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Very nice. How detailed does he go with the sealant? No corrections I’m assuming? The nice thing about ceramic is it lasts a long time if you maintain and every other wash I just use a ceramic reviver so to speak and it looks brand news. One downside of ceramic I found living in miami is because the water stands on the vehicle it can leave water spots around the car. I am not kidding when I say it will rain and hours later my car will still be drenched in water with water bubbles everywhere meanwhile my neighbors car doesn’t have a single droplet.
No corrections just clay bar to remove contaminants depending on how dirty the paint is when he starts. The issue with rain drops and ceramic is well documented unfortunately. Some people end up with the drops etching into the ceramic coating. o_O
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PPF and Ceramic Coatings are a growing aftermarket - they're quickly becoming as popular as tint as a 'first mod'. With that there are a lot of misconceptions regarding both products.

We just wanted to build a small FAQ to help answer common questions and help educate before you commit to either/or. So fire away! We're here and happy to help.

-Alvaro

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When it comes to PPF, does brand matter?


Yes and No!

We think the brand used when installing PPF is extremely important. You want to be sure that your installer is using a quality film that is going to stand the test of time. We have all seen those installs that turn yellow or start to crack and peel after a few years - this isn't what we're looking for.

However, we think finding a trusted installer that uses a reputable brand is more important than the brand they use. Say you're looking to have Brand X installed on your vehicle and through your research you find Installer Z. They're the best installer in your area, they're professional, they answered your questions and addressed your concerns and you're feeling comfortable leaving your car with them - however, they don't install Brand X. They're a Brand Y installer.

We think it's more important to find an installer that you feel confident in and from there, the brand of film should be secondary. Many top-tier films perform extremely well. The biggest unknown will be the quality of the installation and customer service after your wrap is installed. Chasing a brand may lead you to a quality installer but sometimes it can lead us to compromise the quality of the installation for the brand name.

At my shop we use Ceramic Pro's KAVACA PPF. It's a great film and performs very similarly to XPEL, STEK, Suntek, 3M, etc. We have used many of the other films but we have countless hours and numerous cars under our belt using KAVACA. We know the ins and outs of the film so we know we could confidently install it without any issue - and if any issue should arise we know exactly how to handle it because i'm sure we've seen it before.

The same can't be said if we used another brand at the request of the customer - while I try to accommodate and source the film a customer requests if they decide they want another film on their car, I always remind them that we're most confident with KAVACA and using another film that we have less work time with could mean quality issues down the line.

This isn't to say the other brands are bad or that they're going to have issues because they aren't KAVACA. What I'm getting at is every film has little nuances that take time to learn and perfect. When we do use films that we don't regularly install we tend to have a few more issues because of these nuances and quirks between brands. We will do everything we can from follow-up inspections to text/call follow-ups to ensure the installation is up to our quality standards and will take care of our customers no matter what film we use. But we try to remind our customers that we know the film that we use and we know what to expect - and changing a variable like a new film can lead to more come-backs and touch ups. Again, we do everything we can to ensure our installation quality is top-tier but we also do our best to minimize the amount of times your car has to come back for touch-ups.

TLDR; So to make a long story short, find a reputable installer in your area that you're comfortable leaving your car with. Once you do, make sure they're using a quality film. Research the film that they install and ask as many questions as you can in regard to that film. If you trust the installer and are happy with their quality, then trust their choice in the brand they provide.
What ceramic would you recommend for full matte wraps? Seems like many ceramics enhance shine and gloss, but it seems like that would defeat the purpose of a matte look.

I found this Dr. Beasley's one:

https://www.drbeasleys.com/matte-film-coating-kit.html

that advertises:

"It’s not just self-healing that standard ceramic coatings ruin on matte vinyl – they also turn your wrap’s surface into a horrible, splotchy mess. To get your film protected without altering the finish, you’ll want to use Matte Film Coating. Formulated without silicones or glossing agents, it smoothes out your matte’s color, keeping it as fresh and consistently flat as the day you bought it."

