Why isn't everyone using coatings if it is "better" than sealants?

[Octopiston]

Well think about it, the coating is supposedly impervious to swirls and scratches... [I'll include scratches as most people can easily be lead to believe that]
Impervious to swirls is a pretty bold statement. I'd say that's a far bolder claim than simply protecting from bonded contaminants, wouldn't you agree? If given a choice I'd let them have their swirl protection x2 for just protection from bonded contaminants x1. Because I'm not gonna swirl my paint up anyways.

I also think of it like this: Lets say you apply your solid choice of sealant after you've prepped the paint.. How confident would you be that in 1 weeks time you can come back after a bucket wash and baggie test it and it'll still feel smooth as glass. Sounds about right? Why? Because the layer of protection is still working.

Now same should apply to a coating, should it not? So unless they've re defined the meaning of protection, then what's up? I say that if a coating allows contaminants to bond within it's stated claims of its longevity, then it pretty much lost its claim of protection the moment it began to allow the surface to get rough. Or does a person have to realistically keep in mind that in just 1 weeks time, under worst possible conditions* he may just need to clay the same car he coated just 1 week ago? If the answer is "no way",I ask why not? I'm thinking the reply would be, "well you just applied the coating 7 days ago, of course it's going to protect for more than a measly 7 days."
But try and hold it to it's bold statement of 2yrs or whatever and suddenly I'm asking for the world.... Protection is protection. They should put an askterik on their definition of paint protection. Especially in 2016. How could we not expect more from it?

Resistant does not equal proof.
I ran into this when I worked in an optical. People would buy the scratch resistant coating, then come back pissed because it wasn't scratch proof. Had one patient actually use a brillo pad on his plastic lenses.

You are also stuck on the 2 yr claim. It is UP TO 2 years. They can't guarantee a customer isn't going to use a brillo pad on their paint. So sealants don't have an UP TO. Does that make them better? That way if they only last a couple weeks they are free and clear. They made no claim. How long would a sealant pass a baggy test? I would think that would be based on environment and how the car is driven. If you drive though a sand storm, even within a week it probably won't feel smooth anymore. I'd wager cars that see more city highway milage will get imbedded particles before someone who stays on low speed city streets. Here is where the protection is, the contaminant is not in the paint. I'm sorry if that doesn't matter to you, but that is a logical answer. Expecting a product to be everything to everyone and not get what amounts to projectiles stuck in it just isn't going to happen reguarless of this being 2016. Sure you could spray something like cerkote on the car, but it isn't clear, isn't quite diy-able, and won't be cheap.
Look at garage floor coatings. None last forever. They all wear based on usage. Some are more resistant to chems than other, and you pay for it. But hey its 2016, they should all be diy, cheap and impervious for 10 years no matter how they are used.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Ehh I was in the middle of typing a reply and got a text. Went to reply to the text, came back and everything got deleted. Grrr.

A good sealant, [not all, most can't] can go 5 months with weekly bucket washes and that's here in Los Angeles where the air quality is so bad you just have to get used to the smell. Good thing about it is I can just re apply my sealant without having to do anything. From what I read in this thread coatings can't be layered? So once the protection from contaminants hits the wall you can't just re apply some more coating? That sucks. And so does Reload, so please don't suggest that because I already have some and as far as protection it's absolute garbage. I tested it as a stand alone and just 1 month later my paint felt like sandpaper.

Aren't coatings supposed to be super slick? From what I've read in this thread they almost seem like they deserve to be in a whole different category all together, because they almost seem like half clearbra/half sealant I dunno I'm outta thoughts and trying finish a job and it's starting to get hot in the sun.

 

[BudgetPlan1]

I doubt I will be coating my car again. For a hobbyist, $450 is just way to much...

I just dropped about $350 in coatings/prep for a 2016 Honda Civic we picked up Saturday as a winter driver. Gonna do the whole decon/polish/prep/coat routine on paint, tires, wheels and plastic trim. This car will not have attention lavished on it and will spend 8 months sitting outside. By the time next spring hits I'll know whether mfg claims are valid or overstated. It might make it through a touchless car wash a few times this winter but that'll be about it; in Spring/Summer/Fall it may get a hand wash once a month, or maybe not. We'll see how it all holds up outside the pampered realm of detail-centric cars.

