Car paint protection refers to the application of any number of products designed to protect the exterior layers of a car’s paint. This includes products such as car wax, sealants and ceramic coatings. There are many products on the market designed to help you preserve paintwork. This article will go over some frequently asked questions regarding car paint protection and attempt to debunk some common misunderstandings when it comes to this detailing task.
What is the Difference Between Wax, Sealant & Ceramic Coating?
All of these products attempt to achieve the same goal, which is car paint protection, but they do so in different ways and to varying degrees of success and longevity. To understand why there are many different products for paint protection on the market, you first have to understand how the layers of your vehicle’s paint interact.
When a car is painted, there’s a primer, a base coat (which is the colour of your car) and a clear coat which acts as a protective layer for the base coat. Car paint protection products are attempting to protect the clear coat, as this layer is your car paint’s first line of defence against contaminants and scratches.
Wax is arguably the weakest of these products. It usually only offers a few months of protection due to being heat sensitive and therefore breaking down quite quickly. However, what this product lacks in durability, it makes up for inconvenience and price, as it’s the most affordable paint protection product you can buy.
Sealants offer a little more durability than wax and last up to 6 months in most cases. It makes sense that they’re a little more expensive than wax. The main advantage of sealant is that it can actually be used in conjunction with wax as a way to prolong the time between waxes.
Ceramic coating is the most durable car protection product out of the three. As such, it fetches the highest price tag, but its ability to provide car enthusiasts with anywhere from 2 to 5 years of protection is unmatched by other car paint protection products.
Will Paint Protection Affect the Colour of the Paint?
Most car paint protection products do not interfere with the colour or finish of the vehicles they’re applied to. Instead, they often bring out the finish more and add an extra layer of gloss to the exterior paint. When some sealant paint protection products are cured, they can reduce the amount of shine or reflectiveness of a vehicle’s paint, but this has only been observed to be an issue with metallic paints.
Are the Benefits of Paint Protection Really Worth It?
The simple answer is, yes, the application of car paint protection products should be a part of every vehicle owner’s car cleaning regime. Even if you’re not the biggest car enthusiast or don’t really care about having a sparking vehicle, the protective benefits simply can’t be ignored.
Paint protection products will ensure that your car’s paint stays in top condition, which will make eventually selling your car a lot easier. Cleaning off dust, dirt and animal droppings will also be noticeably easier, saving you time and effort trying to keep the exterior of your car clean.
