STEP 1: CERAMIC COATING PREPARATION.

Before installing a ceramic coating, and before doing ANYTHING, for that matter, we have to ensure that the paint is not only clean, but completely stripped bare. This requires a little more than simple car washing. During the paint stripping and decontaminating phase, we walk through 5 major ceramic coating preparation stages.

STEP 2: PAINT ENHANCEMENT & PAINT CORRECTION.

Now that the car’s paint has been completely cleaned and stripped in preparation for the ceramic coating application, it's time to level out the clear coat and remove some scratches! Because ceramic coatings are the most durable form of long term paint protection that exists in the detailing world, any little imperfection that is in the paint is there to stay as soon as the coating is applied. Here in Santa Rosa, California… we get rain, windy weather, smoke and ash, pollen, bugs, and pretty much anything else you think of that would damage car paint! For that reason, it's necessary for us to go through a paint correction stage prior to the ceramic coating application in order to remove paint imperfections, and create a smooth surface with which the ceramic coating can bond. There are 2 major type of paint correction: Paint Enhancement & Paint Correction. 

What is Paint Enhancement? 

Here’s the simple answer: Paint enhancement is a less extreme form of paint correction. When we perform paint enhancement, we are telling the customer what paint imperfections WILL be fixed, and what imperfections WILL NOT be fixed. Paint enhancement is the most common type of correction we do! Why is that? Well, most customers don't care about the tiny imperfections that they really can't see anyways, and they are really concerned most with getting that ceramic coating on! 

What is Paint Correction?

Paint correction is nothing more than more aggressive paint enhancement. Can you see the pattern here? When we are dealing with a vehicle whose paint is REALLY DAMAGED, or a customer who has a detailed eye, we will perform paint correction in order to remove the maximum amount of swirls, etchings, and paint imperfections as possible. Once again, this is necessary not only for visual appeal, but to create a smooth surface with which the ceramic coating can bond to the paint. 

Do I Have To Get Paint Correction To Get A Ceramic Coating? 

The simple answer is: Yes & No. Ok… maybe, it’s not so simple. We have many customers who understand what paint correction is, and who realize that with it, the ceramic coating will have a longer life span, but they choose not to get any correction done because they want a lower price. While there are situations when paint correction is necessary, there are also situations where it can be optional, and we love talking with our customers about the difference. 

Even the most surface level of paint enhancement will extend the life of the ceramic coating, create an amazingly beautiful surface, and maximize your dollars spent… so we like to say: “it’s your choice… but we are biased” 

Step 3: CERAMIC COATING APPLICATION. 

After all of that hard work, it’s now time to install the ceramic coating. You know how a surgeon goes to school for 8-12 years before they ever perform a surgery on an actual person? Most of the work is in the PREP! That is a great way to understand ceramic coating. While there is a lot of technical skill included in the ceramic coating application… most of the time and labor is done in the preparation! Ceramic coating installations take anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on the size of the vehicle, but the preparation take ALL of the other hours. Depending on the amount of paint correction done, a ceramic coating installation can take somewhere between a single day, and 2 to 3 days to finish.

We hope this sheds a little more light on why ceramic coatings come with this price tag… in addition to having a lifetime protection on your vehicle!