Ceramic coating vs sealant.

[DanielM]

Well, I do like the GG One Step. I think that I'll run a test to compare dust attraction using the GG One Step as a base. Then I'll use GG Paint Sealant on one area, Natty's White paste on another, and 3M Perfect-It paste wax on the 3rd. Then I'll check to see if one area attracts and holds more dust.

Please keep me informed. My "test pile" is getting too big.

You might be the perfect guy to ask this.

I just bought a DA buffer. How does the GG AIO cut. Will it remove light swirls on it's own? I applied it by hand last time.

 

[bossbrew]

Hi Daniel,
Since I am new at this, take this with a grain of salt! The AIO seems to take out minor swirls, but anything heavy is left behind. I'm using a light cut finishing pad with medium pressure. Other than that I like the AIO. Easy to use with a nice shine. I just ordered a medium cut pad and some Meguiar's M83 to take care of the deeper swirls and a couple of light scratches. Hope this helps!

Dave

 

[Jomax]

I think that the difference is in the sealant vs ceramic coating. A sealant is sort of a synthetic wax which is not as hard as the clear coat. A ceramic coating is very hard, similar to the clear coat, and would need to be polished to get the marring out. A sealant can just be cleaned and re-coated. Correct me if I'm wrong...

You can't simply remove the sealant and the swirls magically disappear. You'd have to polish then apply the sealant back on.

 

[bossbrew]

You can't simply remove the sealant and the swirls magically disappear. You'd have to polish then apply the sealant back on.

I understand that, but I wish they would magically disappear! When I said re-coated, I meant that an AIO sealant can be layered like a wax using a DA if needed.

 

[AutowerxDetailing]

I understand that, but I wish they would magically disappear! When I said re-coated, I meant that an AIO sealant can be layered like a wax using a DA if needed.

An all-in-one product cannot be layered. The abrasives and chemical cleaners in the product will remove the previous layer when you are applying the next. You will always only have "one layer" or product on the surface.

This is perhaps the biggest difference between durable ceramic coatings and synthetic sealants or waxes. Ceramic coatings can be more than 100x thicker than the typical layer of wax or sealant. Coatings can also be layered and add significant film build to the surface that will offer incredible protection against things like tree sap, bird bombs, and other chemical contaminates that would otherwise quickly etch painted surfaces.

 

[bossbrew]

Oops. I was confusing AIO with regular sealant. Thanks!

 

[fightnews]

Welcome to Autogeek Dave, you will find a lot of answers here. First, great choice of car! Second, ceramic coatings are going to be more durable than sealants. Will this help with marring and scratches? The simple answer is yes and no. Some coatings are considered extremely hard yielding a 9H. Others simply last longer than sealants. However, anytime paint is touched, marring and scratches can occur. Now, I fall into the category of people that top their coatings. There are basically two groups- those that top and those that don't. Layering is always a debate on here. My mind says more things that cover my paint are more things that have to be fought through to get to it. So my finishing thoughts are to make sure you wash your vehicle correctly, throw on a coating, top it with a good wax and then don't touch your paint, lol. I'll pm you a great article I came across about coatings.

can you pm me that article? How you making out with the wax over your coating?

 

[fightnews]

An all-in-one product cannot be layered. The abrasives and chemical cleaners in the product will remove the previous layer when you are applying the next. You will always only have "one layer" or product on the surface.

This is perhaps the biggest difference between durable ceramic coatings and synthetic sealants or waxes. Ceramic coatings can be more than 100x thicker than the typical layer of wax or sealant. Coatings can also be layered and add significant film build to the surface that will offer incredible protection against things like tree sap, bird bombs, and other chemical contaminates that would otherwise quickly etch painted surfaces.

100x thicker? Is that true?

 

[AutowerxDetailing]

100x thicker? Is that true?

Yes, very true. And the difference in thickness is greater with the more ceramic layers installed. Most waxes, even if they do not contain abrasives, cannot be layered in the same way that ceramic coatings can.