I'm not familiar with others. I know this is more a discussion to have with a local installer, but since you offered to answer questions, I would like to know your thoughts.

I'm thinking about a matte wrap for my next preorder. My current truck has a clear/glossy wrap. I love it, but just interested in a different look for the next one.
 
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VaiaDesign

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We use Ceramic Pro's PPF line for our vinyl and clear bra installations.

We find that coatings don't add gloss to a matte finish - they tend to give the film a deeper, and richer tone.

The splotchy look is usually attributed to installer error and not so much the ceramic coating. But we always recommend doing a small inconspicuous section first before coating the entire wrap

What ceramic would you recommend for full matte wraps? Seems like many ceramics enhance shine and gloss, but it seems like that would defeat the purpose of a matte look.

I found this Dr. Beasley's one:

https://www.drbeasleys.com/matte-film-coating-kit.html

that advertises:

"It’s not just self-healing that standard ceramic coatings ruin on matte vinyl – they also turn your wrap’s surface into a horrible, splotchy mess. To get your film protected without altering the finish, you’ll want to use Matte Film Coating. Formulated without silicones or glossing agents, it smoothes out your matte’s color, keeping it as fresh and consistently flat as the day you bought it."

I'm not familiar with others. I know this is more a discussion to have with a local installer, but since you offered to answer questions, I would like to know your thoughts.

I'm thinking about a matte wrap for my next preorder. My current truck has a clear/glossy wrap. I love it, but just interested in a different look for the next one.
 

emceter

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I read one guys post somewhere (can't recall if Facebook, here or Reddit) and he said that his installer told him he has to daily clean off bugs from the PPF/Ceramic because they will fuse into it and become part of the PPF. The guy said he literally cleans the front of his car on daily basis every night after coming back from work. Is that true, does that even make sense? Seems a little crazy in my mind. I never had PPF on any cars before, but we are seriously considering doing it on the front of the R1S when we pick it up in a few weeks
 
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VaiaDesign

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When we install Ceramic Pro we remind our customers of a 2 week curing period. The coating is safe to drive about a few hours after we install it but it does take a few weeks for the coating to fully harden and bond to the paint.

During this cure period we highly recommend removing any contaminants from the surface sooner rather than later. So things like bird bombs, bug splats, tree sap, hard water, etc. should be gently cleaned off as soon as possible.

However, once our coating is cured it becomes extremely chemical and stain resistant - so bugs and other contaminants are much less of a worry. We don't recommend going 2-3 months without washing the car but you can go much longer between washes without worry.

PPF is a bit more prone to staining so we do recommend cleaning bug splats and bird bombs off quickly. But if the PPF is ceramic coated then it will offer a lot more protection for the film which results in less worry.

I read one guys post somewhere (can't recall if Facebook, here or Reddit) and he said that his installer told him he has to daily clean off bugs from the PPF/Ceramic because they will fuse into it and become part of the PPF. The guy said he literally cleans the front of his car on daily basis every night after coming back from work. Is that true, does that even make sense? Seems a little crazy in my mind. I never had PPF on any cars before, but we are seriously considering doing it on the front of the R1S when we pick it up in a few weeks
 

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I’ve had several cars ceramic coated and I swear by CarPro products… I learned the hard way using stuff like chemical guys. Invest in a pressure washer and wash the car yourself. These on the street washes/details will ruin the paint on any vehicle over time with constant swirling.
Oh and I swear by my electric blower… the thing is magical.
electric blower for drying? I see some black and decker corded blower 7 amp on Amazon for 35 bucks. Is that adequate?
 

Zeusy Zeus

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Yeah if your car is ceramic coated I suggest a blower. You can use a standard blower for leaves and what not. I use the ego power blower from Amazon and it works amazing.
 

