joelilton23

I got started on the remodel of my current garage over the weekend.  The first objective was a coat of paint on the ceiling and new lights.   We have been in the house 19 years and had  never painted the garage ceiling.  The garage is 24 deep x 19 wide and I put in six 48" LED's ceiling mounted.  Next up will be to do the finish painting and then to redo the walls and get rid of the 1970's paneling and finally the floor will have tiles, I just need to decide on which ones.   I'm also adding a low profile ceiling fan between the garage door opener and the farthest light toward the back.  
 
As for the lights themselves, they replaced two LED's that have been in there for 5 or 6 years and were good for the age and what was available at the time.  The new lights are wired in series and I put the conduit in to give it a cleaner look.   The two pictures with the garage door opener visible were taken during the day, the one with the motorcycle was taken well after dark.  The forward light sits 1 foot behind the garage door when it is open, so it never gets blocked by the garage door.  
 
We are also finalizing the plans for the new garage which will be a 25x36.  The new garage will have 2 doors, one being 18' and the other will be 8', plus an additional 8' to get to the back yard.  The front will match our front entrance and be sandstone while the rest will be recovered bricks.  The roof will attach to the house and match with 40 year architectural shingles.  The one thing we have not decided on yet is whether to go with a flat ceiling or cathedral with opening skylights for added ventilation.  
 
The current garage is a side entrance and the new garage will be a forward entrance.  This is why I am going with an 18' door so I can put project cars, special toys or maybe one heck of a man cave will be in the original garage. To get a toy or vehicle into the original garage you'll have to go through the 18' door and turn to get into the original garage.  From end to end it will give me 60' and the total square footage 1,356 which does not include the 6x8 climate controlled room in the current garage. . 
 
The cost for the mods to the current garage with me and my son-in-law doing the work will be about $1,500.  The new garage will be closer to $40,000 +/- $5,000 once the engineer tests the current concrete to determine if it is good as is, needs to be overlayed or ripped out and replaced.   My driveway is 48' wide and that will leave us 12' paved on the side once we have the new garage in place.  I will do the interior finish work myself which is keeping the cost under $50k, plus I've done plenty before, including adding a second story on a house.  The contractors get everything exterior and the wiring up the first outlet or switch from the breaker box.    We would have saved money if the Architect who designed and built this house for himself had of made it 24' or 26' foot wide, but for whatever reason he picked an odd number by going to 25', so it causes a lot of material waste and special order items, such as trusses and such. 
 
If everything works out, we'll get started on the new garage in the January/February timeframe with a best case of 30 days to have it built and weather tight and worst case 120 days.  I have a couple more contractors to talk to and then the pleasure of dealing with the county on the permits.  We have a lot left to do before the first brick gets put down, but we're on the way.

So here’s the deal. Adams has enough products to run a business. They have a detail shop themselves. 
 
However, their buying options don’t lend themselves to the best purchasing decisions as a business. Knowing your costs will be exponentially higher, you’ll need to adjust your prices to compensate for that. 
 
When it comes to pricing and profit margins, you can increase your margins two ways. Raise the cost of your product. Bring your back end costs down. Price your product too high and you lose business. 
 
Quite honestly, outside of a coating a client has never asked what we use for products. They have asked what to use to maintain their vehicle. At that point you can sell them anything. 
 
Adams makes a great product for the consumer. For the professional, some are great. Others are not. By being one brand exclusive you set yourself up for some potential issues down the line. Backorder? You don’t have another supplier you’re set up with. 
 
What ultimately got me searching outside of Adams as I transitioned from consumer to “professional” was when they eliminated the 16 ounce bottles of product and replaced it with an 8 ounce. Half the product at 2/3 the price. My costs went up quite a bit. Couple that with even a 16 ounce bottle not lasting long and it was time to search other options. 
 
Adams makes some good stuff. So do other companies. Don’t limit yourself or you’re doing your business and your client multiple disservices. 

In some private messages with @jstaples17, the topic of clear bra and vinyl came up and how we treat each of these products in the course of our detailing. 
 
It can get a little confusing since ppf is vinyl, but it’s treated differently from a vinyl wrap. Clear bra (commonly referred to as PPF or paint protection film) is commonly a clear vinyl designed for the sole purpose of protecting the paint from hard impacts such as road debris or stone chips. Vinyl wraps are typically thinner and installed for the purpose of some protection along with changing the appearance of a vehicle. PPF is commonly thicker than vinyl wrap and more durable. 
 
Another key difference between the two products is that PPF is typically a wet installation and vinyl wraps are dry. 
 
