What is Paint Correction?
Paint correction is the process of perfecting automotive paint using high speed polishers combined with compound and polish. It is imperative to remove scratches, swirls, and any other imperfections in the vehicles paint before applying ceramic coating.
Before starting the correction and after the thorough cleaning process, we take paint depth measurements of the entire vehicle to ensure safe and efficient polishing.
Paint correction is vital to the ceramic coating process because once the ceramic is cured, it will seal in the work underneath. Combining these compounds and polishes are a part of the prep for ceramic. This is very important, as it ensures the condition of the vehicle is as close to perfect as possible.
Every vehicle will be different when it comes to how aggressive the paint correction needs to be. Even brand new cars have swirls and scratching. Never assume a new car doesn’t need any polishing at all. From transport, getting checked in for PDI, being prepped for the lot, and customers; so many hands have already been around the car that the opportunity for damage to the clear coat is very high.
What is Ceramic Coating?
Ceramic coating is a durable and long-lasting protective coating that out-performs any other wax or sealant available on the market. Composed of silica dioxide (SiO2) and quartz, ceramic produces an extremely hydrophobic layer of protection. It is applied by hand, and once cured, forms a nano-ceramic shield above the vehicles clear coat.
It utilizes nano-technology to fill minor cracks or imperfections that provide extremely flat and hard layer of protection. Professional ceramic coating is rated at 9H on the pencil scale of hardness. It’s essentially as hard as a solid quartz crystal.
How is it Applied?
Ceramic coating is applied by hand, using soft microfiber pads. We apply a small amount of product on the pad, then evenly coat the surface in a cross-hatch pattern to ensure even and full coverage. It is applied one panel at a time. After allowing the coating to bond to the paint, roughly 45-60 seconds, we remove the excess completely.
How Long does the Process Take?
From beginning to end, the whole process takes roughly 6-8 hours. Ceramic takes 12-24 hours to be fully cured. We keep the vehicle inside overnight to ensure proper curing.
How Long does Ceramic Coating Last?
We offer a 3 year and 6 year coating. As long as the vehicle is properly maintained, the coating will not lose its hydrophobic and protective qualities.
There is no difference in gloss level or clarity between the 3 and 6 year coating. The main difference between the two is that the 6 year is a much more durable and long lasting product, although both are excellent coatings.
What are the Advantages?
The number one benefit to ceramic coating is the incomparable level of protection it provides from UV light, tree sap, brake dust, acid rain, bugs, and other contaminants. The hydrophobic surface makes the car ultra-slick, which allows water to just bead of with little effort.
Ceramic coating makes maintaining the vehicle’s appearance incredibly easy. Beyond a yearly ‘ceramic boost’ spray that enhances the coating, washing and drying is the only required maintenance.
Ceramic is typically 3x harder than the OEM clear coat. Not only is it the most scratch-resistant product you can apply to a vehicles surface, but it also provides the highest gloss possible.
Once applied, the vehicle will never need any waxes, sealants, or polishes for the longevity of the ceramic.