ceramic coating on fresh paint

[2012srt8]

some asshole hit my truck this week and I'm wondering how long I should wait to reapply the coating to my paint after its painted?

[tlbullet]

2 hours ago, 2012srt8 said:

some asshole hit my truck this week and I'm wondering how long I should wait to reapply the coating to my paint after its painted?

Jeez. What they hit it with? A bulldozer??  Feel bad for u man!!!   

[2012srt8]

mini van.his is wrote off.his airbags went off to.his car was worth $1000 at most.

[pirahnah3]

In most any case it should be at least a couple weeks to let the paint fully cure and off gas. Might be longer. 

[Thorsager]

I know how you feel. This happened this fall. I waited 3 months but that was just due to not having time to apply the coating. I would wait at least 2 months to be sure. You could always do the rest of the truck and then come back to the damaged area later.

[2012srt8]

rest of it's already coated but I have been wanting to try a different coating

[shane@detailedreflections]

5 hours ago, 2012srt8 said:

rest of it's already coated but I have been wanting to try a different coating

 

I don’t know if I’d try a different coating on just a part of my vehicle. Different coatings finish different in their final appearance and it may be noticeable. 

 

And as for how long to wait, ask the body shop how long before you can wax/seal/coat. They should know the answer. 

Edited May 4, 2018 by shane@detailedreflections

[2012srt8]

oh if I use different coating I will do it on the whole truck

[Mariner]

Time for an aftermarket bumper! I had a front and rear steel bumpers on my Raptor and let me tell you, people thought twice about cutting me off, tailgating, or getting too close in general. Sorry for the hit man.

[shane@detailedreflections]

2 hours ago, 2012srt8 said:

oh if I use different coating I will do it on the whole truck

 

If you do, be prepared for a ton of polishing to strip the old one. Adams, which is our thinnest coating still took the following:

 

-compound with wool

-compound with foam

-correcting polish with foam

-finishing polish with foam 

 

That was just to get it where we felt it was adequate to install a new coating. The coatings don’t come off easily...which is good and bad. It’s not impossible but plan accordingly. 

[LSX Maestro]

That sucks man.  I would wait a minimum of 2-3 weeks to apply a wax/spray sealant. But I would wait longer than that if you're going to Ceramic Coat, probably a month.  This is if the bodyshop you use BAKES their paint jobs. If they don't bake, you'll want to wait months. 

 

I've never seen a paint failure on our paint jobs from pre-mature waxing/sealing but I know it can happen especially if the bodyshop work wasn't up to par/thoroughly baked.  

[rrmccabe]

My rule of thumb is 2 months. That is typically what the body shop tells me.

[Packy]

On 5/4/2018 at 9:00 AM, shane@detailedreflections said:

 

If you do, be prepared for a ton of polishing to strip the old one. Adams, which is our thinnest coating still took the following:

 

-compound with wool

-compound with foam

-correcting polish with foam

-finishing polish with foam 

 

That was just to get it where we felt it was adequate to install a new coating. The coatings don’t come off easily...which is good and bad. It’s not impossible but plan accordingly. 

You wasted a lot of work.  Ceramic coatings can easily be stripped by chemical methods.  Some drive through car washes can even do it.  

Look for heavy duty pre painting wash cleaners.  

[shane@detailedreflections]

2 hours ago, Packy said:

You wasted a lot of work.  Ceramic coatings can easily be stripped by chemical methods.  Some drive through car washes can even do it.  

Look for heavy duty pre painting wash cleaners.  

 

I’ll preface this post with this...we are a business and we are an accredited installer for various coatings we install. That being said, we’ve been trained by the manufacturer in application and removal of their products.

 

If we installed a ceramic coating and a drive through car wash removed the coating I would fully anticipate my client coming back to me and having some words that would likely end up in my refunding their money. Fortunately we don’t install products that we haven’t tested for durability so we have a feel of what to expect for our clients.

 

Now regardless of a chemical removing the coating, there’s still polishing to be done. Polishing through the coating and into the paint is part of the prep steps for reinstallation of another last step product (coating or otherwise).

 

A chemical strong enough to remove a coating (which tends to be more resistant than paint thus it’s benefit) is probably pretty harsh on the finish of a vehicle. If that finish gets further damaged we’ve increased our workload.

 

Nothing is incapable of being removed, but there are “best practices” in removal, and no manufacturer I’ve encountered recommends a chemical removal for a ceramic coating. 

[ryannicholsglass]

The length of time will depend on some factors. Mostly weather. If it's winter, it will take your clear much longer to fully cure and harden. I would recommend, if it's colder than 50°, wait until you have a a couple weeks of 70° weather before you coat new paint. And during that time, put it in direct sun whenever possible to help it cure. If it's above 50° but not hot summer days, give it a month parking in direct sun as much as possible. If it's hot summer days, couple weeks. Again, parking in direct sun as much as possible..Heat is the best way to speed up the process of curing. And most likely whoever painted your vehicle had a bake booth, and heated your baked your paint job at 140° for 30 to 45 minutes. Which got the curing process 85% complete. 

 

People will say to wait 2 or 3 months. Really no need. Putting on a wax or  coating doesn't "seal in" gases or vapors any more than the clear coat already does. The outer layer of clear dries first, and basically does the same thing. Which is why if you sanded a 1 year old paint job you can still smell the clear gassing.