Question 1

What is ceramic coating?

Accepted Answer

Ceramic coatings are a much more protective, permanent coating than wax or paint sealants traditionally used to protect paint. They are a hard, slick coating applied to the car's paint that cross-links to the clear coat of your vehicle. Ceramic coatings have hydrophobic and anti-stick properties. When your vehicle is coated with ceramic coating, the dust and pollen in the air adhere much less, keeping your vehicle cleaner and easier to maintain. It is high-gloss, slick, and harder than your factory clear coat.

Question 2

What does ceramic coating protect against?

Accepted Answer

Ceramic coating adds a layer of protection to your car's paint; this coating itself is harder than your paint. Applying a ceramic coating on top of your car's paint increases the hardness of your paint by 2 points on the Mohs hardness scale. It protects against etching from bugs, sap, and bird droppings in your car's paint, as well as acid rain, UV rays, dirt, chemicals, and other heavy pollutants. It helps protect against scratches but is not scratch-proof. Different manufacturers' coatings come with varying warranties; we would love to discuss them with you in detail — just give us a call or stop by the shop.

Question 3

What preparation is performed to apply ceramic coating?

Accepted Answer

Here at Pristine Auto Detail, our ceramic coating prices include all necessary preparation. We wash, clay bar, and chemically decontaminate your car to remove existing wax or chemicals that would prevent the coating from adhering properly. We then polish the entire vehicle to eliminate swirl marks or scratches (if possible) and do a final preparation alcohol wipe down before applying the coating (with possible multiple layers, depending on the package chosen). Most vehicles stay indoors overnight after coating to get a cure cycle on them prior to delivery to our customers.

Question 4

How long does a ceramic coating last?

Accepted Answer

Ceramic coatings are warrantied from 3–9 years on cars 5 years old and newer, but they typically last much longer than the warranty offered. The length of warranty depends on which manufacturer's coating you choose.

Question 5

What is a certified installer?

Accepted Answer

Here at Pristine Auto Detail, we are certified installers for Opti-coat, Owner's Pride Ceramic coating, and Gtechniq; this means that we have been trained and accredited by the manufacturers on how to properly apply their specific products.

Question 6

How do I maintain my vehicle after ceramic coating? Does it need to be reapplied annually?

Accepted Answer

A typical hand wash is all that's required for proper maintenance on a ceramic-coated vehicle. Some coating manufacturers require an annual inspection, which we'll perform with a wash at no additional charge to a hand wash. Some of our customers enjoy maintaining their own vehicles and applying a ceramic topper annually or biannually, which can easily be done by them or us; this process usually takes an additional 15 minutes after a hand wash. The ceramic topper continues to keep the vehicle hydrophobic, which aids in keeping your car cleaner and the washing process easier.

Vehicle Paint Protection in Santa Rosa, CA

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