When it comes to protecting your car, modern vehicle detailing has advanced far beyond those little containers of carnauba wax. These days, car buyers have a ton of options when it comes to waxing, sealing, and coating their beloved vehicles. There are polymer- and silica-based sealants, silicon dioxide coatings, graphene-infused waxes, paint protection films, and much more. But with so many options, how can you know which one is best for you and your car? In this post, we’re taking a look at an increasingly popular protective solution: ceramic top coats.
Ceramic Top Coats: All You Need To Know
Ceramic coatings — whether they’re applied to cars or cookware — are incredibly durable. In fact, ceramic isn’t a particular material, such as clay or porcelain. Instead, ceramic can be made from a variety of different substances; the thing that makes something a ceramic is the process of taking a heat- and corrosion-resistant material and firing at an extremely high temperature.
When it comes to a paint sealant for your car, ceramic top coats are made from a silicon-based (most commonly quartz and sand) polymer resin combined with additives and a solvent. The resin provides glossy, hydrophobic, and protective qualities, while the additives allow the resin to bond with the microscopically grainy paint layer on your car. If you need all that science-y language translated, you can think about a ceramic top coat like an ultra-hard, water-repelling, silicon shield that’s super-bonded to your paint job and won’t wash off over time like wax.
Benefits of Getting a Ceramic Top Coat
Because of its durability and longevity, there are several benefits to having a ceramic top coat applied to your car. These benefits are further increased if you frequently drive your car, park it in an uncovered area, or live in a place where the climate factors — such as frequent sunny days, salty air in coastal climates, and rain or snowy weather — can take a toll on your car.
Added Protection
The main benefit of a ceramic top coat is that it adds an extra layer of protection to your vehicle. Because of its durability and the way in which it powerfully bonds to your car’s top coat, you can rest assured that your car’s paint job is well protected against oxidation, fading, and imperfections caused by environmental contaminants.
Effortless Cleaning
Ceramic top coats are hydrophobic, which means that the top coat will physically repel water from your car by causing water droplets to bead and slide right off. Those water droplets can collect dirt, grime, or other contaminants that have landed on the ceramic top coat and carry them away, too.
No More Waxes Needed
Depending on the type of ceramic top coat you get, you’ll enjoy added protection on your vehicle for anywhere from one to five years. That eliminates the need to pay for an expensive wax job every few months or spend hours of your precious free time applying a wax coating yourself.
Long-Term Value
Ceramic top coats have become less expensive over the years, but they’re nevertheless an investment for most car lovers. Still, the upfront cost can save you money in the long run. Not only will you save significant bucks on waxing and detailing for your car, but the extra layer of protection can also save you money on paint touch-ups and even basic car washes.
Head-Turning Good Looks
Let’s not underestimate how good it feels to see your car gleaming from every angle. A ceramic top coat not only provides added protection and long-term savings on car maintenance, but it also makes your car look like you just drove it off the lot, regardless of how long you’ve actually had it.
Things To Know Before You Get a Ceramic Top Coat
The main issue to be aware of before you get a ceramic top coat on your vehicle is the significant difference in quality between DIY ceramic top coats and professionally applied ceramic top coats. For one, most DIY car detailers can’t get the highest quality ceramic top coats available — ones that’ll provide the most durable protection and last several years.
Because of ceramic coatings’ rising popularity, there are now a lot of products on the market that claim to be an easy-to-apply ceramic “wax” or “spray coat” but don’t actually provide all the benefits of a true ceramic top coat.
Even if you get your hands on a professional-grade ceramic kit, the preparation work needed before you even apply a single coat is significant. Remember, a ceramic top coat chemically bonds to your car’s paint, which means if there’s even a minor blemish or a single speck of dust on your car, it’ll be preserved under the ceramic top coat for years to come. That’s why it’s best to leave a ceramic coating job to professionals who have the facilities, equipment, and expertise to perfectly coat your vehicle in long-lasting protection.
Where to Get Superior Ceramic Top Coat Quality and Service
If you’re in the southern California region, check out the Lexus Top Coat Ceramic Diamond Protection service now offered at Longo Lexus in El Monte, California. Our ceramic top coat service is a 24-hour, eight-step process. We begin by meticulously rinsing and washing the exterior of your vehicle to remove any trace of debris. We also conduct a thorough polish, paint correction, and/or compound, depending on the paint condition of your car.
It’s only after we take all these steps to ensure your vehicle is squeaky clean and the paint job looks flawless that we apply, by hand, Lexus’s proprietary “liquid glass” ceramic protective barrier. After the application, we let your car cure in a clean environment for the necessary 24 hours to ensure that your new top coat isn’t blemished before it’s allowed to set.
If you’re interested in knowing more about our Lexus aftermarket services, then read about our work with 626 Customs powered by Longo.
Book Your Ceramic Top Coat Service Today
When you receive your car back after our Lexus Top Coat Ceramic Diamond Protection service, you’ll enjoy unrivaled protection against weather and environmental elements, such as sun, acid rain, dirt, brake and rail dust, plant debris, and animal waste. To learn more, give us a call today or stop by our dealership — conveniently located off Interstate 10 — to talk to our friendly service staff.
Lexus LC by peterolthof is licensed with CC BY-ND 2.0
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