When working with PPF, we tend to treat it like paint. We can wash it, wax it and even coat it without really doing anything to the film. Most modern films have a topcoat to them that makes them hydrophobic, but they still benefit from LSP.
 
Polishing clear bra is where it gets tricky. You can polish it, but it’s commonly done delicately. We use finishing polish at a slightly lower speed. Films are not hard, so they don’t need aggressive polishing. The slower speed helps reduce heat buildup as well. Ideally, we like to just take some revive to the films and most of the time we get satisfactory results. It’s a risk versus reward equation.
 
If you’re removing PPF, you’ll want steam to help loosen the adhesive and then you want to pull the film away from the vehicle causing the film to lift. Don’t fold it back on itself and cause a fold that will separate the film from the adhesive. Once that happens, you’ll be scrubbing adhesive off. Constant steam on the part being lifted helps considerably. 
 
Many of today’s films are “self healing.” This is more of an installers benefit since any marks we put in during installation can be removed with gentle heat from a heat gun. The same is true though of minor scratches and swirls. 
 
Vinyl wraps are a different creature. We don’t want to polish them, and they usually have more of a matte appearance to them, if not completely matte. You can ceramic over a vinyl wrap, but you may darken and level the colors slightly. The vinyl we’ve coated has always looked more even and better after the fact. On multi part coatings, we usually apply the base coat only to the vinyl rather than the multiple gloss layers. In a single layer coating like Adams, you can go over it.
 
Vinyl can be washed and clayed. We usually don’t wax over it. We will usually use a matte detailer on it waterless wash. It stops wax buildup. There are a few matte/vinyl specific waxes and detailers out there if you look. 
 
We also don’t take a machine polisher to a wrap. The risk of marring and heat buildup is way too high for our tolerance. Better safe than sorry. 
 
Hopefully this helps clear up some issues with vinyl and ppf. As always, ask questions should you have any. 
 
 

Here are a few before interior shots as well as after exterior pictures - no after interior shots yet. I'll grab some of those today on lunch break. 
 

Bike turned out nice 
 
I have matte black wheels on my F150 and I didn't like how they looked after using Strip Wash and Matte Detailer.  They were very dry and almost splotchy looking.  I've been using Paint Sealant and regular Detail Spray with much better results.

Good looking bike and nice detail job on it!
 
Has anyone had any luck using the Matte Detailer or Protectant?  Buddy just bought a new Camaro and the hood, roof and trunk lid are matte. He was asking me why to use on it so any feedback would be great, thanks!

Carried out the detail today, thanks for all the advice!
 
ended up using glass cleaner on the matte paint, and it worked a treat! Eco APC and Eco wheel cleaner were used on the engine, frame and wheels, and waterless wash and detail spray used on the painted surfaces. The seat was cleaned and conditioned, unfortunately someone had written on it with a ballpoint pen, which didn’t want to budge. The customer has ordered a specific matte coating kit so protection will be carried out once that arrives. Here’s a couple of quick photos

Monday night football has its perks with homemade pizza 

Fair disclaimer that I take no responsibility if something goes wrong but when I had a matte gray motorcycle I washed it on the regular using car shampoo if it got really dirty. I've also used waterless wash made from rinseless wash without side effects, but a recommendation given to me in the past that I used quite often when it was just a light dusting and for regular maintenance was actually glass cleaner with a mf towel. I had no side effects of unwanted gloss of any kind when using any of those products. I did acquire a matte sealant from somewhere else and applied that to the bike at some point. 

My car is also currently wrapped in matte gray, and I follow the same as listed above. Car shampoo for washing, matte detailer or glass cleaner for maintenance / light cleaning. 
I will admit that I have used the wheel ceramic coating from adams on the vinyl and it made it 'pop' a bit more. My vinyl is matte gray aluminum, and its not a completely flat look, so when I did the coating, the texture or metallic parts of the vinyl per-se popped, but it was still matte and not shiny, BUT you can clearly see the swiping marks from application, so i wouldnt recommend a coating meant for gloss paint. 
 
Not sure if it helps but hey i tried 

As much as I would like to provide you detailing Matte advice, I'll leave that up to the experts.  The advice that I can give you is to keep that beautiful bike under lock and key...what a sweet looking ride.

If anyone is curious about it, drop me a private message and I’ll make the search easy. We haven’t used it ourselves yet as we haven’t been presented the right situation to do so, but it’s a reputable manufacturer. It would be our go to for a matte vehicle looking for coating. 

I've always been told that the best cleaner for Matte Black paint on a bike is Windex. It cleans, but obviously no protection at all. I would research the coating for Matte paint as Shane mentioned.