The average thickness of each CQuartz layer is approximately 1µm ~ 2µm. Subsequent layers add 1µm ~ 2µm assuming you've let the previous layer properly cure.

A typical wax or polymer sealant will only add approximately .01µm ~ .02µm to the surface depending on how the product is applied. Subsequent layers will result in only a marginal increase in overall thickness with significantly diminishing returns the more layers you try to add. Since wax is so thin the act of simply applying another layer of wax partially removes the previously applied layer.

 

[tmdals0213]

I agree with Nicholas. Tried a "permanent" coating, but it gets swirled, bird-bombed, tree-sapped, etc. just like clear-coat. Couple that with the fact the sealants are so easy to use and so durable, I just use sealants. I can get my car 80% corrected, use a sealant, then not feel bad when I try to correct it further at a later date. Or nature intervenes and I need to correct a panel sooner rather than later.

I agree with chet! Im a perfectionist even if it is for my daily. But I refuse to put a coating on the car because sealants i can keep topping off or remove it anytime and correct the paint and then apply a new layer or 5..

Ceramic coatings are great and aid in a much easier wash process as well as enhance the look of paints. But a coating is not always going to protect someone accidentally brush up against your car or that runaway cart at the store parking and fixing rock chips or deep scratches on painted surfaces with a coating on it... Is not fun...

 

[Eldorado2k]

Yes, very true. And the difference in thickness is greater with the more ceramic layers installed. Most waxes, even if they do not contain abrasives, cannot be layered in the same way that ceramic coatings can.

The average thickness of each CQuartz layer is approximately 1µm ~ 2µm. Subsequent layers add 1µm ~ 2µm assuming you've let the previous layer properly cure.

A typical wax or polymer sealant will only add approximately .01µm ~ .02µm to the surface depending on how the product is applied. Subsequent layers will result in only a marginal increase in overall thickness with significantly diminishing returns the more layers you try to add. Since wax is so thin the act of simply applying another layer of wax partially removes the previously applied layer.

Wait wait wait... What?

 

[Eldorado2k]

The average thickness of each CQuartz layer is approximately 1µm ~ 2µm. Subsequent layers add 1µm ~ 2µm assuming you've let the previous layer properly cure.

How is this confirmed? Can these measurements be seen on a paint gauge meter? Or what's the deal? I've heard people talk about layering coating, but this is a bold statement.

 

[AutowerxDetailing]

Wait wait wait... What?

How is this confirmed? Can these measurements be seen on a paint gauge meter? Or what's the deal? I've heard people talk about layering coating, but this is a bold statement.

There was a thread a while back on a different forum where someone with access to a lab applied wax to several silicon wafers and measured the exact film build thickness with precision equipment. They also noted the differences when trying to apply additional layers of wax. The results were very interesting and basically proved that you cannot add any appreciable thickness by attempting to add additional "layers" of wax. In some cases applying the next layer actually reduced the overall film build thickness of wax on the surface presumably because the act of applying another layer abraded off some of the previously applied layer.

 

[Eldorado2k]

There was a thread a while back on a different forum where someone with access to a lab applied wax to several silicon wafers and measured the exact film build thickness with precision equipment. They also noted the differences when trying to apply additional layers of wax. The results were very interesting and basically proved that you cannot add any appreciable thickness by attempting to add additional "layers" of wax. In some cases applying the next layer actually reduced the overall film build thickness of wax on the surface presumably because the act of applying another layer abraded off some of the previously applied layer.

I will totally agree with that... I've been saying that for the longest time, which leads to my belief that toppers, whether it be wax or sealant are a pipe dream.

 

[AutowerxDetailing]

I will totally agree with that... I've been saying that for the longest time, which leads to my belief that toppers, whether it be wax or sealant are a pipe dream.

I know that with coatings I can tell the difference when a topper is used because the topper will alter several properties of the surface such as enhanced gloss, a silky tactile feel, and altered hydrophobic properties beyond what the coatings offer. But yeah, IDK how "topping" works with something like wax where the protective layer is so thin to begin with...

 

[dlc95]

And to think that years ago, the concern was a"yellowing" of wax "build up".