Ceramic Coating East Longmeadow

Industry-grade ceramic coating is a chemical polymer solution that is applied to the exterior of a vehicle to protect it from external paint damage. Typically applied by hand, it blends with the paint of your car and creates an additional hydrophobic layer of protection.

Installing a ceramic coating is an extremely tedious process: a 100% hand car wash using pH neutral soap; paint decontamination with clay bar and iron removers; labor-intensive machine paint correction so defects aren't sealed under the coating; an alcohol-based surface cleansing prep so the coating bonds to your clear coat; then tedious panel-by-panel installation with an applicator and special soft towels.

Ceramic coatings last anywhere from 6 months to 7+ years depending on the formula & the quality of the installation. Many coatings fall short of their expected time because they are not installed by a professional shop.

The cost of a ceramic coating ranges from $549 – $3000 depending on two factors: how much paint correction is required & how much durability is desired. Also, the larger the vehicle the more the price goes up since there is more surface area to polish & coat.

Removing a ceramic coating requires labor intensive cutting and polishing with a machine polisher, pads, and abrasive compounds. You must be very careful to not go past the clearcoat.

Think about wax and ceramic coatings as two different roads that lead to the same destination. They are different materials that perform the same task: protect your vehicle's exterior surfaces. Both provide a sacrificial layer intended to shield your car's surface from sun exposure, moisture and environmental pollution. Wax is the old, winding 2-lane road that leads into town and ceramic is the new, 6-lane wide expressway that gets you there in half the time.

Ceramic coatings are intended to make it easier to maintain your vehicle. They should not be a substitute for regularly maintaining it — the better you treat your coating, the better it will treat you. Wash every other week with the two-bucket method or a rinseless wash, use only clean wash media, wash your microfiber towels separately with additive-free detergent, use a separate bucket for wheels and tires, never wash in direct sunlight, wash top to bottom, dry thoroughly to avoid water spotting, and avoid soaps with wax, petroleum distillates, or a pH under 5.0 or above 9.0.