For the Tire Shine, you are somewhat correct in not using it on a bike.  I do use it on my bike, taking super extra care to NOT get any on the tread at all.  The sidewalls of the tire are ok to use products on but any portion of the tire that might or does come into contact with the road is a major no no.   I will spray some TS onto a foam block and very carefully apply to the sidewall only on my bike.  

Waterless wash should be okay as it has absolutely minimal wax in it, if any. You can also use diluted APC on it. Matte paints don’t show dirt as much as gloss paints do.  Even better would be a coating prep type product as a cleaner. 
 
We still have matte sealant and detailer since we don’t use a bunch of it.  We haven’t had the issues you mentioned, but it’s also not a daily product for us. 
 
For protection, there are matte specific waxes out there (cleaners), or even matte specific coatings. It’s worth exploring other options. I understand users here are extremely loyal to Adams, but when they don’t offer the product you need...you need to look for solutions elsewhere. 

It looks as though the anti-glare coating is failing on the screen, which is common on older Macbook laptops etc. I don't believe there is a way of fixing it unfortunately 

Just got the chance to wash my girlfriends older brothers stage two GTI on bags today . It is so sweet. This thing has no trouble gettin up and going. got to take a photo shoot after as well 

Yesterday, after 2weeks of negotiations, and absolutely no rush, I signed my life away again.
 
Traded my Black 2016 Tahoe for......
 
A brand new (15miles) 2019 Summit White Chevy Tahoe RST
6.2L 440hp  460 ft lb torque 
3.23 rear ratio
Magnetic ride control
10 speed auto, w/ a manual mode
170amp Alternator 
22” RST Wheels
RST Black trim package (no chrome!)
Jet Black interior 
Fully loaded(the only option, well there’s 2 it doesn’t have, automatic side steps, and Brembo brakes)
 
Anyway,  I asked that they not touch the paint and they were very understanding 
 
I rinsed
foamed
strip washed
iron removed
(it needs clayed in some spots, but I skipped this, because I dont have time to polish at the moment, and there are no swirls present)
Guard and Glossed
 
wheels..
WC
TRC
hit face and barrels
blow dried
topped with tire shine
and CB 2.0
 
also hit all black trim, and front bumper and grill (future bug splatter concerns) with CB 2.0
 
quick Interior Detailer up front, rest tomorrow 
 
Clayed mitt/ glass sealant and boost windshield 
side and rear glass tomorrow when my daughter is napping 
 
Part of the deal, sorta, was that, my Black Tahoe would show up fully detailed, fluids topped off, good tires brakes and all, of course, this was all true and only 24k miles kn the thing ?
 

 
 
First pic, just after I got it home after work this morning, hard to tell, but it was filthy!  Dealership sits just off a major highway outside of DC
 
 
The after shots...
 
 
 
 

Thanks ZMAN024.   This is a true statement, quality of water changes soap performance substantially.  Our house has harder water than our shop, and therefore, the suds are substantially different!
 
As for quantity of soap, I typically use 2-3oz, as water spotting is an issue where we live/ work. (I also wash at least two cars at a time, so really, the soap used per car is in the 1-1.5oz/ car range.  Our soaps neutralize the minerals in the water, and the extra $ in soap used makes my life easier.   If your water isn't hard, and your need for suds is low, then use what works, by all means!
 
I'm just grateful to earn your soap business, and certainly, using more is good for business, and the kids love it!

Change it up from BBQ 
 
SEA FOOD plate, crab legs
 
 
 

I’ve written things up a few times previously on the forums...and they’ve been generally well received so it’s something I don’t mind keeping up with as I’m able to. 
 
That being said, if there’s anything specific you want to see covered or asked...please do so. It’ll help inspire some of that writing. Maybe it’ll be a quick answer. Maybe it’ll be a write up with photos from an upcoming job. Who knows what it’ll turn into?
 
Topics can be detailing to busInes’s related. Maybe it’ll help foster good discussions. Our way of doing things isn’t the only way...
 
Anyway, I wanted to extend the offer. Maybe one day I can do a thread for a Q&A on all things interior with Marquis when he’s here working!  He won’t do the forum thing himself, but i can ask and get answers and type for him!  Just a thought. 
 
And as far as a clinic, we are still working on it!  Trying to workout some scheduling and funds to run the event the way it should be done since I sank a bunch into the new workspace!

This weekend i Paint corrected My moms friends SQ5 and it turned out great.  I really like this car. I also did my buddies Toyota Tacoma. Took some sweet shots with my Sony a7 III.

