Coating Cars Outdoors

[DETAILROOKIE]

Hello All!

A friend of mine had his car coated and told me they did it right outside of his house. Is there a coating that can be done outdoors? I always thought it had to be done in a dust free environment.


I'm also thinking of delving into Coatings because I have turned down too much business because I am not currently coating cars. How do you guys keep your garages dust free while the coating cures? Am I being extra OCD and it is really not that serious? Lol

Thank yall in advance!

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[The Guz]

When I coat my car or a car, I close the garage door when I’m done and then go to sleep without worrying what dust may be lingering in the garage.

I have not noticed any dust particles embedded into the coating. Even on black paint that I have coated.

I haven’t applied a coating outside.

[rlmccarty2000]

You can coat a vehicle outdoors, I’ve done it with no problems. You do want to work as clean as possible. So if there is a lot of pollen or dust I would not try, but on a calm day, in the shade, there is not a problem. You really need shade and a cool day. If it gets to hot the coating will flash very fast. If you see dust just don’t coat over it.

Once the coating flashes and you wipe it down dust will not embed in the coating. Similar to a sealant the coating dries in seconds.

Examining your work in the sun is the best way to catch high spots if your lighting is not optimal.

[Firehouse Mike]

You can coat a vehicle outdoors, I’ve done it with no problems. You do want to work as clean as possible. So if there is a lot of pollen or dust I would not try, but on a calm day, in the shade, there is not a problem. You really need shade and a cool day. If it gets to hot the coating will flash very fast. If you see dust just don’t coat over it.

Once the coating flashes and you wipe it down dust will not embed in the coating. Similar to a sealant the coating dries in seconds.

Examining your work in the sun is the best way to catch high spots if your lighting is not optimal.

I agree with this too. I have coated multiple vehicles outdoors. Working on panel at a time, on a calm day with no pollen in the air, and in the shade....I've had no issues and very, VERY happy customers. On cooler days CQUK is amazing, FYI

Mike

[Desertnate]

I wouldn't attempt it in my area because the conditions the previous posters have mentioned almost always exist. I have no real shade outside my garage, there is almost always a breeze blowing, and my neighborhood is surrounded by agricultural fields...so there is always a bit of dust in the air.

While I'm sure it is possible to do right outdoors, I wouldn't risk it even if conditions allowed. After spending so much time on the prep, I want to make sure the application is perfect and not worry about having to re-do my work anywhere.

[itsgn]

Hello All!

A friend of mine had his car coated and told me they did it right outside of his house. Is there a coating that can be done outdoors? I always thought it had to be done in a dust free environment.
There's always a lot of dust in the air (unless you're working in "cleanroom (https://en.wikipedia.org/####/Cleanroom)" environment). The only difference is that you see it less inside than outside, because of the lightning and the color of the background. Unless you're right next to a field or an industrial area, it shouldn't be a problem to work outside. That said, if it's a windy day, maybe just postpone the coating, because then they will be a lot more dust passing by the car, at higher speeds, and a stronger wind will also carry larger dust particles than usual. But other than that, there should be no problem. I've done several coatings outside and never had any problems because of dust.

[Boudin]

Have applied CQUK 3.0 several times outdoors without issue. Just not during pollen season. A quick wipe down on the panel right before coating and your set.

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[chris11le]

I planned on using CSL on my truck this spring. I have no problem coating it outside, but they do say you need to prevent moisture exposure for at least 12 hours

My truck doesn't fit in my garage.... Would dew from sitting overnight be an issue? Or even during the day if the temp changes enough. Ignore rain for now, assuming I can get a couple most likely dry days.

I might end up using or renting another garage just to be sure but was curious nonetheless. Thought about an enclosed tent but figured that might trap humidity as well.

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[itsgn]

For one, I've never seen a freshly coated car getting any visible damage from getting exposed to moisture in the first 24 hours after application, even not at the level of morning dew covering the car with tiny spots. Actually, afaik moisture - obviously in limited quantities - is one of the main catalysts that help coatings link and bond to the paint. At least in some of them anyway.

Now, obviously rain is a different beast, because it's a lot more water, because it might carry larger particles and amount of contaminants, and because rain droplets also hammer down mechanically on the paint, and might very well damage the coating when it's not fully cured yet. So, that (ie. rain) might be an actual concern with freshly coated cars.

However, all manufacturers are providing some kind of secondary sealant to their semi-permanent coatings, which if applied, supposedly protects the latter from water spotting or getting damaged during cure time by water exposure. CarPro recommends applying Reload on top of the coating (after it was allowed to dry for a few hours) for that purpose, Gyeon has Cure, and I guess you could use Liquid Crystal or Silo Seal in a similar way, albeit not explicitly instructed to do so by Gtechniq.

So, similar to the dust issue, just use some common sense, and don't coat your car on a day where you've a possible rain forecasted in a few hours after application. However, other than that you should be fine, and if you coat your car let's say around noon or in the early afternoon, you shouldn't have any problems with morning dew arriving in 12-16 hours after that. Or if you want to be on the safe side, just apply one of those sealants after you let the coating dry for a few hours.