What Is Protective Ceramic Coating and Is It Worth It?

Ceramic coating has gained more and more popularity by car owners who want to have the best paint protection and a beautiful look, however, there are many doubts as to what it is and is it worth the money. Knowledge on the technology of ceramic coating, its protective features and financial price can make you make the right decisions in saving your most noticeable part of your vehicle, which is the paint finish. To the owners who value their car and wish to maintain the appearance and its worth in the market, ceramic coating can be a worthy investment which can provide years of quality protection.

What Ceramic Coating Technology Is and How It Works

The ceramic coating is a liquid polymer solution which consists of nano sized silicon oxide (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC) particles which chemically bond with the surface of your vehicle to form a strong protective, transparent layer. Instead of bonding the paint using the traditional wax method, ceramic coating is chemically bonded with the clear paint to create a semi-permanent protection which is incorporated as part of the paint structure. This chemical bond produces a very hard, hydrophobic surface that is repelling to water, dirt, and contaminants in addition to natural depth and gloss to the paint.

Ceramic coating is hydrophobic which implies that water bounces off instead of settling on the surface and bringing the dirt and grime with it. This feature will greatly simplify the process of vehicle cleaning – sometimes, it is enough to wash the vehicle under the hose, much less scrubbing will be required, and the probability of swirl patterns and scratches during the washing process will be reduced. The Hardness rating of the coating is normally 9H on the pencil hardness scale and offers strong protection against minor scratches, chemical etching and environmental damages.

Protective Advantages of Ceramic Coating

The protective ceramic coating offers an overall protection against various dangers to the paint of your car. Ceramic coatings prevent UV rays, which fade and oxidize paint over time and some of the formulations provide up to 99% UV protection. Ceramic finishes are also resistant to chemical pollutants such as bird droppings, tree sap, acid rain, and industrial fallout, which would otherwise be etched and damaged otherwise uncoated paint. This resistance to chemicals eliminates staining and degradation which may involve costly repair of paint or repainting.

The coating also ensures that it is resistant to oxidation which helps to avoid the dull and chalky appearance that forms on old paint. The ceramic coating ensures that the paint on your vehicle not only looks fresh, but also retains the depth and shine of the paint that helped keep your vehicle looking new over the years and keeps it at a high resale value. Most dealers and customers are aware that ceramic coated cars sell at a premium on trade-in or resale as well as having better maintenance.

Durability and Long-term Value Measurement

Typical professional ceramic finishes have a life between 2-5 years on regular formulations, and longer under superior formulas, which is dramatically longer than traditional wax, which needs to be reapplied after 1-3 months. This functionality leads to high long term savings. Assuming annual waxing costs are there at 300-400 dollars, a 5-year ceramic coating that may help to save an additional 1500-2000 dollars in waxing costs alone may help to offset much of the additional initial cost.

Although professional ceramic coating will cost between 1,000 and 3,000 based on the size of the vehicle and the level of coating, from comparison to the cost of routine waxing, possible repair costs of the paint due to environmental damages, and the loss of resale value due to unkept paint. The multi-year warranty, less maintenance and long-term beauty of ceramic coating would justify the investment to owners who retain their vehicles after 2-3 years.

Maintenance Factors and hard Realities

Although ceramic coating causes a significant reduction in maintenance, as opposed to the use of a wax, it does not make maintenance free. Correct hand washing (not using car wash machine) and yearly inspection as well as occasional topper keep the warranty cover intact and the performance at the best level. Nevertheless, these maintenance needs are still much less demanding compared to the conventional waxing routines.

Conclusion

Ceramic coating is a valid long-term investment in terms of paint protection, preservation of aesthetics and maintenance of resale value. Ceramic coating would save vehicle owners who are dedicated to defending their cars with new technology, durability of years of protection, beauty, and massive minimization of maintenance costs. Although the initial investment is high, it is paid off by years of long-term protection, which is not equal to traditional waxing, so the ceramic coating is worth investing in to most committed car owners.