12/05/2021
Thinking of Ceramic Coating your vehicle to protect it.
Or maybe you just want to make the everyday maintenance easier, with longer periods betwean washing, and much easier cleaning when you do need to wash.
It could be that you just enjoy a clean car with with excellent gloss.
Maybe you just want a more permenant solution to traditional glazes and waxes which will need re-application every year or so.
Or if you are a car fanatic that wants to keep your baby glowing, you will know polishing over and over again will eventually wear your clear coat out, meaning an expensive respray.
These are all good reasons to look at Ceramic coatings, and there are many many more.
We have had numerous clients over the years giving us feedback that they have recieved the best possible trade in values on coated vehicles, even if that coating was done 3, 4, 5 or even more years previous to the trade in, as these vehicles were in far better condition than comparable uncoated vehicles.
If this interests you, then your first step to getting coated is to find a good, reputable and honest ceramic coating shop.
Go onto You Tube and Google and find out what Ceramic Coatings can do, and what their limitations are ( they are not bulletproof ).
Shops making claims that they will never scratch, are stone chip resistant, will never need any maintenance or that you will never need to wash your car again, should be avoided...
Yes, we have heard all this, and more.
If the applicator is honest he will tell you what ceramics can, and cant do, and wont bash other shops or brands, but will rather sell you his product and service
The honest truth is that the product is only as good as the applicator and no one brand can claim to be " The Best ".
All the better quality Ceramics will do what they are supposed to, with each brand having its own characteristics, specific to it.
i.e. brand A may be easier to apply than brand B which may have better clarity or better hydrophobics than brand C.
There is no one brand that can claim to be the best at everything that a ceramic coating is capable of.
Watch application videos and the process to properly coating a vehicle. We live in a digital age where information is freely available, helping us make informed decisions,rather than just blindly believing a salesman who may or may not be selling snake oil.
I always encourage clients to shop around and see whats available, and at what cost.
Find out from these shops what products they are using, and what process they employ from start to finish, to coat a vehicle.
Ask for their website or Facebook / Instagram page.
Look at the vehicles done.
Blantantly doctored pictures are usually a sign that they need to enhance a picture to actually make the vehicle, or work look good...
Do they show the pictures of the process they employ?
The washing, claying, polishing etc.
Do they show the inside workings of their shop, or is it just pictures of completed cars with no real actual reference to having been detailed or coated, or worse, even worked on by them...
I find most detailers, Ceramic coaters, and ppf installers that take pride in their work and are honest about what they are doing, have nothing to hide, and will usually proudly display these and more pictures of the actual work they are doing.
Find out how long they take to coat a vehicle.
Shops coating a car in a day should be a red flag.
Any detailer worth their salt will tell you that the process to polishing a vehicle properly is not a quick one and takes time.
Yes you can take a brand new vehicle, wash her, clay her and coat her.
You will not get the finish you see in the above pictures and more importantly you stand the chance of the ceramic not properly bonding to the coated surfaces on areas not detailed and prepped properly.
Obviously this could cause major problems with the product seperating from the coated surface in the worst case scenario, or at best, you may just have a ceramic coated car that looks no different to any uncoated car.
More importantly though, properly bonded ceramic, is far more durable over the long term giving you the client a much stronger, longer lasting and infinitely better looking coating than one that was applied in a day.
In the pictures above you see a brand new, yet to be delivered, Mercedes Benz GLS 580 and a 2019 Porsche Cayenne coupe.
The pictures are un-doctored and have been taken at an angle to show the best reflection of light off the properly polished, and clean, clear coat.
No ceramic had been applied yet, we were just starting to coat.
This is the finish that can be achieved through proper detailing before coating.
The new Mercedes took 3 full days from start to finish, of which 2 days were spent detailing and prepping the car.
The Porsche took a full 6 days to complete!
Admittedly she was scratched from incorrect washing techniques, and PPF was applied to the full front of the vehicle, but this gives you an idea of the time involved in properly detailing and coating new and used vehicle's.
Lastly what do they charge?
Cheaper is definitely not better.
Good quality ceramic coatings from companies that have been around for awhile will have done years of research, product development, and testing, and will usually be certified.
This process costs money, which in turn affects the final price to the consumer, but guarantees a product that will do as the manufacturer claims.
None of the better professional brand coatings are sold over the counter to the public or online as they need to be applied in the correct manner with temperature and humidity playing a big role in the way the ceramic is applied.
These can only be installed by trained, certified applicators to ensure that the coating is correctly done, which in turn insures that the product being applied will perform as intended by the manufacturer and give the end user the best possible protection and finish over the warrantied years.
If you the consumer can purchase the same product over the counter, or online, that the shop you are considering using wants to apply to your vehicle, consider why they are not using a certified applicator product...
it could be that they are simply offering the cheapest possible coating...
Or that they have the same amount of training on ceramics as you, and can only purchase online, do-it-yourself products...
Trained, certified staff demand higher salaries, which affects the final price being quoted.
Lastly see if they ask you to bring your vehicle in for an assessment.
Any detailer who does proper work will tell you that each vehicle is different and a final quote can only be done once the vehicle has been assessed.
This generally means that they want to do the best possible job without cutting corners to make that job fit into a specific price range.
It may sound like a lot of work finding that one guy in your area that will professionally and honestly apply a ceramic coating for you.
In the long run doing your homework on the company and product you are considering using will ensure you receive a product that will be long lasting and durable, only adding value to your vehicle and making the maintenance of the coated areas much much easier.
We dont claim to be the fastest or cheapest company detailing and coating vehicle's but we do strive to give our clients the best possible service and products available to us.
Definitive Detailing and Ceramic Coating.
Unit A6. Kyra Park. Kestrel Road.
Imbonini Industrial Park.
Shakas Head, Ballito.
[email protected]
Shaun 0723929005.