FWIW, coated the summer cars (black Corvette, black WRX) with WG Uber, Gyeon Rim and Tuf Shine, hit 'em every other month with a 'booster' like Gyeon Cure after a wash. I have washed the cars MUCH LESS this summer because even after inclement weather they still be shining away. Use WG Uber Rinseless as a quick detailer when needed (rarely) between washes. The Gyeon Rim and Tuf Shine tire coating make wheel cleaning a hose off operation. As my previous stock of QD's, Wheel Cleaners and tire dressings dwindle, they will not be replaced...no reason.

I'm digging the coating thing because after initial prep/application, I really don't spend time washing/maintain the cars to keep 'em looking good. I'm inherently lazy and it plays well with my 'don't wanna wash it but hate dirty black cars' OCD-ness. Even when I do get motivated enough to wash, take about 1/3 of the time cuz i'm not screwing around with separate tools/time/chems/towels for wheels and tires, Quick detailer/spray wax for added pop and stuff like that.

I'm currently enjoying the hard-candy/molten glass looks on the metallic and the sharpness on the gloss black paint so the coatings work for me. Maybe if I enjoyed the 'softer' carnauba look, coatings would't please me as much.

 

[TTQ B4U]

For you they work great and that's cool.. By the way, when you said you applied your coating and you're looking forward to it lasting till spring: Will you be washing it under the same schedule you normally wash your car in the summer time? Or does your car sort of hibernate when it comes to weekly washes and looking near perfect everyday like today for example.

No, I'll stick to regular washings and it will take abuse from winter where salt, calcium chloride and sand are all going to hit the surfaces. The van will also be sitting outside as we're remodling the entire first floor and half the garage is going to be a work area and staging area.

would it last till spring if you bucket washed it every 7 days and never applied any toppers or drying aids to what you did? Still the same come springtime? Or does washing the car every 7 days between now and spring change everything?

Not sure, I've never let our vehicles sit without doing anything to them My guess is just like anything the coating will perform better if kept clean vs coated with salt and winter muck. Could be wrong but we'll find out!

Either way, my spring routing will likely involve a quick polish and full detail including a re-coating of the cars. I'm not into coatings so much for the one and done theory. I do it more for the sake of added protection especially as it relates to marring from even simple things like wiping the car off or waterless washes that would plaque the S4....and also the gloss. The candy look it offers is truly impressive.

 

[TTQ B4U]

because they almost seem like half clearbra/half sealant I dunno I'm outta thoughts and trying finish a job and it's starting to get hot in the sun.

Coatings are no where close to a clear bra. McKee's goes on with the consistancy of hairpray and flashes away pretty quickly. You can see or feel it's thickness. A clear bra is fairly thick and can be easily felt.

 

[tdekany]

So...just curious...why do you guys still use traditional waxes/sealants if coatings last so long and provide better durability? Is it that much more work? More expensive?

Beats me. Coatings are so superior, I couldn't tell you why anyone would use just waxes or sealants instead. Even if you "love" touching your car, you should put a coating down first and wax on top of it until the cows come home.

 

[zmcgovern45]

... wax on top of it until the cows come home.

How long does it take for the cows to come home?

 

[tdekany]

I've put two coats on both my cars and had no issues.

What issue would there be? The only thing that happens is that the second layer washes away.

 

[tdekany]

Depends on the size of your land.

Of course with a coating, there really is no need to wax. The ONLY requirement is regular washing. You know that as well as anyone.

How long does it take for the cows to come home?

 

[tdekany]

I do not mean to sound harsh, but for someone who has never tried a coating, you sure have a lot of opinions.

Semi permanent coatings CAN be layered, just like sealants/waxes. Now, if there is contamination on the finish, adding an extra layer of ANY wax/sealant is just as much waste as layering a coating. YOU SHOULDN'T. If you wash your car weekly or every 2 weeks, coatings are fine and because they are very good at repelling contamination the coated finish should be free of contamination.

Ehh I was in the middle of typing a reply and got a text. Went to reply to the text, came back and everything got deleted. Grrr.

