Professional Ceramic Coatings
What a professional ceramic coating actually is
A professional ceramic coating is a liquid polymer -- usually SiO&sub2; based -- that bonds to a car's paintwork and cures into a thin, glass-hard layer. Done properly, it gives the finish a deep gloss, a strongly hydrophobic surface, and several years of protection against light chemical attack, contamination and swirl marks caused by washing.
What makes a coating "professional" is not the label on the bottle. It's the environment and preparation: an indoor, temperature-controlled studio; full decontamination; machine polishing to remove defects before anything else goes on; panel-wipe to strip oils; then application under controlled light and a long cure. Skip any of those steps and you get a retail finish, regardless of what's in the bottle.
Choosing a coating
- Which ceramic coating should I buy? -- why the brand matters less than who applies it.
- Which ceramic coating do professionals use? -- the products trained installers actually reach for.
- What is the best professional car ceramic coating? -- how "best" depends on the car, the owner and the budget.
- What are the best coatings according to the experts? -- what independent detailers and testers rate.
- What is Gtechniq ceramic coating? -- one of the well-known professional ceramic-coating brands.
Finding the right installer
- How do I find a trusted detailer? -- what to look for in process, premises and paperwork.
- Can you get a coating from a mobile service? -- why a driveway or car park rarely works for this job.
- I'm not in your area -- can you recommend someone near me? -- how to use brand directories to find a local installer.
- Can you recommend a mobile company near me? -- our honest view on mobile coating work.
Accreditation, warranties and what you get on paper
- Are you accredited? -- what being an accredited agent means and what it doesn't.
- How do I prove my car has been coated? -- certificates, registration and what stays with the car.
- What does "semi-permanent" actually mean? -- realistic lifespan and how coatings wear down.
- Is there a 1-year ceramic coating? -- short-life coatings and where they fit.
When things go wrong
- Have you ever messed up a coating? -- honest answer, and what a high spot looks like when one gets away.
Related
- Glossary -- full A-Z of car-care terms, including the entries covering coatings, polishing, preparation and aftercare.
- Our ceramic coating service -- what we actually do to your car, from booking to handover.
- Which ceramic coating should I buy?
- Which Ceramic Coating do professionals use?
- Can you trust a dealership to apply a ceramic coating?
- What is the best professional car ceramic coating?
- Can you get a ceramic coating from a mobile service?
- What are the best ceramic coatings according to the experts?
- How Much Does Ceramic Coating Typically Cost?
- How do I find a trusted car detailer to apply a ceramic coating?
- Are you accredited?
- Why is ceramic coating so expensive?
- I am not in your area, can you recommend a ceramic coating company near me?
- Have you ever messed up a ceramic coating?
- Apart from the certificate there is nowhere on the car to say that it has been treated?
- Is there a 1-year ceramic coating?
- What is Gtechniq Ceramic Coating?
- Are more expensive ceramic coatings worth the price?
- How do I find reputable ceramic coaters?
- Do I need the full ceramic package?
- What do you mean by 'semi-permanent'?