09/07/2020
Re post from earlier this year (edited) .
I've been asked "Why does quality ceramic coating cost so much?"
Answer... lots of factors. I will share with you the process and estimated time it takes to complete each process just to give you an idea of the time it takes and the steps required to get professional results.
1. Thoroughly wash the vehicle following these steps...
A. Pre wash with a heavy duty agressive soap to soften the contaminents on the paint (15-20 min)
B. Follow with high pressure rinse and repeat step A and B 2 more times (30-40 min)
C. Once the car has been washed, follow up with a chemical iron remover on all external surfaces. This step helps disolve iron particles found on all cars from regular driving. (30-45 min)
D. Clay bar entire veh surface. This step mechanically removes all the remaining contaminents on the paint's surface and leaves a super smooth finish. (60- 120 min)
E. Tape off entire vehicle to protect trim and emblems in prep for polish (30 -45 min)
F. Complete surface scratch and swirl removal via mechanical polishing. This is the longest step in the process and requires a trained eye and patience to achieve the best results. Pro grade cutting and polishing compounds are a must in this step as well as high quality polishers and polishing pads. (90- 240 min)
F. Once polish is complete you must prepare entire surface for coating by physically removing all polishing compound traces and oils from surface of vehicle in order to leave a perfectly clean "virgin" surface for best adhesion (30-45 min)
G. Apply first coat of ceramic treatment (60-90 min)
H. Allow time to for coating to bond and by hand, smooth out to eliminate high/low spots. Pro grade lighting is required to be able to see these areas (90-120 min)
I. Hand polish first coat and repeat for a 2nd coat (90- 120 min)
J. Let vehicle cure for 8-12 hours (over night) before releasing to owner. This allows the chemical reaction to complete and bond the ceramic coating to vehicle clear coat.
As you can see it takes a minimum of 480 minutes (8+ hours) to complete on a small car with minimal paint correction but as much as 16- 18 hours on larger vehicles or vehicles that require more prep. Then there is the cure time on top of that.
A quality ceramic coating takes time, patience, and an exacting attention to detail to get it right. Professional grade coatings range from $500 - $2500 or more depending on the brand, size of vehicle, number of coats etc. We aren't talking about that (so called) "9h" consumer grade product you can find on "Amazon" or "Wish". These are professional grade products that require they be installed by (certified) professionals. This is why AZ Show and Shine Detail is contonually trained and certified to apply these coatings to get you the best and longest lasting results for your investment.
Why do people do this any way? Because the paint will be protected, less UV damage to the clear coat, enhanced gloss and shine to the paint, washing and drying the car will take half the time and contaminents like sap, bird p**p, dirt and grime wont stick to your car as easily. Scratches and water spots wont be as noticeable and it protects the super thin clear coat on the car and keeps the car looking newer longer. Also, (Benefit) some ceramic coatings show on your carfax reports (therefore) increasing your car value. Hope this helps answer some questions. Feel free to contact us if you have questions, we would be happy to assist.
