A wax and a ceramic coating both go on at the very end, over paint that's just been cleaned. That's about where the similarity stops. Here's how I explain ceramic coating vs wax to people standing next to their car, and how I'd help you choose between them.
The wax that comes with my details
Every exterior detail and full detail I do ends with a hand wax. It goes on after the wash, the wheels and the decontamination, so the wax lands on clean paint.
Hand waxing is included. Machine waxing is available as an optional upgrade at an additional cost. If that's what you'd like, mention it in your quote request and I'll price it for your vehicle.
The wax isn't sold separately. It's part of the detail. A full car detail on a midsize vehicle is from $380, and an exterior detail on its own is from $200. Where each one ends up depends on the size and condition of the vehicle.
A wax doesn't last as long as a coating. Because it comes with every detail, though, the paint gets a fresh coat of it each time the vehicle is detailed.
What a ceramic coating actually is
A coating is a hard, slick layer that bonds to the paint. The one I use is Adam's Graphene Ceramic Coating™ Advanced. It's a service of its own, not something added on to a detail.
The prep is most of the work. We wash the vehicle, clay it, polish it and wipe it down with a prep spray, and then the coating goes on. On a newer car, two of us spend about 2.5 hours on it, and most of that is prep. Plan on 3 hours at a minimum for a large SUV or truck, and longer as size, condition and prep add up.
Here's what you get from it:
- Bird droppings, bugs, road grime and mineral deposits sit on the coating instead of the bare paint, and they come off more easily.
- Water and dirt run off it, which makes washing easier.
- Very light surface marks can look softer once it's on.
And here's what it won't do:
- It won't make your paint immune to water spots. Sprinklers on a hot car can still spot it, though on a coated surface they're generally easier to clean off.
- It won't protect against scratches, and it won't hide deep ones.
- It won't replace washing.
I do coatings at your home, where a garage is ideal, or at a suitable office. Coatings get a day to themselves: I book one per day and start it first thing in the morning. If the work is outside, wind, fog, humidity or rain can push it to another day.
How long a wax and a coating last
A wax is the finishing step of a detail, and the next detail puts a new one on.
On a coating, my own expectation is about five years in real-world conditions. That number comes from my experience. It isn't the manufacturer's figure, and it isn't a promise. Automatic car washes, skipped maintenance, sprinklers and everyday road grime all take time off it.
You can drive the vehicle home that day. The coating is still curing, though, so it should stay dry, away from rain and sprinklers, for about 24 hours.
When a coating has worn out and the paint underneath is in decent shape, it can be redone: a wash, a clay pass, a one-stage polish, then a fresh coating.
Paint condition comes before either one
Neither a wax nor a coating fixes paint. Swirls and scratches don't disappear under them. If those marks bother you, they need correcting before a coating goes on.
A newer vehicle with healthy paint can usually go straight to the coating. If the paint is older, or it has swirls and light scratches, it usually needs correcting first, and often at least two stages of it.
The light polish that's part of coating prep isn't paint correction. Paint correction is its own job, priced on top of the coating. A one-step correction starts at $275, and the final price depends on the size of the vehicle and the condition of the paint. Each stage after the first adds roughly another hour.
Correction has limits too. Clear coat that has started to fail can't be polished out. On an older car, what looks like swirling is sometimes the clear coat breaking down. When we walk around the vehicle together, I'll show you what correction would change and what it wouldn't, before you spend anything.
Is ceramic coating worth it for your vehicle?
On the right vehicle, I think it is. A coating helps keep the vehicle in good condition, and it makes keeping it clean easier. Whether it's right for yours comes down to three things I'll look at with you: how old the vehicle is, what shape the paint is in, and how many more years you expect to keep it.
A ceramic coating starts at $800 on a newer midsize vehicle and from $1,000 on a large SUV or truck. If the paint needs correcting first, that's separate and additional.
Travel fees may apply depending on location and service, and will be confirmed with your quote.
If a coating isn't the right call for you right now, a regular detail with a hand wax still takes care of the paint. Either way, wash it by hand when you can rather than taking it through a drive-through.To get a straight answer for your vehicle, send me the year, make and model and a couple of photos of the paint through the quote request form. I'll tell you whether it's ready for a coating or needs correcting first, and what that would cost.