How to Prep for Ceramic Coating? - Ultimate Guide

The ceramic coating comes with many benefits in protecting the look and value of an automobile, truck, SUV, or motorcycle. Like many other detailing products, finding the right solution that can provide the maximum results can be a daunting task.

There are hundreds of ceramic coating brands and products available on the store shelves, and choosing the absolute the best product needs some research and a little bit of know-how.

The job is not complete once you found the right ceramic coating product. Although the best ceramic coating solution can and will provide amazing results, the outcome depends on several factors, including but not limited to the application process and preparation for the treatment.

Preparation is crucial in the application of the ceramic coating correctly. Preparation is the step that most amateur detailing enthusiasts make their mistake by not prepping the surface regardless of the type of vehicle the treatment is going on.

Remember that when you treat the surface with a ceramic coating, you are still applying a layer on top of the paint even though it's thin. So, if you have any residue, dirt, or dust on the surface, once the ceramic coating is applied, those unwanted particles can get trapped, which is the main reason why prepping is essential.

Many newcomers to detailing are very eager to get the ceramic coating application process starting and want to see amazing results immediately. However, most of the time, this expectation turns to disappointment because they do not complete the steps before surface treatment.

As mentioned before; to get your money worth on the ceramic coating product following the instructions prior, during, and after the application will determine the results.

How to Prep Car for Ceramic Coating Application

The main reason for prepping the surface before the ceramic coating process is for the solution to work as designed to be. A surface covered with dust, dirt, and even small particles will cause the ceramic coating solution not to adhere 100% to the paint.

Here is an off-topic example.

Most of us who use smartphones and have installed a screen protector on them have experienced what happens when there is a small particle on the glass's surface.

As soon as the screen protector touches the surface, it creates a bump or a bubble where the dust particle is present, and the same concept applies to ceramic coating. If the surface has particles that could prevent the ceramic coating solution from forming a layer on paint, then the coating's effectiveness will be minimal to non-existing.

Products & Equipment for Applying Ceramic Coating

To prep the surface for ceramic coating, you will need essential nano coating products to help you complete it. Although, pre-cleaning work involves cleaning agents to make the process a success, what you need the most is patience and time.

As stated before;

for the ceramic coating application to work as it is originally designed to be, the surface needs to be spotless before the treatment can occur. For this to happen, you will need to pay extra attention to each section as you work towards cleaning.

Washing the Vehicle for Maximum Benefit for Ceramic Coating Application

The obvious and straightforward way of cleaning the vehicle is by washing it thoroughly to remove any surface contaminants such as dirt, mud, bird droppings, road salt residue, and other elements.

When we say washing,

We highly recommend manual hand or brushless car washing. We posted an awesome article on how often should you wash your car which will explain this process in detail.

Hand washing would be the ideal choice; however, if the circumstances are not in favor of handwashing the vehicle, then try finding a brushless car washing station.

We recommend hand or brushless washing stations because the purpose of ceramic coating is to prevent scratches from occurring on the paint of your vehicle.

The chemicals and the rigid brushes used at car washing stations can leave thin scratches on the surface, and this will go against what you are trying to achieve with nano ceramic coating.

Cleaning Agent

Using an all-purpose multi-surface cleaner will do wonders for cleaning and removing the dirt and grime from your vehicle's body. There is a multitude of cleaning products available on the market that claim to work specifically for the exterior cleaning of motor vehicles.

However;

from our experience, multi-surface cleaners for automobiles will work just fine, plus they are more economical than other specialized cleaners.

Microfiber Towels For Ceramic Coating

Microfiber towels soak up water and other liquids better than any other type of rag, and they are the best way to dry the surface when comparing to other fabric base towels. A microfiber towel used in buffing the area once the ceramic coating application has taken place.

Due to its ability to soak up quickly,

you do not need to apply pressure to soak up the water when using a microfiber cloth. Since they are inexpensive to purchase, we recommend having plenty of microfiber towels in your garage because they do a fantastic job of detailing and general cleaning.

Using Clay Bar for Ceramic Coating

Some people opt not to use a clay bar when prepping the surface for ceramic coating application, but we highly recommend using it to smooth out the surface.

Clay bar technique is a time-consuming process, so please do not rush through this step if you choose to use clay.

Have a spray bottle filled with water handy when smoothing out the surface with clay bar, because we recommend wetting each section as you move through the body of your vehicle.

Using a clay bar recommended only on the vehicle's body, do not use on the plastic portions.

Scratch Filling Compound

Unless if your vehicle just rolled off the factory floor, chances are your vehicle will already have some deep and thin layer scratches on it, and to fill these scratches, you will need to use a filler compound.

If you do not have prior experience applying a compound with a buffing machine, it will be best if you seek professional advice or have a professional do this task for you.

This portion of the process is crucial, and you do not want to take chances if you have no prior experience in doing so.

No matter how good and well made the scratch filling compound might be, there are certain scratches that no mixture can ever fill if the scratch is so deep that it has penetrated through the paint than your vehicle will need to be seen by an autobody specialist.

Moving Towards the End

The scratch filling process is vital for the ceramic coating treatment to work at its best. Refrain from applying ceramic coating on to the surface where there are visible scratches that are present.

The surface is washed, shampooed, and removed the imperfections with the clay bar application.

Before applying the ceramic coating,

the final stage is to clean the surface with a surface cleaner designed for nano ceramic coatings.

Once the final cleaning stage is complete, you can move forward with the ceramic coating treatment.

Note: In order to learn how to wash your car after ceramic coating application, give a chance to our awesome article.