DTown3011

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I used to find ceramic coating really daunting but now I've done it myself on my past few vehicles with really great results. My vehicles are daily drivers so I just coat them right after I take delivery (same with the Rivian) and don't go into all the craziness with paint correction - the paint is good enough (for me) from the factory and these are not show cars. I know some others might disagree and I know the RIGHT way to fully do it is a full paint correction first. But I find a foam cannon wash, a nice clay decontamination, a surface prep, and then a full ceramic coat with a top quality product has returned fantastic results.

I love the Adams products and have had great results with this - Graphene Ceramic Coating™ - Adam's Polishes (adamspolishes.com) I buy the kit and gives you everything you need including towels, applicator, etc. My R1T is coated with it and it's extremely hydrophobic and still looks great even after rainstorms, etc and washes easily. It's so awesome on the glass, here is a video of the rain just beading and running off my windshield after the coating. In light rain I don't even have to use wipers.





 
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VaiaDesign

VaiaDesign

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Nothing wrong with a DIY install! Most new cars that come to us are almost good enough to coat.

On brand-new cars we Often times we do a single-stage primer polish with a bit of more aggressive spot polishing on some of the deeper and more pronounced defects.

Paint correction isn't 'necessary' for new cars or DIY coatings but when you're in the world of professional-grade ceramic coatings it's best to properly prepare the surface to ensure there are no contaminants on the paint prior to applying the coating. Especially when we're offering 2-year, 7-year, and lifetime warranties.

I used to find ceramic coating really daunting but now I've done it myself on my past few vehicles with really great results. My vehicles are daily drivers so I just coat them right after I take delivery (same with the Rivian) and don't go into all the craziness with paint correction - the paint is good enough (for me) from the factory and these are not show cars. I know some others might disagree and I know the RIGHT way to fully do it is a full paint correction first. But I find a foam cannon wash, a nice clay decontamination, a surface prep, and then a full ceramic coat with a top quality product has returned fantastic results.

I love the Adams products and have had great results with this - Graphene Ceramic Coating™ - Adam's Polishes (adamspolishes.com) My R1T is coated with it and it's extremely hydrophobic and still looks great even after rainstorms, etc and washes easily.
 

DTown3011

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Nothing wrong with a DIY install! Most new cars that come to us are almost good enough to coat.

On brand-new cars we Often times we do a single-stage primer polish with a bit of more aggressive spot polishing on some of the deeper and more pronounced defects.

Paint correction isn't 'necessary' for new cars or DIY coatings but when you're in the world of professional-grade ceramic coatings it's best to properly prepare the surface to ensure there are no contaminants on the paint prior to applying the coating. Especially when we're offering 2-year, 7-year, and lifetime warranties.
I totally agree! For me, this is in the category of "good enough" but I absolutely see why having professionals do it and getting the surface 100% perfect before coating would make sense. I did that on my prior Tesla since the paint was so bad prior to coating. On the Rivian, I was very impressed with the paint quality so decided to DIY.
 

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VaiaDesign

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I totally agree! For me, this is in the category of "good enough" but I absolutely see why having professionals do it and getting the surface 100% perfect before coating would make sense. I did that on my prior Tesla since the paint was so bad prior to coating. On the Rivian, I was very impressed with the paint quality so decided to DIY.
Yup! We try to understand our customer's needs, wants, and expectations and tailor packages to them from there. More often than not our customers come in not knowing what paint correction is or why it's recommended/needed (in some cases).

We see customers keeping their cars for 2-3 years so sometimes we recommend a more basic prep and shorter-term coating. No need to buy a lifetime coating if you're returning your car in 3 years.
 

CrazyOne

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You hit the nail on the head. Application. The ceramic itself is still not cheap but application drives cost into the thousands because you have to undergo paint correction which is a very labor intensive process.

Using a sealant, the worst you will do (after washing/decontaminating) is claybar.
Klasse All-in-One will set you back $42 and the bottle will last you 3-5 applications (if you apply 1 time a year, that's 3-5 years).

