Is Ceramic Coating Good For Your Car? Is It Safe? Or...

Everyone’s pinching pennies nowadays, but men who love cars usually have a fixed budget per month to spend on their most prized darling. You know what I’m talking about.

Their wife.

Now that we have the obligatory complement out of the way, we can talk about the other prized darling. Most car allowances are spent on gas, oil, tires, and other mechanical repairs. Money is tight enough as it is, so there’s barely any left over to cover the prettier aspects of maintenance such as washes and detailing.

A lot of car owners want their vehicles to look like it just came out of the showroom, and when they’re searching for options, they’ll inevitably encounter something called a ceramic coating.

Is a ceramic coating just another synonym for “car wash” only with more syllables? Let’s find out!.

What Is A Ceramic Coating?

A ceramic coating refers to a special type of chemical (usually epoxy, quartz, or a hybrid of both) that’s manually applied to your car’s paint job. Unlike regular wax that merely sits on the surface and is washed off quite easily, the ceramic coating bonds with the frame and remains there for up to ten years depending on the material used. This makes it so that your car has that permanent candy-gloss finish that turns heads on the highway.

Is A Nano Coating The Same Thing As A Ceramic Coating?

The word “nano” really just means “small”. It refers to the size of the chemical particles used in the mixture, because the smaller they are when formulated, the better their bonding properties will be with the car’s frame. This makes the ceramic coating more durable and longer-lasting. Some manufacturers advertise their products as “nano-ceramic coating” to inform you of this fact.

Why Ceramic Coat Your Car? The Benefits

There are many advantages to ceramic coating your car beyond the vanity aspects. Here are several of those benefits:

Benefit 1: A Layer Of Protection From Light Scratches

Fairly light scratches will not be able to damage your car because the ceramic coating adds a sacrificial layer to the paint job.

It’s unfortunately not a suit of armor; scratches are still very possible. However, materials like mud and dirt are less likely to leave scratches or swirl marks.

Most scratches you get will be minimized enough for Torque Detail Reverse to take them out like nobody’s business. Combine your scratch-removal efforts with ceramic-coating-enhancing Turbo Waterless Detailer as a finishing move and those scratches won’t know what hit them.

Benefit 2: Paint Protection From UV Rays

Prolonged exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun leads to a wide variety of car problems. For example, extreme heat can cause oxidation, leading to cracks or fading in the paint finish. A ceramic coating acts as an umbrella and repels this harmful radiation, shielding your car from its damaging effects.

A ceramic coating and a good washing habit can drastically extend the lifespan of your paint and reduce the chance of clear coat peeling.

Benefit 3: Protection From Bad Substances Such As Bird Droppings And Grime

Bird droppings and bug guts contain high amounts of uric acid and stomach enzymes that, if left unwashed, can dissolve into your car’s exterior. The same goes for mud and grime, which literally get baked into the car when left under the sun for too long. This kind of damage is extremely costly to repair, and a ceramic coating is one of the best ways to prevent it from happening—the lacquer layer fuses with the paint and does not give any of these contaminants room to penetrate.

Benefit 4: Hydrophobic Properties

Water contains calcium and other mineral deposits that can cause stains on your vehicle over a prolonged period of time. Keeping your car dry is easier said than done, however, especially during the rainy season. One of the benefits of having a ceramic coating is that it’s hydrophobic, which means that water molecules are repelled and easily slide right off when they come into contact with the product, beating the hassle of having to run a cloth over your automobile every time it gets wet.

The Downsides Of A Professional Ceramic Coating

After reading all the benefits discussed above, you might think that a ceramic coating is the best thing since Elon Musk. Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses. Here are some of the downsides you might experience:

Downside 1: Offers Little Protection From Major Physical Damage

Despite providing some armor against light scratches, a ceramic coating should not be taken as a guarantee of invulnerability. Its primary purpose is to enhance the car’s finish, not act as a shield against paint chips and scratches. If you want something geared toward defense, you might consider getting a paint protection film or clear bra in addition to the ceramic coating.

Downside 2: Difficult To Apply Yourself

A ceramic coating application requires moderate to advanced skills, otherwise it can cause lackluster or even damaging effects. This involves several intricate steps including a thorough washing, chemical decontamination, polishing, and drying. Most car owners are insufficiently trained for such a job.

