Car owners, your daily routine may be damaging your car’s paintwork without you even realising it
Everyday happenings like accidentally spilled petrol, finger prints, and annoying bird droppings can leave ugly, long-lasting stains and scratches on the surface of your car. Even worse, it might cause corrosion.
Aside from being proactive about cleaning away spills and splatters promptly, there’s also a preventive method that can protect your auto paint against scratches in the first place
What’s a paint coating?
A paint coating (or car coating) is essentially a second layer of paint for your car. It’s typically provided by a car detailer or automotive paint business rather than a car wash and is applied as a kind of secondary coat on top of the existing paint.
Coatings are also made out of manmade materials, but they do not look like, or apply like, car waxes or paint sealants. Instead, they are often times of a much thinner viscosity (like, water).
While a conventional car wax wears off after a couple months, a paint coating forms a much stronger and harder bond
According to this automotive site, the longevity for a coat lasts from 12-24 months while a normal wax lasts from 1-4 months. They also have higher durability.
A good thing to note: New vehicles prior to being picked up by its a new owner, would have been left sitting under the sun and rain for weeks or months. Only a simple polish and wax is quickly done, and after a few months, the surface defects previously concealed by the layer of wax would resurface.
The downside to coating? They’re pretty costly, a coating session can easily run up to RM3,000.
But there are numerous reasons for that.
The application requires the necessary tools and hours of manpower. Otherwise, it might lead to an uneven application since this material hardens quickly.
A high-quality coating while expensive at the onset, will prove its value in the following years of your car ownership from its everyday performance and longevity (particularly when compared to wax, sealants, or ordinary coatings).
Also, traditional polish and wax routine leads to accumulative costs and will thin the paint over time, leading to oxidation and a dull appearance.
There are currently different types of car coatings in the market, with glass and ceramic being the popular ones
What’s glass coating?
Going by several names such as liquid glass, nano-glass, and quartz coating, there are two different types of glass coats – quartz silane and silica.
Quartz silica is more expensive because of its manufacturing process, but it offers a more durable, shinier coat. Silica, which is cheaper, is less durable.
Glass coating is not really made of glass. Yes, it contains silica, which is also used for making glass, but that’s where their similarities end.
Like glass coating, ceramic coating provides a strong, protective surface to the car’s body that can block all manner of foreign matter and prevent them from causing damage to the vehicle
What’s the difference between the two?
According to this car-detailer, the difference lies in the process of putting on the coat. A ceramic coating process requires heating, while glass coating bonds to the car’s paint immediately upon application.
The heating actually expedites the curing process. but for the most part, it’s only necessary for countries with cold climate. In places like sunny Malaysia however, over 90% of the curing happens within the first 24 hours, while the coating continues to fully harden and cure over the following week.
This is why you’ll hear your detailer advising you to keep the car dry as much as possible and avoid washing it with any kind of detergent for the first 7 days after you drive it home.
So, should you coat your car?
If you want a long-lasting investment for your car, this is something to consider. Paint coatings resist dirt and dust better than traditional protection, so your vehicle will stay cleaner for longer periods of time. Your paint will be extremely easy to wash because dirt wipes away easily – no scrubbing is required if you properly maintain your vehicle.
Paint coatings are also typically harder than your vehicle’s clear coat. This added hardness helps to protect your paint against UV damage, hard water spots, bird bombs, and other typical risks associated with daily driving. Coatings tend to be much more chemical resistant than traditional forms of protection and will stand up to environmental hazards much better in the long run.
Lastly, the amazing gloss and shine. Your vehicle will look fantastic, be easier to maintain, and be very well protected.
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