Frequently Asked Questions
Curious about anything talked about on this website or detailing related in general?
Scroll through this section and there's a good chance it'll be touched on! If your question isn't answered here, please feel free to reach out and we'll do our best to get you an answer!
What Brand Of Ceramic Coating Is Best?
How Do I Upkeep A Ceramic Coated Car?
Does Paint Correction Need To Be Performed Before Installing a Ceramic Coating?
It is very highly recommended since once the coating is applied, any defects in the paint will be “sealed” underneath it and the only way to remove them in the future is to polish through and remove the coating. Performing at least a one step correction to remove a majority of paint defects will allow the coating to provide maximum gloss as well as have an ideal surface to adhere to, providing maximum possible durability.
Does My New Car Need A Ceramic Coating?
Immediately after purchase of a new car is hands down the best time to have a ceramic coating installed. You will be preserving the paint on the vehicle early and giving it the best chance possible at a long and healthy life. It is also more cost effective to have a coating applied on a brand new vehicle because (most of the time) only light paint correction work is required to remove transport damage, dealer car wash installed swirls, etc. versus polishing out and removing years of swirls and damage.
Are Ceramic Coatings Just For Expensive Cars?
Absolutely not. Everything from a humble daily driver to a range topping seven figure hyper car can benefit from a ceramic coating. A coating is a great investment for a daily commuter that will spend most of it's life outside, since contaminants like sap, road tar, bird droppings, etc. have a much more difficult time adhering to the paint and are more easily removed. In addition, the hydrophobic surface creates a self-cleaning effect that carries dust and dirt away when it rains. A coating will help protect your resale value as well, no matter how basic or high end your car may be.
Still Have Unanswered Questions?
What Is A Ceramic Coating?
Think of a coating as a protective shell for your paint. During installation and curing, it creates a durable chemical bond to your vehicle’s paint, effectively becoming the new functional surface of your paint that works tirelessly to protect it from UV damage, oxidation, chemical damage, rust-inducing salt, bug gut etching, and more. It offers all this protection while making the vehicle easier to clean and maintain and offering unbeatable gloss, shine, and hydrophobic properties that make water simply glide off your paint!
Why Do I need A Ceramic Coating?
It Saves You Time.
Washing, rinsing, and drying all take considerably less time when you’re dealing with a coated car because dirt and grime are removed effortlessly and water beads right off instead of laying flat on the surface. Dirt, salt, and road film have a difficult time sticking to a coating, which means a ceramic coated car stays cleaner for longer!
No More Waxing!
Consider a coating wax on steroids. A coating performs all the functions of a traditional wax, but cranked up to 11. It’s durability is measured in years instead of the weeks or at most months that a traditional wax lasts.
To Protect Your Investment.
Besides your house, your vehicle is probably the most expensive thing you own. With car prices rising by the second, it only makes sense to keep your car protected and in the best condition possible. Faded clear coat from UV damage, paint failure due to bird bombs, tar, tree sap, environmental fallout, etc, and rust caused by road salt on unprotected paint all affect the value of your vehicle negatively.
To Keep Your Car Looking Incredible!
Coatings provide an unmatched level of candy-like gloss and shine that’ll have you second guessing whether you’re looking at the same car once the process is complete.
This is a very subjective question, and there are as many answers as there are coatings. The most important thing to look for is a professional grade coating vs. a consumer grade coating. A pro coating will perform better, look better, and last longer! Here at DTailed AutoSpa, we are proud to be the Twin Cities' premier Gyeon Certified Installer. Gyeon is a coating manufacturer with an ethos very similar to ours; a desire to pursue constant improvement. Never satisfied with good enough, Gyeon is continuously testing and improving their formulas to create some of the best ceramic coatings on the market. They operate with an emphasis on quality and innovation above all else, which is why they were a phenomenal choice when we were looking for a coating company to partner with.
How Do I Protect My Car From Salt?
Due to our incredibly intense winters and the exceedingly corrosive nature of the sodium chloride brine that gets sprayed on our roads for de-icing, salt resistance was paramount for us when selecting a coating from the impressive selection of available professional grade coatings. Gyeon coatings have gone through exhaustive corrosion resistance lab testing and have produced seriously impressive results. A ceramic coating is the best protection money can buy for your car and everything our intense Minnesota winters can throw at it.
How Long Does A Ceramic Coating Last?
Coating longevity varies depending on a few factors. These include, but aren't limited to the type of coating applied, the application technique and process, the the aftercare of the coating post-application, washing frequency, and the environment the vehicle is driven and stored in.
Gyeon Infinite has an effective life of anywhere between three to ten years. A daily driven car that is parked outside, rarely washed, and generally not kept up on will end up failing much sooner than a car that is washed regularly, garage kept, not driven in winter, and maintained properly with a yearly inspection wash by us. Most cars land somewhere in the middle and can expect a five to six year life.
Long story short, a coating applied by a professional, washed regularly, and brought back to the applicator for a yearly inspection/maintenance wash will live a long and happy life!
Upkeep on a coated car is as simple as washing it a couple times a month. Hand washing is preferred, but unlike waxes, coatings are tough enough to handle a touchless wash (always select the basic wash that is simply soap and a rinse. The waxes that car washes use can clog coatings and reduce their effectiveness.) Automated brush washes should be avoided. In addition to washing, the car should come back to the installer once yearly for an inspection wash and decontamination if necessary. Every car we ceramic coat leaves with a care material and instruction list, as well as a two week inspection wash where we will personally go over proper washing with you.
What Is Paint Correction?
Paint correction is the process of using various polishers, cutting pads, compounds, and polishes to remove minor scratches, swirl marks, car wash marks, oxidation, dullness and other various imperfections found in the top layer of the vehicle’s paint, called the clear coat.
In this process, a small amount of the vehicle’s clear coat is removed to get down past the defects. There is a finite amount of clear coat on each vehicle, so this process should not be taken lightly, as there is potential to burn through the clear coat if proper care is not taken.
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Polishing past the defects removes the dead, swirled paint and reveals the glossy, fresh paint underneath, as seen below.