New to ceramic coating, I messed up. Also ?'s

[brihvac]

  I wanted to try ceramic coatings so I ordered the Adam's kit and tried it on my 2014 pick up truck. I clay mitted it then used heavy correcting cream on a microfiber pad, then correcting polish on a orange pad. My surface was flawless. Here's where I messed up. Not thinking I laid the ceramic over the tailgate and a rear panel and forgot to use the prep spray on it. By the time I realized what I did it was too late. Should I just leave it alone? It looks good. It is sitting in the garage curing. I have not put the Ceramic Boost on it yet.

   They say as a maintenance to the ceramic coating to use the Ceramic Boost every month. Do I have to use the ceramic boost or can I just use a quick detailing spray? Reason I ask is I have TONS of detailing spray. Is there anything else I need to do to it as a "maintenance" ?

   I have not touched a buffer in years after I burnt the paint off my car when I was a kid in the late 80's. This was the first time in years and I enjoyed it because it came out great. I want to keep my other 2 newer suv's looking new. I have read that you should not do paint correction all the time because of wearing down the clear coat. What should I use to "prep" the paint for a good wax job that will not strip off my clear coat? Any other advice?

Edited August 12, 2019 by brihvac

[TheWolf]

The Ceramic Coating that was applied before the surface was cleaned with Prep will not last very long at all.  The coating needs to bond to the clear coat in order to last years, and the oils left from the polishing products will interfere with this bond.  I would polish those areas again, then clean the surface with Prep, then apply the coating.

 

You can still use Detail Spray as a drying aid after washing, but still apply the Ceramic Boost monthly to maintain the coating.

 

For your question about wax, are you applying this to the vehicle that has the coating?  If so, you would only want to use one of the ceramic waxes, not a regular carnauba wax like Americana or Patriot, as they will interfere with the hydrophobic properties of the coating.

 

For apply wax to non-coated paint, the prep is basically just a thorough wash.  If the paint feels rough, then clay it first, then apply the wax.

 

 

[brihvac]

7 hours ago, TheWolf said:

The Ceramic Coating that was applied before the surface was cleaned with Prep will not last very long at all.  The coating needs to bond to the clear coat in order to last years, and the oils left from the polishing products will interfere with this bond.  I would polish those areas again, then clean the surface with Prep, then apply the coating.

 

You can still use Detail Spray as a drying aid after washing, but still apply the Ceramic Boost monthly to maintain the coating.

 

For your question about wax, are you applying this to the vehicle that has the coating?  If so, you would only want to use one of the ceramic waxes, not a regular carnauba wax like Americana or Patriot, as they will interfere with the hydrophobic properties of the coating.

 

For apply wax to non-coated paint, the prep is basically just a thorough wash.  If the paint feels rough, then clay it first, then apply the wax.

 

 

Ok, So just go back over the areas with the heavy correcting cream with the microfiber pad, polishing cream with orange pad and it should remove the ceramic so I can reapply the coating AFTER I use the prep spray?

 

[brihvac]

So I got up early and re-compounded and polished the rear panel and tailgate. Coated it again after I soaked it with the prespray. I am going to wait till around 3:30 and hit it with the ceramic boost. Guess I will see what happens.

[Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin]

Depending on which coating you use, you may want to wait longer.

 

Ceramic Spray Coating has a cure time of minimum 4 hours.

 

Ceramic Paint Coating has a cure time of minimum 24 hours I believe.

 

Make sure to wait allow the full curing time before applying ceramic boost.

[brihvac]

1 hour ago, Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin said:

Depending on which coating you use, you may want to wait longer.

 

Ceramic Spray Coating has a cure time of minimum 4 hours.

 

Ceramic Paint Coating has a cure time of minimum 24 hours I believe.

 

Make sure to wait allow the full curing time before applying ceramic boost.

The Adam's videos say 6-12 hours for the liquid ceramic coating.

 

[Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin]

I couldn't find the video you're talking about, I watched a few and wasn't able to find that. Whatever you do make sure you're being consistent with what it says on the bottle.

