The Truth About Ceramic Coatings: What You Need to Know.

There’s a ton of hype around ceramic coatings in the car detailing industry right now. If you just bought a new car, the salesman probably even tried to roll a ceramic coating into your loan. (Hopefully) you didn’t accept… more on dealership ceramic coatings later. If you do a Google search for “what is a ceramic coating?” you’re hit with a ton of different information. Most of it can be confusing and doesn’t really answer the question. So, instead of trying to sound like a scientist and explain the chemical make-up of a ceramic coating, I’m writing this article to give you a straightforward no bulls**t answer so you can decide if a ceramic coating is something you really need for your car.

So what is a ceramic coating? Simply put - A ceramic coating is a protective coating for your car that does exactly what wax or sealant does, but it will last for many years, rather than a couple of washes. A ceramic coating makes your paint very slick and glossy. It adds richness and depth to the color, and makes it INCREDIBLY easy to wash and maintain your car’s paint. Ceramic coatings have been used in different industries for decades. The term “ceramic” has kind of been borrowed by the auto detailing industry because it describes materials with a high level of hardness and corrosion resistance. In the mid-2000s, people began using ceramic coatings to protect automotive paint. Since then, numerous companies have come out with “ceramic coatings” using various chemistries, and flaunting lots of creative (and sometimes misleading) claims to sell them.

How Do Ceramic Coatings Work?

Keep in mind, this is a simplified explanation, we’re not breaking down the chemical make-up, just explaining what happens.

In general, ceramic coatings start out in a liquid form and they’re applied to your paint using microfiber or suede applicator pads. Once the coating is applied to the paint and exposed to oxygen, the carrier solvents in the formula begin to evaporate and you’re left with a tacky resin-like material. Over the next several hours, the remaining solvents evaporate, and the resin cures, forming a strong chemical bond to your paint. The cured coating is very thin (not visible to your eye and not thick enough to prevent scratches or rock chips) but it adds a nice layer of chemical and UV protection to your paint. The top surface of the coating is very hydrophobic (repels water) which makes washing and maintaining your paint very easy. These benefits are very similar to what you see with standard waxes and sealants, except waxes and sealants do not form a bond with your paint, they simply sit on top of the paint and are washed away after a couple of washes. (There is nothing wrong with wax or sealant, by the way, they just don’t last very long).

Do Ceramic Coatings Protect Your Paint from Scratches and Rock Chips?

No.

A ceramic coating is nowhere near thick enough to protect your paint from that type of damage. If you go into it expecting that level of protection, you’ll be extremely disappointed. If you go into it expecting the ceramic coating to perform like a wax or sealant that lasts for years instead of weeks, then you’ll be happy as can be. That’s really all there is to say on that matter.

How Long Does a Ceramic Coating Last?

If you’re used to waxing your car every month or so, the idea of something that lasts for over a year is pretty incredible. At Dino’s Detail, we offer ceramic coatings that last for 30,000 miles and 50-60,000 miles. There are some coatings on the market with claims of 8-years, 10-years, even LIFETIME coatings. We have yet to see any coatings last that long in the real world so we shy away from advertising claims like that. We’ve found that using miles is a better way to explain how long a coating will last since everyone has different annual driving habbits.

Are there Different Kinds of Ceramic Coatings?

In a sense, yes. Like I said earlier, “ceramic” is a big buzzword in the car detailing industry right now. Everyone is finding a way to cash in. To simplify it, I’d say ceramic products fall into 2 main categories: Consumer products and Professional products.

• Consumer-grade Ceramic Coatings

If you browse the shelves at your local AutoZone or Walmart, you’ll see ceramic sprays, ceramic quick detailers, ceramic-infused waxes, etc, etc. You can even hop on Amazon and choose from dozens of different “ceramic” products there. When it comes down to it, these readily-available consumer products are not what I would call a true ceramic coating. They may contain some of the same ingredients, but you don’t get the same result. They’re easy to use and have a pretty low risk of anything going wrong. Many of them will even last for a few months, but probably not quite a year - and definitely not multiple years. If you are the DIY type of person, these are great options. Just don’t expect them to last super long without re-application.

• Professional-grade Ceramic Coatings

On the other hand, professional-grade ceramic coatings are very difficult to apply, and a lot can go wrong if done improperly. They’re made of strong chemicals, so protective equipment needs to be worn when installing (gloves, respirator). Pro-grade ceramic coating companies are not selling their products on the shelves of auto stores because if they did, people would be ruining their cars, breathing dangerous fumes, and suing the crap out of the companies. We had to go through extensive training and a vetting process of our business before we were even allowed to purchase the Feynlab Ceramic coatings that we use. With pro-grade coatings, you’re looking at a couple of hundred bucks in material to coat a vehicle. Its a much different animal than the consumer products,

• **Dealership Ceramic Coatings

The other type of ceramic coating that I want to touch on is the dealership-installed ceramic coatings. Many dealerships are taking advantage of the ceramic coating rush and offering their own. These dealer-offered coatings are often misleading. These coatings are advertised to last for many years and usually range in cost from $2,000 - $5,000+ but the dealer is able to roll the coating into your loan payment so it’s only hitting you for a few bucks a month. The downside is that these coatings fall more on the consumer product side when it comes to durability and performance. So the dealers are charging a pro-grade price, for a consumer-level product. And they’re protected with a fine-print-filled warranty that makes it virtually impossible for you to do anything when your thousand-dollar Walmart coating stops working after just a couple of months. While there are some higher-end dealerships that do offer real ceramic coatings, most do not. So if you want a good coating for your car, it’s in your best interest to go with a reputable detail shop for the installation.

How Much Does a Ceramic Coating Cost for a Car?

When talking about the price for ceramic coating a car, there are a few factors. The price for a professionally installed ceramic coating can range anywhere from about $1,000, to over $3,000. It will depend on 3 main things. The first is the size and condition of your vehicle. The second is the longevity that you want out of your ceramic coating. Third, is the level of prep work and any paint correction that you may want to have done prior to the ceramic coating being applied to your paint. Having a 1-year ceramic coating applied to a Mazda Miata will cost significantly less than having a 5-year ceramic coating applied to a Crew Cab Dually Denali with a full paint correction. As you can see, it’s a tough question to give a precise answer to. If you’re interested in having your vehicle coated, give us a call and we’ll be able to narrow that range down for you.

To Sum Things Up…

I hope this article sheds some light on the world of ceramic coatings for you. After reading, you should have a better idea of what a ceramic coating actually is and how it works. You should know what they do (and what they don’t do). And you’ll understand the difference between consumer and pro-grade ceramic coatings. I tried to make this article as simple and straightforward as possible, while still covering all of the important points.

If you are in the Lancaster PA area and would like to talk with us about having your vehicle ceramic coated, email info@dinosdetail.com or give us a call at (717) 945-2450. Be sure to check out our Ceramic Coating and Paint Correction Service pages for more information on scheduling and what each package includes.