What is the point of a ceramic coating if you have to maintain it?

**Bruno Soares** · 02-10-2019, 04:29 PM

I didn’t jump on the ceramic coating boat for a while, I was happy with WGDGPS. My only regret is not doing it sooner. Car stays cleaner much longer, even when dirty it’s still pretty shiny. Washing and drying is a lot easier. The prep was well worth it.

**Eldorado2k** · 02-11-2019, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by choijw2

Yes..... for painted surfaces, which those ceramic coatings are designed for....

under carriage coating is totally different subject and mostly done with rubberized products.

oh well excuse me if I missed something previously

I know, it was just a crazy idea.

**Autobahnd** · 03-24-2021, 04:25 PM

Rez90, you have a great thought process. For the most part, ceramic coatings are fairly pointless and I don't recommend them. You can get gloss, chemical resistance, hydrophobricity and self cleaning characteristics from some of the better sio2 spray sealants that cost $20.

By far my biggest issue with ceramic coatings are coatings with 5+ year warranties. Consider this:

Once your ceramic coating loses hydrophobic properties after a couple of years (assuming you're not masking it with "boosters"), how do you know if the coating is still on the car?
Answer: You don't. Unless you cut a panel in half and take a microscopic reading of the paint layers, there's currently no way to tell if that coating you bought that's warrantied for 5-10 years is still on your car

**TTQ B4U** · 03-25-2021, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by Autobahnd

Rez90, you have a great thought process. For the most part, ceramic coatings are fairly pointless and I don't recommend them. You can get gloss, chemical resistance, hydrophobricity and self cleaning characteristics from some of the better sio2 spray sealants that cost $20.

By far my biggest issue with ceramic coatings are coatings with 5+ year warranties. Consider this:

Once your ceramic coating loses hydrophobic properties after a couple of years (assuming you're not masking it with "boosters"), how do you know if the coating is still on the car?
Answer: You don't. Unless you cut a panel in half and take a microscopic reading of the paint layers, there's currently no way to tell if that coating you bought that's warrantied for 5-10 years is still on your car

If you're a detailer that can wield a polisher, there's really no reason NOT to go with a Ceramic. It's not about warranties or 5yrs, etc. Most consumer grade products sold here and elsewhere will indeed last 2-3yrs without issue but most enthusiast will then re-polish and re-coat their vehicles to maintain their top appearance. Road grime, etc impacts all coatings. It's about ease of cleaning, drying and locking in a nice gloss that just lasts.

That said, the "maintance" of a coating is often very over-blown in terms of what's required. There really isn't much. Put two layers of a decent coating on and again, like most every enthusiast or even a weekend parent, use a decent drying aid or topper. Anything from basic Wolfgang Uber Rinseless mixed 1oz to a gallon of distilled water to a Cheap Beadmaker product or even dedicated product to match the brand such as CarPro Elixer will work fine and not impact or degrade the hydrophobic property or dirt resistance property coatings offer. It's that simple.

You'll know when the coating is failing as the drying part of a wash on one that's been decontaminated to ensure nothing physical is interfering with it will diminish. Again, just polish, coat, wash with a nuetral product like CarPro Reset, use a good drying aid or a fairly sublime detail spray to wipe up spots and fill the need to touch the vehicle and call it a day.

**98CayenneTA** · 03-25-2021, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by Autobahnd

Rez90, you have a great thought process. For the most part, ceramic coatings are fairly pointless and I don't recommend them. You can get gloss, chemical resistance, hydrophobricity and self cleaning characteristics from some of the better sio2 spray sealants that cost $20.

Simply not true....spray sealants are neat and all but can't shake a stick at a good coating.

A good coating will last a couple years INCLUDING winter's with road salt. ANY spray sealant will be lucky to make it over a month of winter abuse.

**Autobahnd** · 03-25-2021, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by TTQ B4U

If you're a detailer that can wield a polisher, there's really no reason NOT to go with a Ceramic. It's not about warranties or 5yrs, etc. Most consumer grade products sold here and elsewhere will indeed last 2-3yrs without issue but most enthusiast will then re-polish and re-coat their vehicles to maintain their top appearance. Road grime, etc impacts all coatings. It's about ease of cleaning, drying and locking in a nice gloss that just lasts.

