1. What the benefit of Ceramic Coatings?

Ceramic Coatings provide plenty of benefits over wax or sealants, but here are the top 5 benefits:

- Protect the paint from environmental damage, sun damage, and minor swirl marks
- Increase the color depth, shine, and thickness of the paint
- Reduce how often you need to wash your car
- Make washing and drying your car much faster and safer
- Permanent solution that requires minimal maintenance

2. What is a ceramic coating and how does it work?

Think of a ceramic coating as a harder clear coat. Its made from Silica Dioxide, SiO2, which is the main chemical in glass. Yes, window, crystal clear glass. This coating is applied in layers on the paint to fill in the pores of the paint. The term "nano-technology", which is heavily used as a marketing term, only refers to the fact that the SiO2 particles are small enough to be absorbed into the pours of the paint and create a permanent bond, that can only be removed by a heavy paint correction or wetsand. This diagram shows how the different packages 

3. CAN CERAMIC COATINGS PREVENT SCRATCHES?

Yes and No. First, lets clear up some terminology.  Soft paints are easier to scratch that hard paints. Even though the coating is much harder than standard clear coat, the paint softness still plays a role. For example, most American car brands have softer paint. The coating will make the paints harder, but will NOT make them scratch proof. If you have a harder paint, found on British and German cars, the coating will make them very difficult to scratch, but still, not scratch proof. 

4. How long do ceramic coatings last?

This varies on the package you choose. The Bronze Package is the most economical, but will not last after 2-3 without the annual top-up. The coating does not penetrate into the paint as well as the higher-tier packages. With proper car, we have seen the Silver and Gold packages last well beyond the ownership term of the client.

Good car care practices is the best way to maintain your ceramic coating. The goal of the coating is to give you peace of mind, knowing that its not diminishing quickly and needing constant attention. You can enjoy your car year long, and see us once a year for an inspect, and top-up if needed.

5. Which ceramic coating brand is the best?

As on 2022, we have noticed a rise of high quality ceramic coatings, and we encourage you to coat your car, no matter which brand. 

At Le Mans Detailing, we use Ceramic Pro. It has been our trusted choice for over 7 years. The product gets developed every year or two, so it becomes stronger, more durable, and much glossier!
    

6. Ceramic Coating vs. Paint Correction

A paint correction and ceramic coating and two completely difference services. A paint correction is a process done on the existing paint. A ceramic coating is a protective product that gets applied to the paint.

Think of a paint correction as removing paint, and a ceramic coating as adding to the paint. 

7. Why are ceramic coatings expensive?

Expensive is a relative term. Just like most things in life, preparation and a thorough understanding of the chemicals and processes is key. After the car has been paint corrected, we not only wash the car, but put it through a 3 stage decontamination process to extract any finite residue left in the pours of the paint. This is important so we can ensure that that coating has 100% penetration into the paint. 

The product itself has been developed in a medical lab quality facility. This is needed to guarantee that the product can outlast the manufacturers warranty and perform as it should. 

Lastly, Le Mans Detailing has invested greatly to ensure that the product is applied in the optimal conditions. See this video to see how our space has been designed for quality craftsmanship.

That is all great, but the real value of the ceramic coating is knowing that the second most expensive item in your life not only looks incredible today, but it will look that way for years to come.