Professional Ceramic Coating Installers in Long Island

Add a layer of gloss and protection to your vehicle

What is a Ceramic Coating?

At one point in time, a paste wax was the top shelf to enhance your vehicle’s shine while also protecting your paint from external elements like rain, bird poo, dirt, etc…

Fast forward many years, a bunch of 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 vehicles 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 better protect the paint underneath.

Your Go-To Ceramic Coating Experts in Long Island

Getting your car ceramic coated is one of the best ways to bring out the shine and protect the paint for many years. However, if not done properly, you won’t get the results you were expecting. And worse, you end up with more problems you have to solve.

There’s a lot of spray on ceramic coating products you can buy at a store that make big claims, but are not true ceramic coatings. They’ll add shine and protection to your paint, but it’s not something you should pay hundred of dollars for.

On top of that, you also have to properly prepare the paint to achieve maximum results.

At Hex Detailing, before we apply a coating, your car goes through a detailed process of washing and claying the paint to make sure the coating does it’s job.

Applying a Coating is a Tedious Process

A coating isn’t like a wax or sealant where you just apply it, wait a few minutes, and then buff off. Applying a coating is a more tedious process because you have to know when the coating “sets” on the paint to remove it.

Each coating, depending on the brand and weather, has a “set” point on when to remove it. It’s not an exact time like 30 seconds and then wipe off. You have to know by looking at the coating when it’s the right time to remove it.

So you have to work in section with multiple lights to see where you’re working. If you bluff off too early, you’re potentially not allowing the coating to fully set and the longevity moving forward may be compromised.

And if you wait too long, removing the coating becomes very difficult. Additionally, a problem that we see all the time with ceramic coated vehicles are what we call “high-spots”.

This is an area of a panel that you’ve coated but didn’t fully buff off the paint and can see where the coating dried. It looks like a smear was left on the paint.

If it’s caught soon enough, you can simply buff it off. But if days go by and the coating cures, the only way to remove it is by polishing the paint.

This is difference between a coating and a wax or sealant. It’s a semi-permanent layer of protection. You need to properly apply the coating to get the benefits of it. And if done wrong and you have high spots all over the vehicle, you’d need to polish the entire car.

The Benefits of a Ceramic Coating

There are a lot of coating companies that make some pretty big claims of what it can do. Although there’s some truth to the claims, I don’t like to oversell the capabilities of it. 

So here are some benefits you actually get with a coating:

✅ Produces a durable layer of protection that last 1 to 3 years 
✅ You only need to apply it once (and not every 3 months like other forms of protection)
✅ Adds a ton of gloss compared to other forms of protection like wax or sealant 
✅ Provides unmatched hydrophobic properties that keeps your car cleaner and makes 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 first be properly prepped. If you apply the coating without the proper prep work, you’re not able to get all the benefits from the coating.

Common Myths About Ceramic Coatings

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 its limitations, and it’s important to understand them. Too many times we see customers overthink the protection aspect of the coating and are then disappointed when they see swirls or etchings in the paintwork. Here’s some common myths about coatings.

Myth: The coating will make your paint scratch-proof.
A lot of coatings claim they are scratch-resistant, which they are, but not to the degree you think. When we say the coating will resist light to scratches, we genuinely mean very light scratches from using a quality towel that you’re wiping off a spray wax. It’s not meant to mean it can prevent rock chips or other kind of impacts.

For instance, if you drag an old dirty wash mitt across the paint, you will scratch the paint. If you drag your pants or shorts across the paint, you will scratch it. So yes, technically, it can resist swirls, but to the smallest degree.

Myth: Coatings will protect your paint from rock chips.
The only true solution that can prevent and protect your paint from rock chips or other types of debris impacting your car will be paint protection film (PPF).

No matter how many layers you apply of a ceramic coating, it cannot stop the impact of a rock hitting your vehicle. The coating is great to help prevent water, dirt, or road grime from sticking to your paint, but it won’t help prevent scuff marks, rock chips, or scratches from damaging your paint.

If you want the best form of protection for your paint, the only choice will be PPF.

Myth: You don’t have to wash your car anymore after it gets coated
A ceramic coating makes it much easier to maintain your vehicle, but you still need to wash it on a monthly basis. Like most things, in order for the coating to last, it needs proper maintenance.

If you just run it through a tunnel wash, the harsh bristles will swirl up your paint and the chemicals they use will deteriorate the coating. instead, when you wash the vehicle, you’d want to use quality wash mitts, drying towels, and cleaners that will cleanse and enhance your coating. This is the difference between your coating lasting one year of two years.

Ceramic Coating Pricing

Price is based on the size of vehicle. General prices are shown below. Please contact us for a more accurate quote.

1-year Ceramic Coating

  • Coupe, Sedan: $795

  • Crossover, SUV: $895

  • 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 4 hours so it can fully cure.

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.