Applying ceramic coating over a car is one of the most popular ways to protect it from everyday wear and tear. The special material ensures that you can safeguard your investment in your car or any visual enhancements that you have made to it.
But even at being a common process, the ceramic coating remains largely obscure to the everyday car owner. Since the procedure is performed by professionals, it’s often difficult to learn the intricate details of what it involves and how it is executed.
One of the most typical questions in this context is about the number of layers of ceramic coating, which mostly depends upon predefined packages and the price associated with them.
The starter package often provides you with 1 layer of ceramic coating. It also includes an additional layer of top coat. Whereas, some of the most expensive packages offer around 5 ceramic coating layers. This often holds a top coat.
But some providers break all restraints and offer 6, 7, and even 10 ceramic coating layers with a layer of a top coat thrown in. This can understandably leave you confused about the actual number of layers that are required for optimal protection.
To help you cut through this obscurity and find an answer to this question, here is a quick guide to the process of ceramic coating and the number of layers your car should have on it.
Yes, You Can Put Too Much Ceramic Coating on Your Car
Most professionals recommend that you put multiple layers of the protective coating on your car. However, they approach the availability of these coats in terms of the predefined packages mentioned above.
The reason behind this approach is quite simple. Additional layers of ceramic coating only translate to a larger bill. This means that most providers simply apply layer after layer of the ceramic coat just to drive up a large amount of money from your pockets.
This is especially true for those providers that go beyond all required measures and end up offering 8-10 coats of a ceramic coating such as Ceramic Pro 9H. While the 9H grade hardness of the product provides exceptional protection to any car it’s applied on, at a certain point it starts leaning towards the side of overkill.
It’s because ceramic coating is made from nanoparticles with a ceramic base. The material is available in the form of a liquid, but it cures upon application and turns into a hard, transparent, and glass-like shield. Applying coat after coat doesn’t add much protection to this shield. In fact, it only feeds the size of your eventual bill at the auto body shop.
This is why you should go with a minimalist approach with an experienced provider. Going with a seasoned auto body professional ensures that your car only has the number of coats it actually needs, not the amount of layers that the provider’s wallet wants.
Multiple Layers Do the Job, But They Should Be Applied With Restraint
If a ceramic coat layer is properly applied to a car’s auto body or on top of its vinyl wrap, it can provide complete coverage within 2 coats. Most of the time, 2 ceramic coating layers along with a top coat layer is all you need. It delivers the safety you require against scratches and abrasions, as well as the protection you seek against ultraviolet (UV) rays and paint chips.
This amount of layers is also enough to bring out the hydrophobic properties of ceramic coating. With this simple method, you can easily keep mud stains, dust particles, and other contaminants at bay.
Going with this application approach for ceramic layers also allows you to achieve the signature sheen of the treatment and gives your car a fresh from the showroom look that is distinct to ceramic coating. In other words, you don’t have to apply unnecessary layers to obtain a high gloss effect. All that you need to do is wait for the coating to settle completely. This way, you can see the results for your own self.
However, there are times where another layer or two of a ceramic coat is needed for an even application and a smooth finish. But that is it. If your chosen professional isn’t able to get a seamless coating with four layers, it is an indication that the problem isn’t the coating but the way that it is being applied.
You Don’t Require Additional Treatments After Getting Ceramic Coating for Your Car
No matter the brand of ceramic coating, you usually don’t require any additional treatments other than the top layer coat itself. In addition to the ceramic material, this top coat brings the treatment’s signature sheen to the forefront. If you put any other treatments on top, it only ends up affecting the overall advantages of your ceramic coat.
This especially holds true for applying wax to your vehicle. While you may be tempted to turn to wax for extra sheen, applying this material to your ceramic coating only sabotages the hydrophobic features of your ceramic coat.
By having a thick layer of wax on top that’s basically rubbed into the ceramic material itself, your ceramic layer becomes unable to repel water and other liquids. As a result, your shiny car can transform into a home for contaminants. As such, the coating’s basic qualities become ineffective.
With this in mind, make sure that you only stick to a minimal application of your ceramic coating. Whatever you do, steer clear of any external treatments that do more harm than good.
Ceramic Coating Can Last a Few Years, After Which You Can Apply It Again
Typically, 2 layers of ceramic coating and a single layer of top coat is enough to last you anywhere between 3-5 years. This particular aspect is also affected by your driving conditions and extent of usage. However, it is also dependent on the overall upkeep that you practice for your car.
The more care you show towards your car’s general maintenance, the longer its ceramic coating’s lifespan would be. Once the coating has run its course, you can have it redone by an experienced auto detailing provider.
But it’s important to note that some of the priciest packages that come with extensive coats also boast of a lifetime warranty. This warranty is conditional and coverage may depend upon specific providers, but it proves to be worth it in certain cases.
This is why it’s important that you discuss the details of such warranties with your specific auto body professional. This allows you to consider your options before you move forward with your ceramic coating treatment.
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