What is ceramic coating?

June 13, 2022

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What is ceramic coating?

Ceramic coatings are a nano (nanotechnology – less than 100 nanometers, especially dealing with atoms or molecules) substance that chemically bonds with the paint’s surface on your vehicle.

We could get further into the science and technology of ceramic coatings, but let’s just keep it simple to answer this question as fast as possible.

The purpose of a ceramic coating is to make the vehicle easier to clean. It is not the same thing as a clear bra – which is designed to protect against rock chips and scratches. A lot of marketing and other misleading information, unfortunately, boosts the potential of ceramic coating to include these protections, which are simply false. If anyone is telling you that ceramic coating will protect against rock chips – run away!

Ceramic coating is an alternative to waxing. Even waxing is usually a generic term we use for sealant, as most wax as we think of it is not commonly used any longer by the auto detailing community.

As ceramic coating has increased in popularity, there have been so many brands popping up annually that we can’t even keep up! The biggest is probably Ceramic Pro. You might have heard of different brands – gtechniq, IGL, System X, SB3, and many more.

Many different brands tout hardness scales, what ingredients they’re made out of, contact angles, etc.

The simplest understanding of ceramic coating is the coating bonds with the paint, and creates a semi-permanent coating that repels water and makes the vehicle easy to clean up. We can apply ceramic coating to just about any surface – glass, leather, plastic, paint (of course), metal, you name it. We apply ceramic coating regularly to wheels and wheel faces. Imagine how easy brake dust cleans off a wheel that has been ceramic coated.

We can even apply ceramic coating to leather shoes/purses, electronic screens, eyeglasses/sunglasses, countertops, sinks, appliances, and bathroom tile.

Typically ceramic coating will reduce fingerprints, and make cleanup easier with any product it is applied to. Does your bathroom sink get toothpaste gunk build-up? Do your shower tiles get build up? Do you get soap scum on the glass door of your shower? All of these things can be lessened by ceramic coatings, just like a ceramic coating will help you detail your vehicle.

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