My detailer does my paint sealant application as part of his regular full car detail. I provide the Klasse and he does the detail for $199. If I wanted just the exterior application it's $100.

I do no special maintenance. I run it through car washes to my heart's content and I reliably get a year out of the coating, even in eastern US winters and road salt

Compare that to $2-$3K (or more!) for a ceramic coat that you have to absolutely baby and then if you want that nice oleophobic property to last have to REAPPLY a coating in a few years.

The cost to value doesn't add up.

Edit: For those that claim that ceramic is "unmatched" in gloss - here is my BMW i3s after an application of Klasse Ultra Gloss Sealant. I challenge you to show me a ceramic coated car that beats this, especially for $42 and $100 application.

1684335251805.png
IMO, paint correction is unnecessary for a new car used daily. It removes some of the clear coat, so I consider it harmful.

For show cars, it's fine.
 

mcclajb

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I used to find ceramic coating really daunting but now I've done it myself on my past few vehicles with really great results. My vehicles are daily drivers so I just coat them right after I take delivery (same with the Rivian) and don't go into all the craziness with paint correction - the paint is good enough (for me) from the factory and these are not show cars. I know some others might disagree and I know the RIGHT way to fully do it is a full paint correction first. But I find a foam cannon wash, a nice clay decontamination, a surface prep, and then a full ceramic coat with a top quality product has returned fantastic results.

I love the Adams products and have had great results with this - Graphene Ceramic Coating™ - Adam's Polishes (adamspolishes.com) I buy the kit and gives you everything you need including towels, applicator, etc. My R1T is coated with it and it's extremely hydrophobic and still looks great even after rainstorms, etc and washes easily. It's so awesome on the glass, here is a video of the rain just beading and running off my windshield after the coating. In light rain I don't even have to use wipers.





I am considering going this route now that I have my R1S. Just a couple questions.

First, I see Adams has a specific graphene glass treatment. Did you use that or their regular graphene ceramic coating?

I'm also curious about how to wash the vehicle after the coating has been applied. Do you just pressure wash it or do a full wash with soap? I usually do a snow foam wash on my vehicles, so I'm wondering if I'll still need to do that once this is applied. Thanks.
 

DTown3011

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I am considering going this route now that I have my R1S. Just a couple questions.

First, I see Adams has a specific graphene glass treatment. Did you use that or their regular graphene ceramic coating?

I'm also curious about how to wash the vehicle after the coating has been applied. Do you just pressure wash it or do a full wash with soap? I usually do a snow foam wash on my vehicles, so I'm wondering if I'll still need to do that once this is applied. Thanks.
Hi! I did not use the specific glass treatment, just the regular graphene ceramic coating on the glass - it works great, don't see a need for a glass specific treatment.

It's very important you get a very clean finish. Absolutely do a full wash (I use a foam cannon) with soap, then I re-foam and clay the entire vehicle again and pressure rinse.

If you've driven your car a lot and the paint isn't perfect, you might consider getting a paint correction prior to applying but for me, I applied when the vehicle was new and given it's a daily driver the paint was "good enough" for me from the factory. YMMV.
 

mcclajb

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Hi! I did not use the specific glass treatment, just the regular graphene ceramic coating on the glass - it works great, don't see a need for a glass specific treatment.

It's very important you get a very clean finish. Absolutely do a full wash (I use a foam cannon) with soap, then I re-foam and clay the entire vehicle again and pressure rinse.

If you've driven your car a lot and the paint isn't perfect, you might consider getting a paint correction prior to applying but for me, I applied when the vehicle was new and given it's a daily driver the paint was "good enough" for me from the factory. YMMV.
Thanks for the info! Mine is new and will be my daily driver as well, so I’m fine with the “good enough” paint as is. Now that you’ve had the coating on, do you find that pressure washing gets the bulk of the dirt off when not able to do a full wash? I’ve never had a ceramic coat, so I’m used to the build up needing a full wash to make any progress at all.
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