Ceramic coating your vehicle is an excellent step to take to help protect the paint better than any wax can do by warding off water and elements through hydrophobicity. With the countless (DIY) do-it-yourself ceramic coatings on the market, you are probably wondering which one should you choose when you want to ceramic coat your car like a professional.
Ceramic coating is a method of using a product that has a chemical polymer solution that is applied to the exterior paint/clearcoat of vehicles giving the surface a protective barrier to ward off water and elements. Ceramic coatings adhere and bond with a vehicle’s painted surface and cannot be wiped off and usually lasts for many years. The elements that ceramic coatings ward off keeps the surface cleaner, consequently allowing you to go much longer between washes and making your next vehicle wash easier.
Ceramic coatings are comprised of silicon dioxide (silica, Si02), which is an element sourced from natural quartz and sand. In a liquid form, ceramic coatings come as a liquid polymer that is applied by hand to a vehicle’s surface to chemically bond with the surface and cure over time to create a hardened protective layer.
Ceramic coatings have been on the automotive market for many years and just in the past few years, many ceramic coatings have become available for virtually anyone to apply, not just detailing professionals. However, there are only a select number of DIY ceramic coatings that allow you to essentially ceramic coat your car like a professional. Of course, we recommend our TopCoat® Crystaleen® 7H Ceramic Coating, which is a professional DIY ceramic coating originally developed in the aerospace industry and previously sold in the automotive dealer market. TopCoat® Crystaleen® is now made available in an easy DIY kit for anyone to use to get professional results.
DIY ceramic coating your car is a relatively new phenomenon as in the past only professional detailers would take on the task due to the complexity of the application. However, the application of a ceramic coating is easier than you think, and there are a small number of DIY ceramic coatings that can be effectively and safely used for such a process, such as our exclusive TopCoat® Crystaleen® Ceramic Coating. Below are the essential steps you should take for performing a DIY ceramic coating on your car just like a professional would perform.
Probably the second-most time-consuming and difficult part of ceramic coating your car is to first detail and clean its exterior. This means performing a thorough wash, dry, and decontamination of your car’s paint. Once you have washed your car, you may want to then decontaminate the paint through a clay bar process where you may utilize TopCoat® Spritz® to properly mist areas for a lubricant and then wipe a clay bar over those sections to remove containments. Once this process is done, properly dry your vehicle without any application of sealants or other products.
The process of removing scratches or performing a paint correction is probably the most time-consuming part of the ceramic coating process. Detailing professionals will spend a lot of time during this process as it will ensure your car’s paint is flawless so applying the ceramic coating will essentially seal the flawless paint. Once the ceramic coating is applied you can no longer perform paint correction so any flaws or scratches are stuck under the coating until it is removed, which can be a daunting and labor-intensive process. Paint correction may require using a light polish compound and power tools like orbital/dual-action/rotary polishers.
Application of DIY ceramic coatings shouldn’t be intimidating, and ones like our TopCoat® Crystaleen® has a quick and easy process of simply spraying on Stage 1 (Sealant-Glassifier) in fan-like motions for an even and thin wet layer, or spray a fine mist onto a clean TopCoat® applicator pad, then wipe using the same TopCoat® applicator pad in a 2’x2’ section.
After you have used Stage 1 in the 2’x2’ section, immediately spray Stage 2 evenly over the same area that you applied Stage 1. Let it stand for about 15 seconds before buffing using a clean and dry TopCoat® microfiber towel. Finally, buff the area by flipping over the microfiber towel. Repeat the process until your entire car is done.
Pro Tip: You may apply multiple layers of TopCoat® Crystaleen® for improved shine and durability, as it is one of the only DIY ceramic coatings that can layer.
We want you to be 100% satisfied with everything you buy from TopCoat. And if you’re not entirely happy with your purchase we will refund your money in full, or exchange the goods. All we ask is that you contact our customer services and then return the products back to us.
