Ceramic coating is a chemical polymer solution normally applied to the outer surface of a motor vehicle to protect the external car paint from damage from different environmental factors.

The ceramic coating is usually applied by hand to blend in perfectly with car paint and consequently creating a hydrophobic later of protection to the vehicle. The chemical bond creates a new layer that ensures the factory paint of the car remains intact.

Ceramic coating, also known as nano-ceramic coating has chemically inherent attributes that make t impossible to get damaged during normal or extreme atmospheric conditions such as heavy downpour or exposure to sunlight.

The coatings also do not require re-application every few months due to its semi-permanent nature occasioned by the chemical bond with the vehicle factory paint.

In short, the nano-ceramic coating provides a supplementary safeguard to the exterior of a car making the vehicle look new even with relatively minimal maintenance.

This is achieved because of increased resilience to external factors and also through the ease of cleaning the car. 

Initially, ordinary car wax has been used to maintain the outer surface of motor vehicles. This has however proved to be unsustainable as this procedure requires frequent renewal or re-application.

The ceramic coating Tacoma WA market is growing exponentially and is expected to hit $3 billion or more in the next five years considering a growth rate of 7.1%.

Even with the numerous advantages it is important to mention that the ceramic coating may not protect against all damages or scratch. It also comes at a high cost of application. 

Ceramic coating has a number of benefits to car owners who have embraced the recent technology.

Advantages Of Ceramic Coating

Most of the things that contain chemical compounds subjugated by chemical bonds result to resilient solutions same as which comprised in the ceramic coating. It is both a permanent and easy to clean protective material.

Here are some of the benefits:

Protection Against Destructive UV Rays

Prolonged exposure of cars to the raging sun has its perils. The ultra violet rays of the sun make the paint on cars to oxidise. The resultant is a dull and faded paint or appearance. Upon application, the ceramic coating protects the vehicle exterior paint job from the ultra violet rays of the sun hence reducing the oxidation rate.

Protection Against Etching And Chemical Stains

Natural acidic chemical contaminants pose serious danger of staining mostly on the exterior of your car. A ceramic coating has proved quite resourceful because it is a chemically resilient surface that ensures the contaminants don’t bond with the paint on your vehicle.

The resultant scenario is that your car becomes more resistant to stains and etching. This is however dependent on how timely the contaminant is removed.

Ease When Cleaning

One of the qualities of ceramic coating is that it is hydrophobic. This simply means that it repels water. Because of this feature, water droplets attach loosely to the surface of the car and easily slide off. Grime or even mud consequently will seldom bond to the paint on your vehicle, and to make it even more interesting, during car wash, contaminants are be removed with reduced effort.

Superior Gloss

A car bearing a ceramic coating will always have enhanced reflective properties of the paint job and a clear coat. This improves the clarity of the pant as well as its depth.

Knowingly or unknowingly we end up adding serious value to our vehicles due to the glamour attributed by the ceramic coating.

Water Spotting Protection

After application of the ceramic/nano-ceramic coating, contaminants that are water-based tend to bead on the car surface and eventually they slide off. While this is entirely true that some water will be repelled from the exterior, more droplets of water may bead on the car and remain there.

Ceramic coating will not get rid of spots of water produced as a result. This will require a hands-on approach.

No Need For Frequent Car Wash

The coating necessarily doesn’t make your car invincible to grime. However, it necessitates easier cleaning of your car and reduced car washes. Additionally a ceramic coating would ensure that you no longer have to worry about waxing your car frequently hence doing away with the maintenance cost of waxing.

Eliminate Dangers Of Rock Chips, Scratches And Swirl Marks

There could be a little exaggeration of the ceramic coating concerning the feature of scratch-resistance. Small scratches may be averted by a ceramic coating. This however doesn’t mean that loose rock chippings or scratches at the parking lot won’t cause significant damage.

Improper car washing skills may create swirl marks on the exterior of the vehicle. Ceramic coating is not a surrogate for extensive scratch or chip protection e.g. the paint protection film; neither does it eliminate the need for proper car washes in order to avoid swirl marks.

Long Lifespan

Consumer-grade ceramic coatings normally last for at least two years. Others may last even longer. Relevant example of the consumer-grade ceramic coatings is the Gtechniq crystal serum light which usually advertises for up to five years of service.

Professional-grade ceramic coatings last even longer compared to the consumer-grade ceramic coatings. They essentially last to a duration of between five years and may go up to 10 years of robust protection.

Having looked at the benefits of ceramic coating it is equally important to analyse the pros and cons of this technology.

Disadvantages Of Ceramic Coatings

Here are some of the disadvantages of ceramic coatings;

Coatings Not Exactly Scratch Resilient

Ceramic coatings do give the exterior of your car protection against scratches. This however happens only but to a certain degree. The ceramic coating Tacoma WA can only offer scratch protection up to spider web-like scratches and swirls noticeable in the finish of old cars.

It’s definitely not going to protect your car from reckless driving resulting to external body scratches. Any object hard or rough enough to scrap through the clear coat and all the way to the paint layers and even down to the metal will obviously not be stopped by the ceramic coating.

Cannot Prevent Rock Chips Amidst Claims

Some manufacturers have argued that the ceramic coatings may prevent rock chips. Rock chips noticeable at the front of your car are usually unavoidable unless one considers tougher paint protection product.

Smaller rock chips or scratches can be prevented however. And here, the credit goes to the manufacturers.

Possible Susceptibly To Water Spotting

Water spotting has proven to be very frustrating for both professionals and the DIY enthusiasts. Every time water beads upon the surface of cars then later evaporates, dissolved elements such as minerals remain behind only to form a spot where the water evaporated.

These spots are really tough and stubborn to edge out. Regrettably, the ceramic coatings can barely prevent this incident. They ensure that the water spots won’t stick but are helpless when it comes to the mineral elements.

Vehicles washed using hard water should be done under a shade and not in direct sunlight. The cars should also be dried thoroughly using a microfiber towel or an air dryer before the beads of water evaporate.

Professional Application Costly/Expensive

Professionals use consumer-grade ceramic coatings and professional-grade coating which are quite costly. Irrespective of your choice of the ceramic coating, labour for the entire procedure makes the job even more expensive.

For the professional-grade ceramic coating, it’s expected that the cost implications will even be higher.

Paint Defects Must Be Corrected Before Coating

The ceramic coatings are relatively expensive and applying them is not a walk in the park. It’s actually a complex procedure. Consequently, prior to the coating, one should consider correction to remove all defects such as swirl marks and fine scratches.

If this is not done, these defects are locked beneath the ceramic coatings and cannot be corrected after coat is applied.

Degeneration of gloss and hydrophobic features over time

Despite the hard layer of protection on a ceramic coating, which may last for years, the hydrophobic features and the gloss are subject to degeneration much more quickly. However, manufacturers have stepped in to offer remedy for this.

Maintenance products have been brought in to boost the hydrophobic and gloss properties. This is a very tedious procedure however.

DIY Vs Professional ceramic coatings

“Do it yourself” (DIY) ceramic coatings are wonderful but professional ceramic coatings offer a long lasting protection for your vehicle paint. The main reason as to why these products are limited to professionals is because special tools and expertise are employed to correctly complete this job.

Those with little expertise are advised not to attempt this process, as they would end up wasting money used to purchase the product and finding someone to correct already made mistakes during DIY.

It is therefore wise to understand all the dynamics surrounding this technology before allocating money blindly. This ensures car owners are equipped with the necessary knowledge on ceramic coatings among other protective materials.