The Appearance That's Admired...

Industry-grade ceramic coating is a chemical polymer solution that is applied to the exterior of a vehicle to protect it from external paint damage. Typically applied by hand, it blends with the paint of your car and creates an additional hydrophobic layer of protection.

Due to this chemical bonding and creation of a new layer, the car’s factory paint job remains untouched.

While many car enthusiasts and even detailers believe it to be an alternative to clear bra (paint protection film), ceramic coating, in reality, is an alternative to waxing. The main idea is to prevent dirt, grime, and stain marks from appearing on the paint job and ruining the clear coat.

Ceramic coating, also sometimes called nano-ceramic coating, is a permanent or semi-permanent solution to your worries depending upon the coating and type of polymer used. Due to its chemically intrinsic properties, it does not break down in normal atmospheric conditions like rain or summer.

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Unfortunately, ceramic coatings are not ideal for everyone, primarily due to high costs. Unlike a wax, for example, a ceramic coating adheres to and bonds with a car’s paint and cannot simply be wiped off and reapplied. The process is more akin to applying stain to a piece of wood, where the application needs to be smooth, consistent and, for the best results, performed by an experienced professional. If a mistake is made, or if something touches the surface before it has fully cured, the entire area of the car must be recleaned, stripped and prepped for a new coating, proper preparation can make this an expensive endeavor. Since the coating will magnify any imperfections, you must first laboriously polish the paint to remove any swirls, scratches, or discoloration. Experts claim that’s even true for brand-new cars fresh off of a dealer’s lot, as they likely have slight paint damage from being run through an automatic car wash. 

With this in mind, you may not be surprised to learn that a professional may charge $1,000-$5000 or more to apply a ceramic coating to your vehicle. We don’t recommend the average do-it-yourself attempt on a car of any value.

Perhaps more significant than the cost of a ceramic coating are the unrealistic expectations some people have with regard to the result. Granted, ceramic coatings offer unrivaled protection, but your car won’t suddenly have an impenetrable barrier. Stones will still chip your paint, rogue shopping carts will absolutely dent your fender, and tree sap left to bake on the hood will laugh at your $1,000 silica-based polymer. 

Furthermore, you must maintain a ceramic coating with frequent brush-free washes (to avoid swirls and scratches) and occasional treatment with a particular spray which, thankfully, owners can do themselves. Now, what about all the different names?

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For your average car lover that wants a new coating, there is one major hurdle to understanding the market; the names. Quartz, Graphene, Ceramic, what is the difference and where should you start?

Let’s start with Ceramic Coating, as it is the most broad term. This term covers a whole line of products designed to coat a surface to protect it from damage. The broadness of this helps to keep all of the products in line, even if they are intended for different vehicles, applications, or finish types.

The big thing to understand is that Quartz is a marketing term, and is used interchangeably with Ceramic Coating. The word has become an industry standard because it invokes the image of something clear and hard. The exact kind of image that industry professionals want customers to associate with protecting their car. So when you see a “Quartz Coating”, remember that this is just a ceramic coating. From there, you will want to be looking at the specs of the coating. Such as its hardness, thickness, and looking into recommended care. These details will give you the major differences that you want to keep in mind before buying.

So, then what exactly is a Graphene coating? This term denotes a pretty major difference in the chemical structure of the coating. Your standard coating is made up of a resin compound primarily consisting of SiO2 and its additives. A Graphene coating adds just that, Graphene. Molecularly, Graphene is fantastic for reinforcing the bonds between structures. Think of it as molecular rebar, reinforcing the bonds and making them harder to break. The result is a coating that is harder to damage through either physical or chemical means.

The main big difference that you will want to look out for after that is just where the coating is intended to cover. Most basic ceramic coatings are intended to cover the body of the car. However, this has not stopped manufacturers from developing coatings for various surfaces. Including for plastics, rubbers, and glass. These coatings are all designed to offer similar protection, and adhere properly to the surfaces that they are designed for.

We hope that this article helps to communicate some of the major differences involved when buying a ceramic coating for your car. The industry can be a bit complicated for those not in the middle of it, but that should not exclude regular buyers from understanding what they are about to buy.

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