At our shop, we use one or more ceramic products for every exterior detail service we provide. We have found the quality of protection ceramic coatings offer to far exceed the traditional carnuba wax job. We only use wax if a customer specifically requests it.
You may be asking: Why?
Let’s start with car wax. Carnuba wax – also called Brazil wax or ceara wax – comes from the fronds of the carnauba palm tree grown in northern Brazil. It is a raw material combined with other chemicals to make car wax. For decades, car wax has been the go-to for protecting a car’s finish for many reasons. It doesn’t take any special skills to apply. It creates an attractive shine and will hide minor imperfections on your vehicle. It is also an economical choice. But it does not protect from environmental damage, nor does it have staying power. Even with proper care, a waxed vehicle that’s left outside is only protected for about two months.
Wax is a sticky situation.
The idea behind wax is that it forms a protective barrier from the elements by mechanically adhering to your paint surface due to its stickiness. The same stickiness will attract environmental contamination and debris to also stick to your paint. Since wax is held on by this stickiness, it is also easily removed. Something as simple as a mild dish soap will remove all the wax from your vehicle. A trip to the touchless car wash, which uses harsh chemicals in the soap, can also easily remove the wax from your vehicle.
Ceramic coating is not wax.
Ceramic coating – also known as nano-coating – is superior to wax. It is a paint treatment and protectant applied in a liquid form to create a hard layer on top of the paint. In the last decade, ceramic coating has become the treatment of choice for detailers. It gives the most prolonged and most effective protection to a car’s paint from blemishes and damage while keeping it cleaner for longer.
There’s a science to ceramic coating.
Ceramic coatings do not rely on stickiness like traditional car wax to adhere to the vehicle’s finish. Instead, ceramic coatings are made from thousands of nanoparticles that link tightly together on a car’s paint to form a chemical bond. The coating creates a far more chemically resistant surface that is much harder to remove, thereby protecting your vehicle longer.
The nanotechnology in ceramics creates a product that fills in imperfections and delivers a higher gloss finish while minimizing the crevices where environmental contamination settles. The coating forms a physical barrier between your vehicle’s paint and the environment, which keeps contaminants from etching into your paint and degrading its finish. A nicely ceramic-coated vehicle will be slippery to the touch. When it rains, the water hitting your car becomes tiny beads of water and rolls right off, preventing environmental damage. When washing your car, the dirt will release from paint easier, protecting your vehicle’s finish. We understand the environmental hazards of our area and know that ceramic coating is the best choice to protect against premature fading or oxidizing of your paint.
There are many different types of ceramic coatings. Some are short-term treatments that are spray-on, then wipe-off ceramics – lasting from a couple of weeks to six months. Professionally applied ceramic coatings can last anywhere from 18 months to 9 years and even for the life of your vehicle.
A combination of product and expertise.
At Diamond Detail, we use Gtechniq products for all our ceramic coating services. These products are backed by science and are the most innovative surface care products on the market. When you bring your vehicle to our shop, we apply our six-month Gtechniq ceramic coating or higher to every exterior detail. Our expert service techs are highly skilled in proper techniques to apply ceramic coatings for the best results. This six-month ceramic coating is superior to wax and ensures your vehicle is fully protected between visits.
Your vehicle is an investment. We want to help protect your investment and its value by extending its longevity. At Diamond Detail, we pride ourselves on caring for your vehicle like it is our own.