Hello all!
 
Terribly sorry that we have been hard to contact, as stated above we are extremely short staffed at the moment and we are really trying our best! However it is very difficult for our three reps to service half a million customers. In the future if ya'll continue to have issue contacting us feel free to shoot me an email at emery@adamspolishes and I will get to you as quickly as possible. Or even feel free to send me a message within here! We are committed to giving our customers the best service we can, and we are working on bulking up customer service! Please continue to be patient with us and we will continue to do our best! Thanks for the consistent support from all of you, and again feel free to contact me!
 
Thanks,
 
Emery Cannon 

Hi gang. I am Rich's wife and will be with him at Corvettes.  I need a favor from the Adam's community.  I know someone posted this on the Adam's FB page too.  This little boy is dying from Leukemia and he's only 11 years old.  He's asking for stickers (racing, car related) to cover his casket.  If you can, could any of you who will be at Carlisle this weekend, look through your stash of stickers (I have plenty of Adam's stickers, looking for things like Summit, Jegs, etc) and drop them off at our car ..... Row IE space 50 , or give them to me at the Adam's party Friday night.  The whole story breaks my heart, and I'd love to send him a nice big envelope filled with stickers to brighten his day.  If you aren't going to be there, but would like to send him some yourself, the address is below.  Thanks to all of you.
Darlene 
Stickers and cards can be sent to Caleb Hammond’s family at 314 North J Street, Oskaloosa, IA 52577.

OK so I was being totally OCD. The car is probably about 95% perfect. Those LED lights definitely show more than natural light does. Anyways, here are some pics of the final products. Sorry for the pressure washer and master blaster in the pics. I was just super excited on how great it turned out and wanted pics right away. 

Lately it seems that there’s been a bunch of questions on the forums with regard to what products go with what.  It can be a confusing world of products especially as new “better” releases come about.
 
The first thing to consider is that just because something new comes along, it doesn’t mean the old product is obsolete. Change can come about for a million different reasons. It could be development, supply availability, changes in production...and the list goes on. 
 
New products also don’t mean they fit in your detailing supply cabinet. We all have different needs based on our tastes, what we used and continue to use and where we want our detailing to go. There’s always a temptation to try new products (and we try a bunch), but it doesn’t always mean it’s a good fit. The point I’m trying to make is to not force a product to fit because it’s the “latest and greatest.”
 
The “ceramic” line of products is a great example. The ceramic boost, wax, coatings are great products. They aren’t the ideal application for every user. Much in the same way that a regular wax isn’t ideal for a ceramic user. 
 
You can mix and match products as you go, but it may not be the best match. Think of it like mixing ingredients in the kitchen. Sure, it might go and not be bad. But it also won’t be the “wow” that makes you want to come back to it time and time again. 
 
When evaluating which products you want to use, consider what your goals are and define them. 
 
How long do you want the product to last?
 
How much maintenance do you want to do?
 
How much work do you want to put in for the project in the beginning?
 
Where is the vehicle kept?  How is it driven?  Is it a daily?  Or a garage queen?
 
What tools do you have or are willing to invest in?
 
What’s your budget look like?
 
Once you know some of those answers (and possibly more), you can put together your product list.
 
If you like the process of waxing your car often, ceramic based products may not be up your alley. You can still achieve a great finish without ceramics. Sealant, glaze and wax provides great durability and finish while allowing you to scratch the itch of needing to wax your ride. 
 
If you want more durability, maybe a coating is right for you. You need to be patient in its prep and application. I’ve mentioned before that great prep equals a great finish. The same is also true. If you cut corners, there’s a good chance it will show in the finish. Keep in mind though that coatings are NOT maintenance free, regardless of advertising hype. 
 
A weekend detailer can often produce the same results as a professional detailer. There’s plenty of access to some great products out there. We use many of the same products available to everyone in our work. Sure, there’s some that are “pro only,” but those tend to be more high end coatings then routine products to use. The biggest differences between the pro and the weekend guy/girl are that pros usually have a deeper arsenal of products, an understanding of products along with their nuances and pros often have a larger selection of tools to get the job done efficiently. 
 
The big thing is to evaluate each product, see how it fits in your scope of practice and to understand when and why to use something. More importantly, know when not to use something because it doesn’t fit in your vision. It can be difficult to resist temptation of the latest and greatest sometimes, but like they say “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” 
 
When in doubt ask questions, experiment and see what works for you. Just test in small doses so you don’t create a bunch of work for yourself fixing something you have done. 
    - No idea why the font carried over like that when I wrote it and copied it over. Oh well!