What Ceramic Coatings Can (and Can’t) Do For Your Car

Producers of ceramic coatings promise you will never need to clean your car and worry about paint chips anymore. These products get a lot of hype and seemingly exaggerated claims. So, do they really work?

Initially, detailers were reluctant to offer ceramics because their customers would not need to come back. Eventually, marketing caused a boom. Proponents present the coating as a superhero scratch-resistant surface. Resistance to exfoliation also seems too good to be true. Let’s see if ceramics live up to the hype. 

How Ceramics Work

These coatings are based on silicon dioxide, which is the building block for glass. By binding to the pores in the paint, they form a strong, thick protective layer between the surface and the environment. As a result, the top ceramic coating for cars is extremely durable and harder than wax.

The Truth About Exfoliation

The coating forms a strong connection to your paint. It performs much better than conventional wax in terms of withstanding light abrasions and towels. However, this does not mean you can run your car through an automatic wash with dirty brushes. A ceramic coating is durable, but it will not repel all damage 100%. Instead, think of it as a protective barrier that will sacrifice itself to protect the paint. 

The Truth About Healing

Ceramics are not polishing compounds. Marketers may show flawlessly coated cars with zero paint imperfections, but these coatings alone do not give your vehicle such a look. If you coat a car with imperfections on the surface, these will simply get locked beneath the new layer. Getting a glass-smooth finish requires thorough polishing before the application of ceramics.

Ceramics As Ultra-Wax

This is the most realistic perception. In comparison with carnauba waxes, which are naturally derived, synthetic sealants take coating to a whole new level. They are more reliable, firm, and their hydrophobic qualities are unparalleled. 

Not only will water form beads. The droplets may tuck up under themselves, creating ball bearings that roll off. This means an effortless wash every time it rains. Clean grease and debris easily — all you need is soap and water.

To Conclude

Ceramics have many advantages over conventional wax coatings. They are more durable, resistant to abrasions, and water repellent. At the same time, this is not a Star Trek shield. Extremely aggressive environments like a bad car wash will still wear them away. Still, this is a superior option, and it is well worth the money.

Ceramic coatings are expensive, but their prices have dropped in recent years. Now, protecting your car does not come at a four-figure price. In fact, it can be done by anyone. Your vehicle will stay clean naturally, so you will only need to hose it down time after time.