I started auto detailing in the UK back in the 80's. Then, there were only a handful of products to choose from and wax was king. A few "sealant" type products started creeping in and cost a hell of a lot of money for the customer. There was one that came in a ready loaded sponge, so you prick the sponge with a blade and it would ooze out and there you have it. Each sponge was enough to cover a car and to be honest, its was no better than a decent wax.
It was very rare for anyone to use anything other than wax. Today, there's a myriad of products to choose from, all fighting for a slice of the pie: wax, wax paste, liquid wax, sealant, sealant wax, hybrid sealant etc etc and I haven't even started on ceramics yet... graphene anyone? So with this in mind and with sealants getting better and coming down in price, is there a place for wax on gelcoat anymore?
I understand some people prefer the warm lustre of a good wax on their car bodywork, but is it relevant on a white motor yacht where most people are just desperate to keep some protection on there? How long does a decent wax last on a boat, 3 months, 4 months if you're lucky. I just washed a boat that had been buffed and waxed in one of Miami's big marinas a month ago and there was absolutely no wax left on the brow, or other horizontal surfaces at all. Completely void and because of that, it had started to oxidise again. The buff and wax was carried out by someone who's been in the business for over 30 years. I get the feeling that this wouldn't have happened with a good sealant.
Even with this glut of products, there doesn't seem to be a lot of information out there on gelcoat sealants. I've done some background and cars are well catered for, but not boats. Amongst many others, I've looked at Jet Seal, Meguires mirror glaze, Wolfgang deep gloss, Rejex, Meguires liquid wax and NXT and the only one that's dedicated to gelcoat appears to be Gelcoat Labs! To be fair, some say you can use them on boats or fibreglass, but then go on to say don't apply in direct sunlight or humid conditions!
Has anyone got any recommendations for a decent gelcoat sealant and how long could you expect them to give protection. Twice that of a wax, three time? I know that's a difficult question because every case is different, but I'm looking for a rough idea. I'm thinking 8 months perhaps, give or take.
It was very rare for anyone to use anything other than wax. Today, there's a myriad of products to choose from, all fighting for a slice of the pie: wax, wax paste, liquid wax, sealant, sealant wax, hybrid sealant etc etc and I haven't even started on ceramics yet... graphene anyone? So with this in mind and with sealants getting better and coming down in price, is there a place for wax on gelcoat anymore?
I understand some people prefer the warm lustre of a good wax on their car bodywork, but is it relevant on a white motor yacht where most people are just desperate to keep some protection on there? How long does a decent wax last on a boat, 3 months, 4 months if you're lucky. I just washed a boat that had been buffed and waxed in one of Miami's big marinas a month ago and there was absolutely no wax left on the brow, or other horizontal surfaces at all. Completely void and because of that, it had started to oxidise again. The buff and wax was carried out by someone who's been in the business for over 30 years. I get the feeling that this wouldn't have happened with a good sealant.
Even with this glut of products, there doesn't seem to be a lot of information out there on gelcoat sealants. I've done some background and cars are well catered for, but not boats. Amongst many others, I've looked at Jet Seal, Meguires mirror glaze, Wolfgang deep gloss, Rejex, Meguires liquid wax and NXT and the only one that's dedicated to gelcoat appears to be Gelcoat Labs! To be fair, some say you can use them on boats or fibreglass, but then go on to say don't apply in direct sunlight or humid conditions!
Has anyone got any recommendations for a decent gelcoat sealant and how long could you expect them to give protection. Twice that of a wax, three time? I know that's a difficult question because every case is different, but I'm looking for a rough idea. I'm thinking 8 months perhaps, give or take.
