Window coatings question

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LP14SS

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When applying window coatings is it an absolute necessity to polish the windows first or can you get away with just claying the glass before applying if you know the windows aren't in bad condition as in no water marks or etching of any sort etc?
 
Properly cleaned, I'd wash, Iron-X and still use CeriGlass but less aggressively than on an etched or streaked windshield. Wash again after polishing and then wipe well with an IPA solution or Eraser.

Yes, some will tell you no need to be thorough, but if it's your car and you want it to be done right, why not take the extra steps?
 
Thanks for the quick reply, I agree with you when it comes to being thorough, I mean professionals wouldn't be polishing glass if it didn't mean there was a benefit or necessity to it but I figured I'd see what you guys had to say if there ever arose a time when you found yourself in a pinch, if it was acceptable to skip a step. And you mention ceriglass I have never used a window polish before I'm guess that is a preferred brand of yours?
 

When it comes to any coatings I look at it this way. "You get out of it, what you put into it." Basically the better the prep, usually you will get better the results and durability.



LP14SS said:
I figured I'd see what you guys had to say if there ever arose a time when you found yourself in a pinch, if it was acceptable to skip a step. And you mention ceriglass I have never used a window polish before I'm guess that is a preferred brand of yours?
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Yes in a pinch you can skip the polishing if you choose, but you can't expect optimal results then. I have used CeriGlass and the Pinnacle water spot remover / glass polish. I prefer CeriGlass. The Pinnacle is very oily and you can hardly get it off the glass.
 
Definitely needs polishing to get best results. There are products out there which are not sensitive, you can just clean the glass and apply. However, I would not class these as coatings, they are more like sealants. The coatings are more sensitive. Unlike the sealants which (generally) don't bond very specifically, the coatings are rather specific to glass. If you have some remnant coating or even just sealant, the coating will not bond properly (where a sealant often could). So you need to get rid of it totally. Basically, if your glass tries to bead at all, you need to keep polishing. Don't expect this to happen with a quick hand polish, you need a machine to do it reliably. Product wise, ceriglass would do the job, but so would a half decent compound - you aren't trying to correct the glass, you are only trying to remove the surface coating.
 
Exactly. As the OP says the glass is in like-new condition, polishing and wipe are beneficial, though correction probably isn't necessary. CeriGlass with rayon pads can achieve some pretty impressive correction, though.
 
You don't have to use Ceriglass if its still a new window. The DP Glass Restorer is a great glass polish for deep cleaning. The Duragloss one is good but dustier. The AG one is good and not dusty. The Zaino one is very dusty.
 
Great answers, I plentiful agree that polishing during prep will take everything to a higher level.

Although I may use many / any of mentioned products (DP, Ceriglass, Pinnacle Waterspot Remover), my favorite for getting glass squeaky clean (after decon. and claying) still Pinnacle Black Label Cleansing Polish, basically a 'strong cleansing' polish.

DP Coating / Surface Prep. Polish may offer similar results.


If glass has a lot of waterspot etching (almost always), I may add CarPro Spotless to decontamination step, followed by clay, then polishing, wipe, then coating.

Kind Regards.
 
Thanks for all of your input guys, got one more question for ya, so applying all of your suggestions I treated my girlfriends Nissan with gtechniq g1. It came out pretty good but I did notice a couple smudges this morning that I didn't buff completely clean, will an quick wipe with ipa/water mix clean up any residual or should I just stick to window cleaner in order to keep the coating in its best condition possible?
 
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