Ceramic Coating Application Process

Step 1: Ceramic Coating Preparation

Before installing a ceramic coating or even before enhancing/correcting the paint , we have to ensure that the entire surface is not only clean, but completely stripped bare! This requires a lot more than just a simple car wash. During the paint stripping and decontaminating phase we walk through 5 major ceramic coating preparation stages:

1. ‘Pre-wash’ where we remove as much surface dirt from the vehicle as possible without touching the paint.

2. ‘Traditional car washing’ which is exactly what you think! After surface dirt removal, it’s time for us to wash the paint utilizing a 2-bucket method to avoid adding any imperfections to the paint.

3. Next is the ‘iron decontamination phase.’ If you’re not from the detailing world, that phrase probably means nothing to you. Most people aren’t aware of the tiny contaminants that sit on your car’s paint that are not removed through the washing process. These microscopic contaminants are single handedly responsible for long term paint DAMAGE and with the right chemicals we are able to safely remove them.

4. Nearing the end we move into ‘clay barring’ the paint. After you wash your car… run your hand across the paint. What do you feel? Likely not a smooth surface, but rather a surface that LOOKS CLEAN and yet is bumpy like sandpaper. The clay bar phase of our ceramic coating preparation process allows us to remove any and all of the final contaminants that are embedded in the paint leaving a smooth and glassy surface behind that you’ve likely never felt on your car.

5. Last but not least we move into the ‘final wipe down & solvent removal’ stage. This phase is exactly what it sounds like. We use a specific type of chemical that will remove any last minute oils, residues, waxes, or any other chemical that is left on the surface of the paint.
   

Step 2: Paint Correction

Now that the car paint has been completely cleaned and stripped in preparation for the ceramic coating application, it’s time to level out the clear coat and correct some imperfections! Because ceramic coatings are the most durable form of long term paint protection that exists in the detailing world, any little imperfection that is in the paint is there to stay as soon as the coating is applied. Here in Austin, TX we get hot summers, rain, hail, pollen, bugs, and now even snow! For that reason, it’s necessary for us to go through a paint correction stage prior to the ceramic coating application in order to remove paint imperfections, and create a smooth surface with which the ceramic coating can easily bond to. There are 2 major types of paint correction: Paint Enhancement & Paint Correction.

Step 3: Ceramic Coating Application

After all of that preparation, it’s now time to install the ceramic coating. You know how a surgeon goes to school for 8-12 years before they ever cut into an actual person? Most of the work is in the PREP! That is a great way to understand ceramic coatings. While there is a lot of technical skill included in the ceramic coating application… most of the time and labor is done in the preparation! Ceramic coating installations take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours depending on the size of the vehicle, but the preparation takes ALL of the other hours. Depending on the amount of paint correction done, a ceramic coating installation can take somewhere between a single day, and 2 to 3 days to finish. We hope this sheds a little more light on why ceramic coatings come with this price tag… in addition to having a lifetime protection on your vehicle!!!