Welcome back to the Proje blog! As December rolls around, we’re ramping up the sales of those products that help you get protected for winter. And there’s nothing in a detailer’s armory that can do it better than ceramics.
Now, winter might look beautiful and you may feel festive and homely, but that weather out there is trying to ruin it all for you. The cold brings all sorts of issues for your car - it takes longer to get going, your oil is thicker and your internals are being given a constant workout from the fans being on, all impacting on your fuel efficiency. But on the outside, the elements are also working on overdrive, so we need to get a shield up to stop the attack!
The bottom line is that freezing temperatures change the shape of sheet metals, meaning that your paintwork can be exposed to imperfections in the form of warping. This is when the flatness of a surface is slightly altered due to heat or cold, and the result to your paintwork is that small cracks appear, exposing the metal below to water particles in the form of ice. Then, come spring, you’ll get a nasty shock when you start to get rust on your car.
Second, and even worse, is that when ice is around, people use salt and that’s the absolute worst for your paintwork. It erodes it, and intact salt crystals can cause chips all over your car, as well as staining both your paintwork and your glass.
With such a persistent bombardment, you really need to act – and this is where the ceramic process really comes into its own.
Ceramics – otherwise known as SiO2 - are the ultimate in protection for your paintwork, and the harder the coat, the more resistant it is to the elements. This is rated on a scale – with the Proje ceramic coating being a super-high 9H (trust us, that’ll get you through unscathed and then some!) But before you can bust out the super shield, you need to prepare the surface of your car. So, let’s go through the whole process.
How to Apply a Ceramic Coat to your Vehicle
- Step 1: Get Clean
The first step in this process is similar to the first step in a lot of our processes – give that paintwork a clean. Having a visibly clean car has so many benefits when you come to apply any waxes, sealants and coatings, because you aren’t sealing any dirt underneath the ceramic layer. That would obviously end up causing problems, so avoid that by reaching for a bottle of Vital Car Wash Soap and going through the process.
- Step 2: Get Protected
Once your bodywork is clean and dry, it’s time to prep. Our Prep Spray is the perfect way to set up your paintwork for a high-quality ceramic coating. It’s safe to use on all forms of paintwork and other surfaces, evaporates quickly and helps to highlight minor defects and scratches to make your ceramic coating more effective afterwards. While the Vital Car Wash Soap got rid of all those bits of visible dirt, the Prep Spray shows up micro-abrasions and tiny scratches that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye, meaning that you can buff them out more efffectively and avoid an uneven finish that shows up under the water beading effect of a good ceracmic coating.
All you need to do is liberally apply some Prep Spray directly on to the surface of your vehicle. You’ll see the solution evaporate before your very eyes, but after a few seconds, you can wipe the surface of your paintwork with a clean microfiber towel to make sure that it’s completely dry before applying your ceramic coating.
- Step 3: Get Protected
So, we’re now ready to apply the ceramic coating. Nervous? Well, you needn’t be! It’s really not tricky at all! Our 9H Spray Ceramic Coating is an effective, easy-to-use ceramic spray that provides incredible protection to your paintwork for a year per application. It’s extremely durable, with strong hydrophobic properties, and effective at filling in light scratches to ensure a more resistant, smoother surface that you can really show off. We’ve put in the hard work to make sure this is the best ceramic coating for paintwork out there.
Paintwork is naturally breathable in that it’s made up of tiny pores. This is important for good quality paint, but it also creates a problem in that dirt can infiltrate these pores and be hard to remove. Our 9H Spray doesn’t only form a protective layer over your paintwork; it blends in with these pores to create a semi-permanent, ultra-durable bond that can’t be penetrated by dirt and contaminants. After applying, you get a year’s protection and that classic shine to go with it.
To use it, first spray the 9H Spray Ceramic Coating on to a blue Applicator Pad. Don’t worry too much about how much you spray – the key is to then apply the coating evenly, reapplying the spray to the pad when necessary. Each time you apply the coating to a section, leave it to cure for one minute. This is the coating attaching itself to the body of your vehicle. Then, get a clean microfiber towel and give the bodywork a really good buff. Remember to look out for those scratches and scrapes we highlighted with the Prep Spray, and give these a really good extra buff to help the ceramic coating fill the holes and make your car’s surface super smooth again.
And if you want a really hot tip, get your car inside for 24 hours after the coat. You don’t have to – but this guarantees 100% perfection because the paintwork won’t be exposed to the elements as the ceramic sets in. Don’t have a garage? Try a soft car cover instead.
Now, you’re set for whatever the winter elements might throw at you – as well as being protected well into spring!
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this week’s blog – stay tuned for more tips and tricks next week. We’re going to feature more of our kits each month too, so keep an eye out for more great all-in-one deals and some incredible discounts!
If you have any questions about any of the techniques or products that we’ve mentioned in this post, just add a comment below and we’ll post a reply! Remember that we stock only the best auto detailing supplies, so why not click some of the links in this blog post, or visit our products page to find out more? From all of us at Proje’, Enjoy the Process!