Ceramic Coatings

[nbroeker]

The question I have:  Do the ceramic coatings (Trim, Paint and Wheels) really have any differences for application/formulation or can I use one for all three applications.  Looking to purchase the paint ceramic coating, but would like to use for wheels and trim as well.  Just curious.

[Dan@Adams]

Hi Neil,

 

All three of our coatings are unique formulas designed for specific applications.

• Adam's Trim Coating is 4H and is designed to have flexibility for plastic and rubber trim surfaces.
• Adam's Paint Coating is 7H and is designed to be removed by machine polishing if there are any application errors.
• Adam's Wheel Coating is 9H and is the most durable to stand up against a more harsh environment of hot brakes and brake dust. 

Paint Coating could be used on wheels, but it may not be as durable for that specific application. I do not recommend using Paint Coating on trim surfaces though.

[nbroeker]

Thanks for the reply.  This will assist me in making my purchasing decisions.

[shane@detailedreflections]

I'll add that all of the coatings are pretty straight forward to work with.  The key to the product is in prep.  Clean and prep the surface until you think you're ready.  Then do it again just to be sure.  Once you start laying the ceramic down, the only way to fix it is through polishing.

[combatengineer89]

Hello, I have Adam's ceramic paint coating kit and i was wondering if this would be safe to apply on the headlights. 

I have a 2017 Ford Raptor.

[shane@detailedreflections]

It is! I've installed the paint coating on the headlights of a 2017 Raptor as well as other vehicles.

[combatengineer89]

Ok thanks for the reply. I'm on day 2. Applying coating prep then coating.

[SumBeach35]

Make sure to post pictures

[combatengineer89]

Couple of questions.

1 How long does the coating last?

2 Can the ceramic boost be reapplied periodically to lengthen the protection?

3 Can you wax on top the coating and if so does it alter the water beading affect?

4 Is the coating prep spray good for cleaning any other surfaces safely?

[Dan@Adams]

Couple of questions.

1 How long does the coating last?

2 Can the ceramic boost be reapplied periodically to lengthen the protection?

3 Can you wax on top the coating and if so does it alter the water beading affect?

4 Is the coating prep spray good for cleaning any other surfaces safely?

 

Couple of answers

1 Approximately 2 years or more with proper washing and maintenance.

2 Yes, and it's encouraged! Apply Ceramic Boost every 4-6 months to keep the coating smooth, looking great, and working as intended.

3 You can wax on top of the coating, but it is not recommended. It will alter the water repelling effect to a degree. Stick with Ceramic Boost, but if you really want to put a wax over it, Patriot Wax would be your best bet since it also contains a small amount of SiO2 ceramic in it.

4 Yes. You can use Coating Prep on Paint, textured plastic, rubber trim, chrome, headlights, etc. Anywhere you plan to apply a ceramic coating, the Coating Prep is safe to use to clean that area first.

[combatengineer89]

Couple of answers

1 Approximately 2 years or more with proper washing and maintenance.

2 Yes, and it's encouraged! Apply Ceramic Boost every 4-6 months to keep the coating smooth, looking great, and working as intended.

3 You can wax on top of the coating, but it is not recommended. It will alter the water repelling effect to a degree. Stick with Ceramic Boost, but if you really want to put a wax over it, Patriot Wax would be your best bet since it also contains a small amount of SiO2 ceramic in it.

4 Yes. You can use Coating Prep on Paint, textured plastic, rubber trim, chrome, headlights, etc. Anywhere you plan to apply a ceramic coating, the Coating Prep is safe to use to clean that area first.

 

 

Great! Thanks for the reply.

I'm new to Adam's but I'll have to say im very impressed and pleased so far. I'll likely be migrating all of my supplies to Adam's products as i run out of my current supply.

 

One more quick question not related to coatings. Does the Adam's leather conditioner have any smell to it?

I currently use Byrons Hyde food and it has a great leather smell. 

 

 

[galaxy]

Couple of answers

 

3 You can wax on top of the coating, but it is not recommended. It will alter the water repelling effect to a degree. Stick with Ceramic Boost, but if you really want to put a wax over it, Patriot Wax would be your best bet since it also contains a small amount of SiO2 ceramic in it.

 

This is good to know as I am one of those (and I'm sure there are more like me) that can't imagine going without waxing. What would life be like?? I assume that is also part of the choice to go coating.

 

Will Patriot over the coating alter the appearance like it would any other day on any other paint?

