9H Ceramic Paint Coating (Si02 Glass Coating) Myths

A ceramic-coated car is scratch- and bullet-proof!. Many beleive that no scratch’s or swirls will come to the paint work with ceramic coatings installed. In fact, this is not the case. I understand that promo videos are made for drawing attention to products showing this, So dont be fooled, its not true!

how to look after ceramic coatings myths

In the future, I will only wash the car with a pressure washer or a stong stream of water. No need for Shampoo or Cleaning Products. The dirt flies off the paint work. After all, this is a nano substance! This differs somewhat from the reality. Despite all the cool advertising videos on the Internet, the car needs some “real washing”, especially during  winter months.

Tar doesn’t stick to the paint work. Some have said that after covering the car with ceramic 9H coating, less tar seems to stick to the car. However, as someone who had daily contact with valeters and detailers and car care products, I don’t consider the argument a strong one. It is possible that a little less tar sticks to the car but i think this is mor on the side of luck, PLUS I’ve never seen any scientific proof.

The car is always as hydrophobic as is shown in advertising videos. Let’s throw muddy water on the car and it will remain clean. A similar trick is also done in car wax advertising videos to draw your attention. The important fact is that the car in the video is totally clean and has just been waxed or ceramic coated. It cannot be compared to driving on the roads in the rain or snow. The car will not stay clean, road dirt will stick. Let’s be realistic!

Ceramic Coatings Protect 100% from the corrosive effects of dead insects and bird droppings.A ceramic coating adds some safety to the paint work, like a seatbelt or air bag to a passenger. Neither is the absolute perfect protection. Even with the seatbelt on one can still get hurt. Promo pictures took showing bugs and bird poo on the paint work allows us to fantasise that a ceramic coating is truly powerful and the end to never waxing a car again, but a high level of care must be followed to avoid damage to the coated paint work. Dead insects and bird droppings must be removed within days as it will mark!.

Flakes off like failing lacqure. I must admit that I’ve been asked this tens of times – will the car look flakey when the coating starts to wear off? Ceramic coating wear off similarly to wax. It breaks down chemically and wears off physically all at the same rate. At some point it will be gone. It is not possible to pinpoint the exact moment dispite long 5,6,7 or 8 year claims.

Hydrophobicity equals long term protection!. This is definitely not true, but how to determine whether if the paint still has a protective layer? There isn’t an easy option to check. You should view it as an oil change or a full service. If it’s said that the oil must be changed every 18,000 miles, there is no point in checking the oil in the engine thinking it will be OK to carry on for another 10k miles. The oil should be changed when the manufacture tells you, just like the intaller or instructions of the 9H coating. TIP: You should always approach the ceramic coating in the same way. When years are up, apply a new coating.

Ceramic coatings are “unbreakable”. It is especially important to take good care of the paints finish in winter. Raod salts and using brushes to remove snow will cause problems, paint finishes will not be saved by a ceramic coating if bad practices are used. A Ceramic coating is “unbreakable”.

H9 is only a little softer than a diamond. H9 is one level lower than a diamond on the Mohs scale. And after seeing that a steel file is H5 – 6.5 on the scale, your car should become bullet-proof. However, we should not allow ourselves to be misled by poor details on the internet or drawn out of marketing offering false hopes. In fact, ceramic coating is H9 on Pencil scale.

Ceramic Coatings makes a paint work stone chip resistant. Arguably the biggest myth (or flat out lie) is that if you have a ceramic coating applied or do it yourself, it makes your car stone chip resistant. Ceramic coatings are exceptionally strong – and bond to the clear coat of your vehicle to create a microscopic – but incredibly strong thin shield of protection. However, in order for something to be stone chip resistant, it needs to be pliable, or soft enough to absorb the impact without causing damage. This is what a paint protection film does. It’s made from a durable yet flexible polymer, that will absorb the impact of small stones, and debris. If the PPF is damaged, the ‘self-healing’ properties of the material will fuse together. However, if the stone is big enough, it’s still going to find a way to penetrate even the strongest PPF.

Ceramic Coatings are Chemical Resistant. This one is actually pretty accurate – within reason of course. The hardness of a ceramic coating helps to protect the clear coating of the paint. Chemicals like degreasers, bug and tar remover, and those with alcohol can slowly eat away at the clear coat, penetrate to the paint, and eventually cause damage. By applying a high-quality ceramic coating, the chemicals will not be able to penetrate the 9H coating hardness.

You’ll Never Need to Use Car Wax After Applying Ceramic Coatings; This myth is mostly true. Prior to applying a ceramic coating, it is always recommended to apply a high-gloss polish on top of the clear coat. This helps to improve the luster and shine of a nano-ceramic coating product. The main reason why the paint shines so much after applying them is that it’s basically a thin layer of glass that reflects light exceptionally well. Since wax is intended to provide a thin layer of protection or sacrificial layer, there is no need to apply car wax after a ceramic coating. And quite frankly, it’s counterproductive to do such.