Professional Ceramic Coating Installers in Long Island
Add extra gloss and protection to your vehicle
What is a Ceramic Coating?
At one point, a paste wax was the top-shelf choice to enhance your vehicle’s shine while protecting your paint from external elements like rain, bird poo, dirt, etc.
Fast forward 20 years, many scientists work their magic in a lab, and we now have a far more durable and superior form of protection: ceramic coatings.
Unlike Mr. Miyagi, this is not a “wax-on-wax-off” application. The ceramic coating is a semi-permanent liquid layer that bonds to the vehicle surface. It is commonly referred to as a “sacrificial” layer of protection as it’ll absorb the weather elements like rain, dirt, and snow to protect the paint better underneath.
As an analogy, The wax is like a tent protecting you in a forest. The ceramic coating is like a brick house in the woods. Both offer protection from rain and dust, but one is nothing like the other. If you want the ultimate form of protection with no rival, you’d want paint protection film (PPF).
The Benefits of a Ceramic Coating
There are a lot of coating companies that make some pretty big claims about what it can do. Although there’s some truth to the claims, I’m not particularly eager to oversell the capabilities of it.
So here are some benefits you get with a coating:
👍🏼Produces the most durable protection that lasts between 1 to 3 years
👍🏼You only need to apply it once (and not every 3 months like other forms of protection)
👍🏼It creates a deep level of gloss that’s incomparable to other forms of protection like wax or sealant
👍🏼It provides unmatched hydrophobic properties that keep your car cleaner and make it easier to wash
👍🏼It can be installed on paint, glass, wheels, vinyl film, and paint protection film
Before the coating is installed, your vehicle must be properly prepped and corrected with one of our paint correction services. If you apply the coating without the proper prep work, you cannot get all the benefits from the coating.
That’s the difference between a professional ceramic coating installer. Additionally, if it’s not correctly installed, you won’t get the actual benefits, and you’ll see a ton of streaks across your vehicle.
This is what we consider “high spots”. You’ll see this when the coating was not correctly applied and left to dry for too long without wiping off.
As a general rule of thumb, the more durable the coating, for instance, a 1 year versus a 3 year coating, the harder it is to install. You must understand the weather variables, which can significantly affect the installation process.
Common Myths About Ceramic Coatings
Yes, coatings are long-lasting and durable, but that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want with your vehicle and think the coating will protect it.
It has limitations, and it’s essential to understand what the ceramic coating can handle. Too often, we see customers overthink the protection aspect of the coating and are then disappointed when they see swirls or etchings in the paintwork.
The coating will not make your paint scratch-proof. When we say the coating will resist light swirls and scratches, we mean very light swirls and scratches that might be induced when properly washing or drying the vehicle.
If you drag a dry and dirty wash mitt across the paint, you will scratch the paint. If you drag your hand or leg across the paint, you will scratch it.
The coating will not protect your paint from rock chips. The only real option to protect your paint from rock chips is paint protection film (PPF).
No matter how many layers you apply of any protection, whether wax or ceramic coating, it cannot stop the impact of a rock hitting your vehicle.
The coating requires maintenance to prolong its durability. Like many other things, if you don’t care for the coating, it will degrade over time and not last its intended lifespan.
You must adequately wash, dry, and boost the coating for maximum durability. A coating that lasts 3 years can break down at year 1 if not cared for properly.
How Much Does a Ceramic Coating Cost?
Price is based on the size of vehicle. General prices are shown below. Please contact us for a more accurate quote.
Small
Coupe, Sedan
$795
Medium
Crossover, SUV
$895
Large
Full-size truck, 3-Row SUV
$995
Ceramic Coating FAQs
Is ceramic coating the best type of protection for my paint?
Ceramic coatings are a great option for the level of protection and shine it provides, but if you want ultimate form of protection, that would have to be paint protection film. PPF will add an 8mil layer of protection that can withstand debris far better than any ceramic coating on the market.
Can I wash my car after the coating is installed?
Once the coating is applied, the vehicle should not get wet for the first 48 hours so it can fully cure. After that, we advise our customers to not wash their vehicle for the first two weeks. The first wash after we apply the ceramic coating is free to you so we can check how the coating is holding up.
Can the ceramic coating replace my clear coat?
If your paint is chipping and fading due to clear coat failure, the only option to fix that is a repaint. A ceramic coating will not be able to help.
Can I just get the coating installed without the prep work or paint correction?
We do not apply coatings to vehicles that have not gone through the proper prep and correction as you will not reap the benefits of a coating without it.