[Beemer]

Couple of answers

1 Approximately 2 years or more with proper washing and maintenance.

 

 

Dan - what happens after two years? Been looking for an "official" Adam's answer on this.

 

Would I need to polish off the old coating before applying a new one?  Seems like a lot of work....

[mc2hill]

 

I currently use Byrons Hyde food and it has a great leather smell. 

 

 

 

 

Yep, Adams' LC is smells like too! 

[jeverton]

Dan - what happens after two years? Been looking for an "official" Adam's answer on this.

 

Would I need to polish off the old coating before applying a new one?  Seems like a lot of work....

 

I'm right there with you Roger...  

 

@Dan - What is the process after two years? 

[Kickerz71]

Side question - I ordered a kit however it will only have 1 applicator and its only good for one application.

 

At this time we can't order any extra applicators (Canadian website) what other applicators can I use? 

[butters]

I would venture to guess that after 2 years the coating will erode to the point of becoming spotty and noticeably less effective, at which point you would polish (or compound?) the vehicle to get back to naked paint and go from there with another application.

 

I have another coating question: Dan, you recommended Boost every 4-6 months. I haven't worked with coated paint but will be coating my car before summer, and I'm wondering how the paint will feel during that 4-6 month timeframe.

 

I'm used to the paint sealant regimen, topping with guard & gloss monthly or so, with detail spray after each wash between that. I can't help but think that I'll want to keep using at least detail spray to maintain that slick feeling and as a drying aid. Maybe the slickness will be retained much better after each wash versus the behavior of the acrylic sealants. But with detail spray, am I defeating the excellent properties of the ceramic? Or is there at least still that shell of hardness and chemical resistance, "under" the detail spray?

 

I figure even if the hydrophobic properties of the coating are masked by DS, the DS will evaporate pretty quickly and then the Boost kicks in as the outermost layer. Or at least this is what I'll tell myself

[Dan@Adams]

Dan - what happens after two years? Been looking for an "official" Adam's answer on this.

 

Would I need to polish off the old coating before applying a new one?  Seems like a lot of work....

 

 

I'm right there with you Roger...  

 

@Dan - What is the process after two years? 

 

After 2 years, yes you will most likely want to machine polish it off and start fresh. Even though they're durable, coatings can and will scratch and get swirl marks. I would imagine that most people on the forum here might do a light polish of their vehicles once every year or two anyway, so there's really not much difference in terms of what you do after the coating wears off versus what you do when a sealant or wax wears off.

[Dan@Adams]

I would venture to guess that after 2 years the coating will erode to the point of becoming spotty and noticeably less effective, at which point you would polish (or compound?) the vehicle to get back to naked paint and go from there with another application.

 

I have another coating question: Dan, you recommended Boost every 4-6 months. I haven't worked with coated paint but will be coating my car before summer, and I'm wondering how the paint will feel during that 4-6 month timeframe.

 

I'm used to the paint sealant regimen, topping with guard & gloss monthly or so, with detail spray after each wash between that. I can't help but think that I'll want to keep using at least detail spray to maintain that slick feeling and as a drying aid. Maybe the slickness will be retained much better after each wash versus the behavior of the acrylic sealants. But with detail spray, am I defeating the excellent properties of the ceramic? Or is there at least still that shell of hardness and chemical resistance, "under" the detail spray?

 

I figure even if the hydrophobic properties of the coating are masked by DS, the DS will evaporate pretty quickly and then the Boost kicks in as the outermost layer. Or at least this is what I'll tell myself

 

You can use the Ceramic Boost more frequently than the 4-6 months I referenced, once every 1-2 months like H2O Guard would be ok too. I was explaining in terms of longevity per application - sorry I should have clarified. 

 

I've had our Paint Coating on my SS since September of last year (prior to its release), and I've been washing with either our regular Car Shampoo or Wash & Wax every few washes, then air drying. I've been maintaining light dirt with Waterless Wash and our blue Waffle Weave Towels, and it's holding up great. I used one application of Ceramic Boost after the coating had cured for 24 hours, and then I just re-upped it on the hood, roof, and trunk again last month.

 

I drove the car more than I wanted to this winter to see how the coating would hold up, and because my area didn't get too much snow. The winter months did put some very light contamination right behind the front tires on the fenders and doors that normal washing and Waterless Wash did not remove, so I'll most likely take a Visco Clay Bar and Detail Spray to lightly clay and remove that contamination. Then I'll hit those areas with another misting of Ceramic Boost.