Ceramic Maintenance FAQs
A nano ceramic coating is a highly efficiently organized layer of ceramic nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are covalently bonded to the clearcoat. This means that it is sharing electrons and becomes a part of the substrate. These nanoparticles will provide a tremendous gloss, an easy to clean hydrophobic finish and perform for much longer than a simple wax or paint sealant. Waxes and paint sealants contain waxes, silicones or both and these will actually attract dust and dirt, unlike ceramic coatings that deter them.
Yes, and a lot of it. Ceramic coatings are more or less permanent. For this reason, we want to make sure the paintwork is in the best condition possible before protecting it. After a light polish or a major paint correction overhaul, it’s vitally important that any oils or contaminants are removed that could deter the bonding process when the ceramic coating is applied. Just like painting a house, prepwork is key!
Yes, there are a few products available on the marketplace that can be applied by a non professional. There is some risk involved since it is bonding to the finish, if high spots are left behind or some other application error is made, it may require machine polishing or wet sanding in order to fix this mistake. Professional grade coatings like CQuartz Professional, STEK Final Coat, CQuartz Finest Reserve are not sold to consumers as the application is highly technical in comparison, but the performance benefits are tremendous over a consumer product. Finest Reserve even requires Infrared Curing for hardness and gloss.
You might be surprised to know that you can apply a ceramic coating to nearly every surface on the inside and the outside of an automobile. The paint seems the most obvious, but we an also apply a special coating to plastic trim, this will prevent it from fading and aging prematurely. We offer a high temp coating designed specifically for the wheels and brake calipers so they can keep their sheen and gloss and make them much easier to clean. Hydrophobic glass coatings can greatly improve your visibility when driving in the rain. Our Interior Guard package includes a leather coating, this makes cleaning stains like blue jean transfer much easier, it also includes a fabric coating for the carpets to make spills easy to mend. DrivePur is an antimicrobial treatment that leaves behind a titanium dioxide nano coating on the interior which continues to sanitize for months after it’s application.
Ceramic coatings are quite simple and enjoyable to maintain. We recommend to perform a two bucket hand wash with a detergent that is designed to be used on ceramic coatings. We like and use CarPro RESET. Which is designed to leave the ceramic coating nice and clean with no fillers. If you use a “wash and wax” type of product, it can actually clog the ceramic coating and diminish it’s water beading until that wax product is cleaned away properly. Some decontamination maintenance is recommended periodically. Most people will perform a non-abbrasive chemical decontamination service 2-4 times a year. This includes a iron remover and tar remover after a proper wash. If you have noticed any diminishing of the water beading, especially on the sides of the car, this cleaning will likely bring it back to life.
CARPRO Essence PLUS: Non-Abrasive Gloss Agent.
Let's get one thing out of the way first… Essence Plus is a unique SiO2 coat made from a distinct blend of ceramic coat repair agents, high gloss quartz resins, and hydrophobic nanoparticles!
The concept behind Essence Plus was an extremely glossy, semi-permanent nano-agent for repairing durable ceramic coatings, which have been abused or mistreated over the course of time. Historically, the only option that a technician had was to polish or compound the damaged ceramic coating and then re-coat, starting from scratch.
However… over the course of development, Essence Plus grew into something… unexpected but equally satisfying! It is not coated… but uncoated paint that finds its way into the “cross-hairs” of Essence Plus!
With Essence Plus, we introduce you to the first non-abrasive solution to partially repair fine swirls, when an abrasive correction is not in the cards! While increasing the gloss, Essence Plus simultaneously cleanses the surface, leaving a “smooth as glass” feel and amazing hydrophobic properties!
Features:
High gloss jeweling coat.
Repairs nano coatings.
Incredible on bare paint!
Adds layer of SiO2 Quartz protection.
Excellent hydrophobic agent.
Produces extreme gloss.
Cleans, glosses, and protects: Ceramic Coatings, Bare Paint and PPF.
Formulated for professional use on previously coated vehicles.
No, ceramic coatings are like a repellant, they make the finish super easy to clean, stain resistant and ultra glossy, but are not a thick enough substrate to provide real world rock chip protection. We recommend paint protection film (PPF) as a barrier of defense against road debris.
If a coatings says it’s hardness is 9H, what does that mean? Nothing