Downside 3: Expensive If You Hire A Professional

Hiring a professional to apply the ceramic coating for you is a smart move, but this can take several hours, maybe even a day or two, depending on their schedule. Needless to say, detailers don’t work for free, and you should expect to pay not just for the coating but their services as well. The cost adds up to a thousand dollars or more, and for people on a tight budget, it’s just not worth it.

How Does A Ceramic Coating Differ From A Wax?

While ceramic coatings and waxes share many similarities, the differences are vast enough that they warrant distinction. Generally, this falls into durability and longevity.

First, waxes offer some defense against chemicals and substances that cause damage to your car, but are significantly less resilient than ceramic coatings. Second, waxes do not have any bonding properties, which means they simply lie on top of the paint and seldom last for more than a few days or weeks before they’re washed or rubbed off due to regular wear and tear. Ceramic coating, on the other hand, merges with the paint surface itself, allowing it to remain on the car for a much longer period of time.

It’s possible to apply both a ceramic coating and car wax together, but this is largely redundant. Once you have a ceramic coating, there’s really no need to add another layer of wax, since its effects are already accomplished by the former.

How Does A Ceramic Coating Differ From A Paint Sealant?

A paint sealant is a polymer-based substance that contains both organic and inorganic compounds. The sealant offers better protection against heat and abrasions compared to a regular car wax, and also stays longer because it bonds to the paint in a similar way to the ceramic coating. Most sealants only last for four to six months, however. They’re fairly inexpensive, which is always an advantage, but unless you’re willing to go through the trouble of having to re-apply the sealant two or three times a year, you’re better off getting it done only one time with a ceramic coating.

Those who aren’t yet ready or willing to commit to a ceramic coating, but at the same time would rather have something stronger than a car wax, can do well with a paint sealant—it’s a nice middle ground between the two.

What Is Spray Ceramic Coating? When Is It The Best Ceramic Coating Option?

A lot of detailers have tried over the years to put the classic ceramic coating into the hands of the average car owner at a fraction of the cost.

The end result of this effort is something called a spray ceramic coating.

A spray ceramic coating is basically a similar formula contained in a handy spray bottle. Simply apply a fair amount on the surface of your car and wipe it with a microfiber cloth. That’s it. You get the benefits of a traditional ceramic coating without having to hire a professional.

The only downside to this is that a spray ceramic coating lasts up to a year, whereas a professional ceramic coating can last up to a decade. On the other hand, the price tag may well be the deciding factor, since a spray ceramic coating is extremely cheap.

Here at Torque Detail, we’ve come up with a spray ceramic coating that everyone can be proud of. Torque Detail Ceramic Spray is our very own patented recipe that contains silicon dioxide in resin. Its nano-bonding properties are durable enough to withstand twelve months of use, giving you everything a professional ceramic coating can offer such as a glossy shine, water-repellent surface, UV protection, and contaminant defense.

It’s the number one option on the market right now for those who want the best of both worlds: a ceramic coating that costs less than a car wash.

Plus, it’s completely DIY.

How cool is that?

How Often Do You Have To Clean A Ceramic Coated Car?

Contrary to popular belief, a ceramic coating doesn’t make your car immune from dirt. It’s true that water and grime are unlikely to stick, but the accumulating dust particles from everyday use will eventually need to be washed off.

You can go to a regular car wash, but the spinners can cause abrasions. Using a garden hose at home is also a waste of water.

At Torque Detail, we recommend one of our specially formulated products called a waterless car wash.

You read that right.

A waterless car wash is exactly what it sounds like. The Torque Detail Turbo Waterless Detailer is a handy spray bottle formula that works on any surface. It easily loosens dirt and debris from your car, allowing you to wipe it off with a microfiber cloth.

The best thing about our waterless detailer is that it maintains and even extends the life of the Ceramic Spray or coating of your car. Combined with our Torque Detail Ceramic Spray mentioned above, you’ll have a complete arsenal in your garage for all your detailing needs!

Summary: So, Is Ceramic Coating Good Or Bad For Your Car? Should You DIY It?

Yes! A ceramic coating is definitely good for your car, as it provides light protection as well as a permanent candy-gloss shine.

However, you should never DIY a ceramic coating, since it requires a fairly skilled professional to apply properly. On the other hand, a Ceramic Spray gives you the benefits of a ceramic coating and can be done at home, making it ideal for a lot of owners who have tight belts.

At the end of the day, you want your car to look its finest. After all, you wouldn’t want your wife to be seen in the passenger seat of an ugly clunker, would you?

Get a ceramic coating.

And if anyone asks any questions, tell them you’re doing it for her.