Can You Apply Ceramic Coatings at Home?

Many detailing jobs can be done just as well at home as they can by a pro shop, but with a job as big as a ceramic coating, this is an important question to ask.

Being the big new technology around, there have been lots of questions popping up about ceramic coatings. Everything from, “what are they?” to “why do they cost so much?” to “can I just do them myself?” As a professional automotive detailing shop with over 25 years’ experience, we at Island Detail feel like we are authorized to answer some of these questions.

Our last few blog posts have been focused on discussing what ceramic coatings are and why someone would want them (read those articles here and here). This article is going to answer that third question listed above.

At Island Detail, we love the DIY spirit, and respect that no one loves and understands the nuances of your vehicle more than you do. There are lots of jobs that are effectively done by DIYers around the country, but there are others that require professional attention. Let’s take a look at ceramic coatings and see which category they fall into.

DIY or Professional?

Materials and Products

It doesn’t take much research to learn that there are an overwhelming amount of ceramic coating products available on the commercial and DIY markets. As with many things automotive, cheaping out isn’t necessarily a good idea. Up front savings can cost you a lot down the road.

One of the most significant differences between the DIY and professional markets are the products available. Many of the high-end ceramic coating manufacturers only trust professional detailing shops to apply their product, and know that a botched job doesn’t reflect well on their brand. At Island Detail, we get access to EPIC ceramic coatings, which lead the industry in quality and durability. Exclusive products is one of the best arguments in favour of going pro.

Guarantee

When you deal with a professional company, like Island Detail, you are dealing with a business that has over 25 years’ of experience and happy customers. Companies like ours have a reputation to protect, which means we will stand by our work.

Online providers of cheap coatings don’t need to stand by their work, because they don’t have to deal with the fallout of a botched job! To get a result worth paying for, make sure you choose a product and service that comes with some sort of warranty or guarantee.

Tools

What ceramic coatings really do is preserve the paint in the condition that the paint is in when the coating is applied. If the paint has scratches, water marks, swirl marks, chips, or flakes, these imperfections will be preserved by an application of ceramic coating.

If you were going to DIY a ceramic coating, not only would you need the right tools for the job and an environment that would keep the car 100% dirt and contaminant free for the duration of the application, but you would also have to have all the tools and knowledge required to condition your paint to perfection. Pro detailing shops have the tools that are needed to ensure perfect preparation and application.

Time and Effort

Proper prep work and application requires lots of hands-on time. As mentioned above, bumper-to-bumper paint correction needs to be completed before you can even think about painting the coating on.

At Island Detail, we have access to the best automotive paint technicians around (Island Color) to make sure that your car is in immaculate condition. We also have the skill and tools to give your car a thorough detail before the coating is applied.

When it comes to deciding how to go about ceramic coatings for your vehicle, choose the shop with decades of experience and over 250,000 happy customers. We’re always happy to chat about your next automotive project, so just give us a call or send us a message.