A good sealant, [not all, most can't] can go 5 months with weekly bucket washes and that's here in Los Angeles where the air quality is so bad you just have to get used to the smell. Good thing about it is I can just re apply my sealant without having to do anything. From what I read in this thread coatings can't be layered? So once the protection from contaminants hits the wall you can't just re apply some more coating? That sucks. And so does Reload, so please don't suggest that because I already have some and as far as protection it's absolute garbage. I tested it as a stand alone and just 1 month later my paint felt like sandpaper.

Aren't coatings supposed to be super slick? From what I've read in this thread they almost seem like they deserve to be in a whole different category all together, because they almost seem like half clearbra/half sealant I dunno I'm outta thoughts and trying finish a job and it's starting to get hot in the sun.

 

[TTQ B4U]

What issue would there be? The only thing that happens is that the second layer washes away.

Have to ask others who say there is. I don't think with McKee's there's an issue. If the product wasn't going to bond to itself there would be streaks and high spots everywhere. That's not the case though. It goes on and flashes like normal and appears to work just fine.

 

[srpurdy]

I've considered plastic trim coatings, because honestly who likes to treat plastic trim? Once plastic trim is gone, it's mostly gone. Unless you want to do heatgun treatments. As for paint coatings. My main reason is I want to maintain my car and use waxes and sealants. It's fun. I feel like a coating will just make my life too easy. Plus I can change to another wax and get a different look. Gives me options. The second reason is all the maintainence products for coatings are really expensive. Nothing is technically cross compabilile. Like no gloss enchancers or sealant type polymers should be used with a coating. So you need those "special" products. That are A) expensive, and B) not really as fun to work with. C) provide questionable protection. It kind of defeats the purpose of detailing for me. Which is time to work on my car or someone elses and chill. The tradional method is much more cost effective. The products have a long shielf life. As a detailer if you had to stock cquartz for example. You better be sure you're going to use it. This actually is very unappealing to me is the shielf life of these products.

Lastly the protection. They claim 2 years on some of these, but that is like saying a selant lasts 1 year, and it reality the beading is basically dead in 6 months. So will we leave a car that has almost no beading like this for another 6 months? probably not. So in the real world. Not the marketing world. Does a product like this really hold up. Or are they only claiming this because they can prove some of the coating is still on the surface at some level? It feels a little like snake oil to me. Tiny little bottle of magic, that is super expensive. If you buy a 16oz bottle of sealant you can probably do atleast 8 cars with it. that is 4 years of protection for around $60. Where 1 bottle of cquartz gives you 2 years of protection for around the same price, and in some cases double the price if you go with some of the other coatings out there. So in reality you are getting less protection, for more money. Sure it saves you time, and for some people that don't really like detailing all that much, maybe this is a good option for them, but for someone who actually likes the hard work. I will pass for now.

 

[tdekany]

Here is Opti Coat Pro in action.
First video is after 1 year, second video is after the 2 year mark. The car is swirl free, cleans up very easily, stays clean even if you neglect it for awhile. A good degreaser wash gets rid of everything. Compare the way the water beads. There is no difference. Once washed and dried, the car looks like it was just detailed. Expect the same results year after year. Opti Coat is Permanent. Tell me it isn't worth it.

 

[tdekany]

Have to ask others who say there is. I don't think with McKee's there's an issue. If the product wasn't going to bond to itself there would be streaks and high spots everywhere. That's not the case though. It goes on and flashes like normal and appears to work just fine.

I didn't say that there should be any issues layering coatings. I was trying to say "worst case scenario"

Why would there be streaks? High spots come from not wiping off the panel.

I applied Gloss Coat on top of Opti Coat and it was gone after a month or so. There were no streaks or high spots. Of course Opti Coat can not be layered.

 

[zmcgovern45]

Depends on the size of your land.

Of course with a coating, there really is no need to wax. The ONLY requirement is regular washing. You know that as well as anyone.

Right, but if the cows don't come home... since mine never have... I was just wondering if I am supposed to be waxing

Ignore me, I am bored, carry on.

 

[tdekany]

Right, but if the cows don't come home... since mine never have... I was just wondering if I am supposed to be waxing

Ignore me, I am bored, carry on.

