Applying ceramic coating on your car is not an easy process, even though you can find a lot of DIY products in the market these days. This guide will help you determine what tools you need, how to prepare the surface, how to apply the ceramic coating by yourself, curing time, and challenges that you may face during the whole process.
Tools & Chemicals for Ceramic Coating Application
Before attempting a ceramic coating application job by yourself, make sure you have all the required tools and chemicals to achieve a high-quality outcome, without needing to go back and forth for missing tools or items every time you finish a step.
Here is a list of all the tools you may need for the preparation & application of ceramic coating:
Bucket & Car Washing Soap
Pressure Washer or water hose with decent pressure
Washing pad
Clay Bar (Bar or Cloth)
Bugs & Tar Removal Spray
Iron Fallout Removal Spray
Dual Action Polisher (Buffing Machine)
1 x Hard polishing pad
1 x Medium polishing pad
1 x Soft polishing pad
1 x High cutting compound
1 x Medium cutting compound
1 x Finishing cutting compound
15 x Extra-Soft microfiber cloths
Isopropyl Alcohol
1 x Ceramic Coating Application Pad
1 x Ceramic Coating bottle (30 or 50 ml depending on vehicle size)
Please note that some of these items are required if you intend to perform a paint correction procedure prior to the application of ceramic coating, however, if you are happy with the current appearance of your vehicle and would like to proceed without this step, then skip items 7 to 13.
Painted Surface Preparation for Ceramic Coating Application
In order for any ceramic coating product to bond properly with your car's paint, you have to make sure that it is properly prepared and cleaned before application.
The first step is the washing procedure. Rinse your car well with high pressure water, then shampoo it with mixed water and car wash soap in your bucket. Do not press hard against the panels while scrubbing because you do not want to inflict additional swirl marks to the paint.
Before rinsing your car, gently scrub the car again with a clay bar or clay cloth. The clay bar treatment is intended to clean the surface from contaminants that might still be stuck on the paint, leaving the car with a smooth finish. Now rinse the car properly and dry it using a microfiber cloth (or microfiber towel to minimize drying time).
As we mentioned before, ceramic coating needs to be applied on a perfectly clean surface, so few more steps are required to achieve this result.
Now spray all painted panels of your vehicle with the Iron Fallout Removal spray. Wait around 1 minute for the chemical to take effect. In most cases, such chemicals change colour to indicate that they have reacted with the contaminants. Now rinse the care thoroughly one last time and dry it completely with a microfiber cloth.
Use the Bugs & Tar Removal spray only if you see any remaining bugs, tar or road grime still sticking on the paint. The use of this spray is to be done only on affected areas. The use of a little bit if force might be necessary to get rid of all the contaminants.
Now comes the hardest part of the job which is the paint correction procedure. This preparation stage has an aim to make the paint looking as shiny as possible before sealing in with the ceramic coating layer. You can skip this stage if you are happy with the current appearance of your vehicle.
Buff the car 3 times or in 3 stages: The first time with the hard pad and high cutting compound, the second time with the medium pad and medium cutting compound, and the last time with the soft pad and finishing compound to eliminate any potential holograms from the surface. Each time you finish with one buffing stage, you clean the compound residue from the car's surface by using a dry microfiber cloth.
Once done with the buffing, wipe the whole car with Isopropyl Alcohol to make sure every bit of residue or other contaminants are cleaned.
Now your car is perfectly cleaned and ready for application.
Applying The Ceramic Coating
It is important to read the product instructions as products can have different application surface size, and different wiping times.
Place few ceramic coating drops on the applicator then apply on the desired section. Allow some bonding time according to the manufacturer's instruction. This time can vary from 10 seconds to 3 or 4 minutes.
Now wipe the remaining residue out using a clean microfiber cloth. Wipe multiple time while turning the cloth on different sides to make sure no residue is left behind. Use a new microfiber cloth every 2 or 3 panels for easier and proper clean of the ceramic coating leftovers.
Ceramic Coating Curing time
Each ceramic coating product has a different curing time, but as a general guide, the car has to stay dry, preferably indoors for the first 24 hours post application, and you cannot wash it for at least a week to prevent any soap or chemicals coming in touch with the treated panels during this period as the product might still be bonding with the clear coat of your paint.
Challenges During A Ceramic Coating Job
When a detailing professional does a ceramic coating job, the challenges become a normal routine. But when an amateur is doing a DIY job by himself, it is important to know the following:
The process is lengthy and tiring, and there are no cutting corners or shortcuts if you are aiming to achieving a good result.
If you are not familiar or confident using a buffing machine, either skip this procedure and accept what your car looks like, or ask a professional to buff the car for you. Buffing less than you should could prevent you from reaching the desired result, and buffing more than required can risk damaging or burning your paint beyond repair apart from respraying.
Do not let the ceramic coating sit on a panel longer than it should because if it dries, it will require strong buffing to get it out, and in some cases wet sanding then buffing.
We hope that this guide was helpful to put you on the right track with your ceramic coating task.
For professional detailing and ceramic coating application, visit www.hotride.com.au
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