 

Just for clarification, there's a Ceramic Liquid Wax (not a coating, and which has no cure time), there's a Ceramic Spray Coating, and a Ceramic Paint Coating. The latter two I mentioned in my previous comment. I'm not sure which Coating is the one you have, but here's some info from Adam's website:

 

For Ceramic Spray Coating, If you read on the bottle, (look at the very top right of this picture, number 7) reads "allow 4 hours to cure"

Click here for product page

 

For Ceramic Paint Coating, the directions on the website read as follows: "Step 3: To begin the removal process, remove 1 of the supplied coating removal towels from the packaging and fold the towel into fourths. Begin wiping the coating and applying minimal pressure to the towel. Once fully removed, allow coating to fully cure for 24 hours, free from elements or weathering. Not allowing optimal time will force the coating to cure with whatever elements touches it during the curing process. Once cured, you’re free to enjoy the open road and have coated, perfected paint no matter how harsh the conditions."

Click here for product page

[brihvac]

12 hours

 

[falcaineer]

5 hours ago, brihvac said:

12 hours

 

 

That's the old, original formula. Wait 24 hours for the traditional paint coating, 4 for Ceramic Spray Coating. Trust us!

[falcaineer]

Here's a screenshot of the website, 

https://adamspolishes.com/products/ceramic-paint-coating

 

 

[brihvac]

Messaged Adam's and they said that 12 hours is fine. It's already done I was at 15 hours

[falcaineer]

12 hours ago, brihvac said:

Messaged Adam's and they said that 12 hours is fine. It's already done I was at 15 hours

 

And I hope the truck looks great and turns out well. 💯 But for future reference, and I'm not sure who answered you, I'm afraid you were given inaccurate info, or at least incomplete info. Maybe they didn't understand the question, but a 12-hour cure time ran counter to what I and many of us know about Adam's paint coating. So I asked their lead product developer to confirm cure time of the traditional paint coating: 24 hours is ideal, 12 isn't fully cured but drivable. He went on to say adding Ceramic Boost or any other topper before it's fully cured/24 hours can adversely affect curing and the coating's ability both to bond to the clear (i.e., potentially less longevity) and accept those sorts of toppers. As you said, it's done, but go in knowing you may not see the logevity you want down the road.

 

I understand you don't know us and were probably just anxious to get it done but one important note about coatings, especially, is  prep is everything. Doing less than what's recommended can affect your end results. Don't beat yourself up, though...we all have learned the hard way - I even created a "Don't Dos of Detailing" thread for detailing...heck, I've probably posted the most on there! Please know there are a lot of people on here with years of experience, as well as contacts within the company, who are just wanting to help. Hopefully we can build that trust with you as we all learn together...

 

Now, let's see some pics of the shiny truck!!

 

 

[brihvac]

Just going by the video and what they told me when I messaged them. If that info is incorrect they need to take down their videos because it is giving the wrong information.

Here is a Adams video from 2018 of the new 9H coating and he is saying only 6 hours cure time. It's at 11:45

 

[falcaineer]

9 minutes ago, brihvac said:

Just going by the video and what they told me when I messaged them. If that info is incorrect they need to take down their videos because it is giving the wrong information.

Here is a Adams video from 2018 of the new 9H coating and he is saying only 6 hours cure time. It's at 11:45

 

 

I'll talk to them about the videos. And I've given you what I know so I'll bow out of the back and forth on this one...

[brihvac]

I don't disagree with you at all. It just pisses me off that I just spent 2 days claying and buffing my truck for nothing. If it does not last 1.5- 2 years it was not worth it to me. I watched all the Adams videos and did exactly what it said. Hell the guy doing their videos was was listed as their top detailer/supervisor. I am going to stay in the forums for knowledge but I am done with Adams. Customer support is as important to me as their products.

[falcaineer]

28 minutes ago, brihvac said:

I don't disagree with you at all. It just pisses me off that I just spent 2 days claying and buffing my truck for nothing. If it does not last 1.5- 2 years it was not worth it to me. I watched all the Adams videos and did exactly what it said. Hell the guy doing their videos was was listed as their top detailer/supervisor. I am going to stay in the forums for knowledge but I am done with Adams. Customer support is as important to me as their products.

