will make the perfect gift. Car coating will protect the value of the car and keep it in the best possible condition, with a surface that is both smooth and shiny. If you are having the car coating professionally applied, the company may offer low cost maintenance options so that you can be sure your warranty remains intact and that the car is getting the best care.