LOL! I think you know exactly what to do.:dblthumb2:

 

[tdekany]

I've considered plastic trim coatings, because honestly who likes to treat plastic trim? Once plastic trim is gone, it's mostly gone. Unless you want to do heatgun treatments. As for paint coatings. My main reason is I want to maintain my car and use waxes and sealants. It's fun. I feel like a coating will just make my life too easy. Plus I can change to another wax and get a different look. Gives me options. The second reason is all the maintainence products for coatings are really expensive. Nothing is technically cross compabilile. Like no gloss enchancers or sealant type polymers should be used with a coating. So you need those "special" products. That are A) expensive, and B) not really as fun to work with. C) provide questionable protection. It kind of defeats the purpose of detailing for me. Which is time to work on my car or someone elses and chill. The tradional method is much more cost effective. The products have a long shielf life. As a detailer if you had to stock cquartz for example. You better be sure you're going to use it. This actually is very unappealing to me is the shielf life of these products.

Lastly the protection. They claim 2 years on some of these, but that is like saying a selant lasts 1 year, and it reality the beading is basically dead in 6 months. So will we leave a car that has almost no beading like this for another 6 months? probably not. So in the real world. Not the marketing world. Does a product like this really hold up. Or are they only claiming this because they can prove some of the coating is still on the surface at some level? It feels a little like snake oil to me. Tiny little bottle of magic, that is super expensive. If you buy a 16oz bottle of sealant you can probably do atleast 8 cars with it. that is 4 years of protection for around $60. Where 1 bottle of cquartz gives you 2 years of protection for around the same price, and in some cases double the price if you go with some of the other coatings out there. So in reality you are getting less protection, for more money. Sure it saves you time, and for some people that don't really like detailing all that much, maybe this is a good option for them, but for someone who actually likes the hard work. I will pass for now.

I was given a sample (a kit) of IGL trim coating. I put it on on our 2000 Toyota Sienna's side view mirrors. Works fantastic!! Looks new now.

 

[Rsurfer]

I didn't say that there should be any issues layering coatings. I was trying to say "worst case scenario"

Why would there be streaks? High spots come from not wiping off the panel.

I applied Gloss Coat on top of Opti Coat and it was gone after a month or so. There were no streaks or high spots. Of course Opti Coat can not be layered.

How did you determine that Gloss Coat was gone after a month?

 

[natewood70]

Well... this thread was quite the read.

I personally came around to trying a coating when the decision to purchase a new car was made. Not even my car, but my wife's car. Knowing that her car is outside 24/7, gets pummeled by trees, bird droppings, and other foreign contaminants, to me, the cost of the coating I went with (Uber Ceramic) so far is well worth it.

So what makes me say that? I mean, I've only had the coating on the car for two weeks.

1) Well, first and foremost the ease of washing is dramatically increased. I've only done rinseless washes on the car so far, and the dirt and other items that would normally take a couple of passes on the paint, just wiped away with ease. Most noticeably was yellow sap that constantly finds it's way onto her car. Reducing the number of passes, and harshness of force put into the paint work to remove the contaminants ultimately saves me time, and potentially saves the paint from additional swirls or "love marks." I have NEVER experienced this type of dirt release with any other LSP. No sealant, wax, or combination of the two.

2) Because the glass is coated, the water does an absolutely fantastic job of rolling of. I know we can get this effect with Rain-X or other LSP's, but the speed at which the water begins rolling is greatly reduced. I see the effect at around 30mph, whereas with something like Rain-X I would have to wait to 55mph+. Different windshields will have different experiences (depending on the angle and size), so I am only speaking to what I have noticed with this vehicle.

Now... the big question is longevity. I won't know for months or even years how long this thing lasts, and heck, I don't know if I will give it a true test as I started using D156 as a drying aid which offers a bit of additional protection/gloss. But even with a drying aid on other LSP's (Collinite 845 for example) I could only get 3-4 months of perceived protection out of the product.

The combo of the ease of clean-up and great look of the product so far has me sold.

If the trend of contaminants coming off the paint effortlessly continues, this will be something I plan on doing to all my new cars going forward... but who knows what else will come out during that time!

 

[tdekany]

Opti Coat is not slick, while Gloss Coat is. The finish is back to "normal" now. Honestly, I don't care if the finish isn't slick. I am so very impressed with OCP. In fact, initially after I coated the car, I put some wax on top to see what would happen. Never again. The repelling effect of OCP is so good why mess with success?

How did you determine that Gloss Coat was gone after a month?