 

Wasn't my intention to steer you away, so I hope I didn't cause that. Adam is the guy in the video, the company's namesake, and that was his expert take on the process. I dont know why the inputs differ. IMO, you didn't do this for nothing, I'm sure the truck looks amazing, and I think you'll still get plenty of longevity out of it. As you would have to do whether you waited the full 24 hours or not, though, maintenance is vital. Keep Ceramic Boost on it about once a month, and if you change your mind...hope you do, the company, products and customer service really are top notch...take a look at the silica-infused products on their site. Ceramic Waterless is incredible, and Wash & Coat would be a good soap to use. Their products are designed to work with their coatings...no guarantee you can interchange from another company, and the same is true for using Adam's products to maintain another company's coating.

 

Please let us know if you have any more questions!

[falcaineer]

@brihvac, reading back it looks like we never actually clarified which coating you used. I know your posted videos, but did you use the Ceramic Paint Coating or the Ceramic Spray Coating? Or maybe something else like Trim Coating?

[brihvac]

I used the ceramic paint coating. Only difference is mine is in a little white bottle (not black) and the small applicator is gray (not red).

[brihvac]

 One other thing that has me wondering about the Adams products is I have  a SRT challenger that I own professionally done with a five-year coating  before I tried it myself. With that coating  I have no maintenance to do, according to the detailer, except for washing with a pH balanced soap. Wonder why you have to keep using Boost on the Adams when on the other coating you don’t have to do anything?

Edited August 14, 2019 by brihvac

[Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin]

14 minutes ago, brihvac said:

 One other thing that has me wondering about the Adams products is I have  a SRT challenger that I own professionally done with a five-year coating  before I tried it myself. With that coating  I have no maintenance to do, according to the detailer, except for washing with a pH balanced soap. Wonder why you have to keep using Boost on the Adams when on the other coating you don’t have to do anything?

Yeah, that was likely a professional grade coating. So I cannot speak to what your detailer used or what the requirements are for such coating.

 

Adam's Coatings are consumer grade coatings, so that people like me can apply it ourselves. Many other companies also have consumer grade coatings. Every consumer grade ceramic coating I've looked into (Adam's and Every other company that I researched) requires maintenance with regular washes (ph neutral shampoo) and some sort of SiO2 spray. < I say that having done months and months of research to decide which ceramic coating I wanted to use on my vehicle.

[brihvac]

5 minutes ago, Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin said:

Yeah, that was likely a professional grade coating. So I cannot speak to what your detailer used or what the requirements are for such coating.

 

Adam's Coatings are consumer grade coatings, so that people like me can apply it ourselves. Many other companies also have consumer grade coatings. Every consumer grade ceramic coating I've looked into (Adam's and Every other company that I researched) requires maintenance with regular washes (ph neutral shampoo) and some sort of SiO2 spray. < I say that having done months and months of research to decide which ceramic coating I wanted to use on my vehicle.

They used Gtechniq Crystal Serum.

 

Why do I have to use the boost and not just the detailing spray? I have TONS of quick detail spray

Edited August 14, 2019 by brihvac

[brihvac]

Here is my truck after the correction and before the coating. 2014 F150. Color is Sunset

[RayS]

Looks good.

[falcaineer]

7 hours ago, brihvac said:

Why do I have to use the boost and not just the detailing spray? I have TONS of quick detail spray

 

As a general rule, you shouldn't mix product families. Ceramic coatings are silica-based, as is the Ceramic Boost. Detail Spray is carnauba-based, so works best with traditional waxes. Mixing product families can adversely affect hydrophobic properties of your base layer, so you should stick with the silica-infused line of their products. Here's more on the differences and layering (and is a thread I've said for years should be mandatory reading for all new members)...

 

 

[falcaineer]

4 hours ago, brihvac said:

Here is my truck after the correction and before the coating. 2014 F150. Color is Sunset

 

Love the color! Nice work.