Did you know the average car lasts about 12 years? Many factors go into the longevity of your car, including proper care and maintenance. Ceramic coating for cars is one of the best ways you can keep your car protected.
But what’s the point of using a ceramic coating, and how can they help your vehicle? If you’re curious about coatings, we’re here to help. Read on to learn more about ceramic coatings and how they’re beneficial for your vehicle.
What Is Ceramic Coating?
Cars are exposed to the elements in their normal state. A car’s paint job can fade, chip, scratch, or otherwise experience damage. Coatings are a great way to help protect the exterior of your vehicle.
A ceramic coating is an extra layer of protection for your paint, glass, and many trim surfaces. The coating is long-lasting and provides an aesthetic glassy shine to your vehicle.
Ceramic coatings are made of a silica-based liquid polymer. The polymer chemically bonds to your vehicle’s paint to form a defensive shell. Once bonded, the shell will protect your vehicle from scratches, oxidation, dirt and grime, and other hazards.
Ceramic coatings aren’t permanent, but they last longer than alternatives. Common applicants like wax will last for a matter of months. Ceramic coating can last years with proper care.
As a result, ceramic coatings are usually more expensive than wax at a flat rate. However, since ceramic coatings need fewer reapplications, they end up cheaper in the long run. Ceramic coatings are great for protecting your vehicle from anything that could damage the exterior.
Benefits of Ceramic Coating for Cars
Now that we know more about the role of ceramic coatings, what are some of the benefits? Ceramic coatings are more than an aesthetic boost. Here are some of the greatest benefits of using a ceramic coating on your cars.
Chemical Resistance
Chemicals can eat into your car’s paint slowly or instantaneously. Depending on the exposure, chemicals can tarnish your paint or outright ruin it.
Wax is able to defend against some chemicals to a degree. However, harsher chemicals will cause your wax to corrode away. If your wax is toward the end of its duration, it may offer no protection.
Ceramic coatings excel in defending against chemical substances. While you won’t want to pour chemicals directly onto your paint, moderate amounts will not damage the coating.
Your car may come into contact with chemicals during washing and maintenance. Topping off the fluids in your car can lead to spills on your paint.
A ceramic coating will prevent you from having to fear these chemicals. Another chemical reaction that ceramic coatings defend from is rust. With a ceramic coating, you won’t need to fear oxidization or rust through your paint.
Rust is particularly concerning for older vehicles with aging paint jobs. A ceramic coating can help to keep your classic car on the road longer.
Cost-Effective Protection
Many car owners are hesitant to rack up too high of a bill. Vehicles can quickly become expensive between maintenance, repairs, detailing, and more. Optional protective features like waxing or coating are sometimes hard to pull the trigger on.
If you’re hesitant to take these options due to the cost, ceramic coatings are for you. Coatings are more cost-effective than any protective option you can use.
The price of a ceramic coating depends on the vendor, the quality of the coating, the size of your vehicle, and more. Generally speaking, you should expect to spend a few hundred dollars. You can from us directly to start your budget today.
For the price, you have a defensive coating that lasts years. In comparison, waxes need reapplication between 6-12 times a year.
In the long run, waxes are significantly more expensive than coatings. If you’re interested in protecting your car, your car’s coating is the most important step. Make sure you’re using the most cost-effective and reliable method.
Additional Durability
Another excellent benefit of ceramic coatings is the additional durability they offer. As the months go on, you’ll find your vehicle’s paint slowly fading.
In some environments, vehicles won’t last as long. For example, vehicles near the beach will rust faster. Salt in the air can speed up oxidization, rusting older vehicles quicker.
Modern vehicles often have weatherproofing to help defend against these threats. However, such weatherproofing rarely extends to the paint job of your car.
Near the ocean, the combination of salt in the air and the beating sun will corrode your paint. The heat widens the pores of the paint. Afterward, the paint absorbs more salty moisture from the air.
A ceramic coating will block the air from these pores. Your paint is safe from corrosion beneath a ceramic coating in any environment.
Ease of Maintenance
You may fear that a ceramic coating requires dedicated care. Doesn’t adding a ceramic coating give you something else to maintain?
Keeping your ceramic coating maintained is refreshingly easy. Typically, most of the maintenance only translates to how you wash your vehicle.
One additional step is the use of SiO2 ceramic sprays, also called “Boost Sprays.” These sprays help to keep the ceramic coating strong and long-lasting.
You’ll want to wash your car in low-light hours such as in the evening or early morning. It’s best to wash your car by hand using pH-neutral car soap. For these reasons, you won’t want to take your coated vehicle to an automated car wash.
Ensure your vehicle is dry and always use soft, clean plush microfiber towels. Never use anything harsh or firm on your vehicle such as terry towels or brushes. Using these materials can scratch the coating
Water Repellent
Another excellent benefit of ceramic coatings is that they’re water-repellent. But why does it matter if water gets on your car?
As a whole, you can’t avoid water getting on your car. Whether it’s rain, washing your car, sprinklers, or another source, your car cannot escape exposure. However, that isn’t to say that you shouldn’t limit how much water your car encounters.
The most noticeable effect of water is water spots. Common with hard water, water spots leave a visible tarnish behind.
Water spots are most common when water sits on the vehicle and evaporates. Most often, this occurs after a rainstorm or while driving. As the water evaporates, minerals and materials are left behind, especially with dirty water.
The material left behind can corrode your paint job and eat into your vehicle. For older vehicles, this quickly leads to severe corrosion and rust. For newer vehicles, the damage is mostly aesthetic.
As time goes on, your vehicle may eventually become covered with water spots. Ceramic coatings are hydrophobic and can help to prevent this water from sitting.
Water rolls off of ceramic coatings, making it difficult for the liquid to stick. By repelling the water, your ceramic coating helps to keep your paint safer.
“But wax is also water-repellent!” While true, wax fades much faster, and it doesn’t fade all at once. Within weeks, your wax may fade enough that it isn’t repelling water as well as you’d like.
It’s important to note that water resistance doesn’t mean waterproof. Many vendors will tout and market ceramic coatings as being waterproof. You should not believe this claim.
Though it isn’t completely waterproof, the water resistance of ceramic coatings is better than other methods. The only way to avoid water entirely is to keep your vehicle covered or indoors. With a ceramic coating, you can safely weather most rainstorms.
Helps Defend Against UV Rays
Finally, ceramic coatings are excellent at defending from harmful UV rays. The heat of the sun can cause paint to expand, but there are more threats than just heat. Ultraviolet rays can damage your car more than any other weathering damage.
Your ceramic coating will help to keep your paint safe from UV rays. The protection will also help keep your car somewhat cooler in the summer months. As the ceramic coating resists UV rays, it also resists some of the heat the rays bring.
If you live in a sunny area, using a ceramic coating is crucial for your vehicle. Make sure you aren’t letting your car sit in direct sunlight. Even with a ceramic coating, it’s best to park in the shade.
Using Ceramic Coating
When using ceramic coatings for cars, proper maintenance is crucial. These coatings help protect your cars and defend against the environment, chemical weathering, and scratches. With the right upkeep, you’ll enjoy years of the countless benefits of your ceramic coating.
For more information on performing upkeep for your vehicle, be sure to browse our extensive site. You can also contact us to discuss detailing your vehicle today.