That said, the "maintance" of a coating is often very over-blown in terms of what's required. There really isn't much. Put two layers of a decent coating on and again, like most every enthusiast or even a weekend parent, use a decent drying aid or topper. Anything from basic Wolfgang Uber Rinseless mixed 1oz to a gallon of distilled water to a Cheap Beadmaker product or even dedicated product to match the brand such as CarPro Elixer will work fine and not impact or degrade the hydrophobic property or dirt resistance property coatings offer. It's that simple.

You'll know when the coating is failing as the drying part of a wash on one that's been decontaminated to ensure nothing physical is interfering with it will diminish. Again, just polish, coat, wash with a nuetral product like CarPro Reset, use a good drying aid or a fairly sublime detail spray to wipe up spots and fill the need to touch the vehicle and call it a day.

From a customers point of view, one BIG reason to not go with a ceramic coating is cost. Say you're a customer...compare the life cycle of a ceramic coating with a 5 year warranty vs just coming in every year for an annual maintenance wash for 5 years:

Ceramic Coating:
Year 1 - $1,400+ for a paint correction & 5 year coating in Massachusetts
Year 2 - $150 annual inspection w/ booster
Year 3 - $150 annual inspection w/ booster
Year 4 - $150 annual inspection w/ booster
Year 5 - $150 annual inspection w/ booster

Sio2 Spray Sealant:
Year 1 - $600+ for a paint correction and 1.5-2 year sio2 sealant in Massachusetts
Year 2 - $150 annual decon and sio2 re-application
Year 3 - $150 annual decon and sio2 re-application
Year 4 - $150 annual decon and sio2 re-application
Year 5 - $150 annual decon and sio2 re-application

What's the difference other than cost? Keep in mind you HAVE to get the annual inspection done to uphold a ceramic coating warranty. With an sio2 sealant, you can do the annual decon and re-application yourself for like $10 worth of cost of materials, so actual cost difference might be much greater. Something to note - I'm certified to install a 4 year coating I can't mention here. I promise I'm not a hater, I'm just not a believer in how they help my customers at all. By all means if a customer wants a coating installed even after I try to talk them out of it, I'll do it for them

**Autobahnd** · 03-25-2021, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by 98CayenneTA

Simply not true....spray sealants are neat and all but can't shake a stick at a good coating.

A good coating will last a couple years INCLUDING winter's with road salt. ANY spray sealant will be lucky to make it over a month of winter abuse.

Hey Cayenne, I live in Massachusetts and understand where you're coming from. I recommend looking for better products if they're only lasting you a month in the winter

Mike Phillips · 03-25-2021, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by Autobahnd

I promise I'm not a hater, I'm just not a believer in how they help my customers at all.

By all means if a customer wants a coating installed even after I try to talk them out of it, I'll do it for them

This last weekend I REMOVED a coating and sealed the paint with a synthetic paint sealant. It's a GARAGE QUEEN. It doesn't need a long lasting protection.

I'm kind of with you. It's faster and easier for me to machine polish and seal car paint with traditional products and then faster and easier to keep them up then it is to do the initial coating installation and then the upkeep.

Me? I'm rethinking all of this.

**Bruno Soares** · 03-25-2021, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Autobahnd

Sio2 Spray Sealant:
Year 1 - $600+ for a paint correction and 1.5-2 year sio2 sealant in Massachusetts
Year 2 - $150 annual decon and sio2 re-application
Year 3 - $150 annual decon and sio2 re-application
Year 4 - $150 annual decon and sio2 re-application
Year 5 - $150 annual decon and sio2 re-application

What SiO2 sealant will last 1.5 to 2 years? That's what a consumer grade coating lasts. A good sealant might give you 6 to 8 months at best and that's probably what they'd be using on those years 2,3,4,5 you listed. To get to a whole year you'd be looking at a coating lite product.

**glen e** · 03-25-2021, 11:55 AM

I think it all depends on the environment your car is in and how you use the car. I remember reading an article in 2012 by the inventor of optimum opti-coat and he was talking about the need for a coating that would allow detailers to get back to a car far away and it would still be in good shape after six months to a year, With just washing. I’m with a lot of people above, I just don’t need that, I’ve coated two cars, and now I’d rather give it a good wash , a good fine polish once a year and spray on si02 sealant every quarter , it’s just a lot easier For my car which is garaged, and in a very temperate environment w/ no harsh winters. I would do something totally different and use a true coating if my car was kept outside in Chicago all year.