Step 1: Ceramic Coating Preparation

Before installing a ceramic coating, and before doing ANYTHING for that matter, we have to ensure that the paint is not only clean, but completely stripped bare! This requires a little more than simple car washing. During the paint stripping and decontaminating phase we walk through 5 major ceramic coating preparation stages:

‘The pre-wash wash’ where we remove as much surface dirt from the vehicle as possible without touching the paint.

‘Traditional car washing’ which is exactly what you think! After surface dirt removal, it’s time for us to wash the paint the way you did when you were a kid! Well... not exactly, we use better chemicals, better technique, and special processes, but you get the idea!

Next is the ‘iron decontamination phase.’ If you’re not from the detailing world, that phrase means nothing to you. Most people aren’t aware of the tiny contaminants that sit on your car’s paint that are not removed through the washing process. These microscopic contaminants are single handedly responsible for long term paint DAMAGE! We’ve got the chemicals to remove them!

Nearing the end we move into ‘clay barring’ the paint. After you wash your car... run your hand across the paint. What do you feel? Likely not a smooth surface, but rather a surface that LOOKS CLEAN and yet is bumpy like sandpaper. The clay bar phase of our ceramic coating preparation process allows us to remove any and all of the final contaminants that are embedded in the paint leaving a smooth and glassy surface behind that you’ve likely never felt on your car.

Last but not least we move into the ‘final wipe down & solvent removal’ stage. This phase is exactly what it sounds like. We use a specific type of chemical that will remove any last minute oils, residues, waxes, or any other chemical that is left on the surface of the paint.

Step 2: Paint Correction & Ceramic Coating Prices

Now that the car paint has been completely cleaned and stripped in preparation for the ceramic coating application, it’s time to level out the clear coat and remove some scratches! Because ceramic coatings are the most durable form of long term paint protection that exists in the detailing world, any little imperfection that is in the paint is there to stay as soon as the coating is applied. Here is San Diego, California... we get rain, UV rays from the sun, constant iron particles floating from traffic, pollen, bugs, and pretty much anything else you can think of that would damage car paint! For that reason, it’s necessary for us to go through a paint correction stage prior to the ceramic coating application in order to remove paint imperfections, and create a smooth surface with which the ceramic coating can bond. There are 2 major types of paint correction: Paint Enhancement & Paint Correction.

What is Paint Enhancement?

Here’s the simple answer: Paint enhancement is a less extreme form of paint correction. When we perform paint enhancement, we are telling the customer what paint imperfections WILL be fixed, and what imperfections WILL NOT be fixed. Paint enhancement is the most common type of correction we do! Why is that? Well, most customers don’t care about the tiny imperfections that they really can’t see anyway, and they are really concerned most with getting that ceramic coating on!

What is Paint Correction?

Paint correction is nothing more than more aggressive paint enhancement. Can you see the pattern here? When we are dealing with a vehicle whose paint is REALLY DAMAGED, or a customer who has a detailed eye, we will perform paint correction in order to remove the maximum amount of scratches, swirls, etchings, and paint imperfections as possible. Once again, this is necessary not only for visual appeal, but to create a smooth surface with which the ceramic coating can bond to the paint.

Do I Have To Get Paint Correction To Get A Ceramic Coating?

The simple answer is: Yes & No. Ok... maybe it’s not so simple. We have many customers who understand what paint correction is, and who realize that with it, the ceramic coating will have a longer life span, but they choose not to get any correction done because they want a lower price. While there are situations when paint correction is necessary, there are also situations where it can be optional, and we love talking with our customers about the difference.

Even the most surface level of paint enhancement will extend the life of the ceramic coating, create an amazingly beautiful surface, and maximize your dollars spent... so we like to say: “It’s your choice... but we are biased” :)

Step 3: Ceramic Coating Application

After all of that work... It's now time to install the ceramic coating. You know how a surgeon goes to school for 8-12 years before they ever cut into an actual person? Most of the work is in the PREP! That is a great way to understand ceramic coatings. While there is a lot of technical skill included in the ceramic coating application... most of the time and labor is done in the preparation! Ceramic coating installations take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours depending on the size of the vehicle, but the preparation takes ALL of the other hours. Depending on the amount of paint correction done, a ceramic coating installation can take somewhere between a single day, and 2 to 3 days to finish.

We hope this sheds a little more light on why ceramic coatings come with this price tag... in addition to having a lifetime protection on your vehicle!!