Long Term Wear of Ceramic Coatings?

[Markymapo1]

Bird bombs n tree sap are my enemies. Ceramic coating or sealant really help with easy removal for daily drives. Good summary on the previous points mentioned above

 

[AutowerxDetailing]

The post I replied to was specifically about detailers who charge thousands being a waste of money.

If you wash your vehicle properly every 3 days, then a ceramic coating is unnecessary and a spray wax or carnauba wax would be a better choice.

In contrast, if your vehicle lives outside and rarely sees a shampoo, then a ceramic coating is a worthy investment to help protect the paint from degradation.

I don't agree with this. Yes, it is true that a ceramic coating will offer more protection against environmental contaminates. But if you neglect a coating by not washing it for several months the outer surface will be etched so bad with traffic film and water spotting that it would need another prep wash, decon, paint correction treatment to repair the damage.

You absolutely need to wash your vehicle on a regular basis in order to receive the maximum benefits that a ceramic coating offers. A coating will help make your life easier by reducing the time needed to clean the vehicle, as well as keep it looking cleaner between washes. You also won't have to worry so much about etchings from bug guts or bird bombs when you wash your vehicle on a regular schedule. Even if you wash your vehicle every 3 days, as in your example, if the paintwork is only protected by a superficial layer of spray wax then you could expect to see permanent etchings develop on the surface from things like tree sap, water spots, bug guts, or bird bombs if left to dwell in the sun for more than a few hours. A surface protected with a thick layer of ceramic will give you more time to deal with these types of things without leaving a permanent stain but it is not a license for neglect.

If a client is knowingly going to be neglecting their vehicle due to extreme driving conditions or a busy schedule then I would tend to recommend a quarterly detail treatment to keep the paintwork decontaminated and protected as best as possible. For example, a ceramic coated vehicle, that is infrequently washed will look absolutely terrible after about 6-9 months. If that same vehicle receives a thorough wash, clay treatment, and light polish/sealant every 3 months you'll see that the frequently detailed vehicle will have a much better long term outcome.