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VaiaDesign

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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.
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pathfinder2

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My local detailer offers Hexis products, whereas I mostly hear about Xpel. Have you worked with or seen any Hexis installations? How do they compare?
 

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Not a question but providing guidance.

No coating is going to last more than 5ish years...even the best of the best like Modesta...

If you invest in a paint perfection, PPF and ceramic package please take care of it...hand washed only.

This isn't a one time investment. If you want the vehicle to look like it did when you picked it up from the detailer - you have to take care of it!!

Yours truly,
Car detailing nut (not professional just well educated)

Rivian R1T R1S PPF and Ceramic Coatings: What Would You Like to Know? IMG20230312135751
 
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VaiaDesign

VaiaDesign

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My local detailer offers Hexis products, whereas I mostly hear about Xpel. Have you worked with or seen any Hexis installations? How do they compare?
We have used a bit of Hexis and we have seen some hexis installations. I don't really have anything bad to say about the product - I typically tell customers to shop for a quality shop/installer and go with the film that they are most comfortable working with.
 
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VaiaDesign

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This is extremely important - though we do have some lifetime coatings we have installed that are still performing strong 5+ year later.

But that doesn't mean the customers weren't diligent about aftercare and following our annual inspection schedule.

At the end of the day, no paint protection product is going to be a cure-all that requires no effort. Many times a ceramic coating or PPF install means that you have to wash your car by hand now and be careful about how your maintain and wash your vehicle.

Not a question but providing guidance.

No coating is going to last more than 5ish years...even the best of the best like Modesta...

If you invest in a paint perfection, PPF and ceramic package please take care of it...hand washed only.

This isn't a one time investment. If you want the vehicle to look like it did when you picked it up from the detailer - you have to take care of it!!

Yours truly,
Car detailing nut (not professional just well educated)

IMG20230312135751.jpg
 

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ye3hawp0ny

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I recently had ceramic pro silver package on my rivian. The mobile installer put 1 layer of 9H and the top coat soon after. He did not decontaminate the paint or wash it in fact, just used ceramic pro cleaner. Is there supposed to be a curing time for ceramic pro in between layers? Also noticed that the paint finger prints very quickly. I've washed it a few times 2 bucket method, hydrophobic properties are great. In terms of up keeping, are any sio2 toppers/soaps ok to keep up with the maintenance? Lesson learned, take it to a shop and not a mobile detailer
 

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Not a question but providing guidance.

No coating is going to last more than 5ish years...even the best of the best like Modesta...

If you invest in a paint perfection, PPF and ceramic package please take care of it...hand washed only.

This isn't a one time investment. If you want the vehicle to look like it did when you picked it up from the detailer - you have to take care of it!!

Yours truly,
Car detailing nut (not professional just well educated)

IMG20230312135751.jpg
Read the fine print on Modesta and other coatings. The oleophobic properties are only warrantied for 2 years max and that is if you follow all the rules - hand wash - no harsh soaps - Ph neutral - no automatic car washes.

In my humble opinion, having had experience with ceramic, polymer, wax, sealants, you name it - ceramic coatings are absolutely not worth the outrageous price relative to other coatings for most every day daily driver use cases. Exotic and uber expensive cars? Yes.

A good paint sealant like Klasse will last you a year - it is bullet proof - no special soaps or hand washing, has a shine that rivals if not exceeds ceramic and will cost you 1/20th the cost of ceramic.

Meanwhile, PPF is absolutely worth it (not the whole car unless, again you have an exotic or super expensive luxury vehicle) but on high impact areas.
 
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VaiaDesign

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When installing the Ceramic Pro 9H and Top Coat products we like to let the cars cure overnight between applying the base coat and top coat. It can be done earlier but you can't really rush the bonding process that takes place at the microscopic level.

We recommend a full exterior detail, and atleast a gloss enhancement polish prior to applying a ceramic coating to any car.

As far as aftercare products, the Americana Global line is great. They have everything from soaps, rinseless washes, all purpose cleaners, quick detailers, etc.

https://americanaglobal.com/

I recently had ceramic pro silver package on my rivian. The mobile installer put 1 layer of 9H and the top coat soon after. He did not decontaminate the paint or wash it in fact, just used ceramic pro cleaner. Is there supposed to be a curing time for ceramic pro in between layers? Also noticed that the paint finger prints very quickly. I've washed it a few times 2 bucket method, hydrophobic properties are great. In terms of up keeping, are any sio2 toppers/soaps ok to keep up with the maintenance? Lesson learned, take it to a shop and not a mobile detailer
 

Zeusy Zeus

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When installing the Ceramic Pro 9H and Top Coat products we like to let the cars cure overnight between applying the base coat and top coat. It can be done earlier but you can't really rush the bonding process that takes place at the microscopic level.

We recommend a full exterior detail, and atleast a gloss enhancement polish prior to applying a ceramic coating to any car.

As far as aftercare products, the Americana Global line is great. They have everything from soaps, rinseless washes, all purpose cleaners, quick detailers, etc.

https://americanaglobal.com/
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.
 

maverick92

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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.
Just curious, what's the issue with the chemical guys products? I've never used, but I've heard them mentioned previously in BMW/Audi forums.
 

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VaiaDesign

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I don't think there is much of an issue with Chemical Guys. They have good products. However, they are a bit pricier than some of their competitors and often times we find comparable products that perform better.

For DIY Chemical Guys is pretty good - not our go-to but they have a solid line-up.

Read the fine print on Modesta and other coatings. The oleophobic properties are only warrantied for 2 years max and that is if you follow all the rules - hand wash - no harsh soaps - Ph neutral - no automatic car washes.

In my humble opinion, having had experience with ceramic, polymer, wax, sealants, you name it - ceramic coatings are absolutely not worth the outrageous price relative to other coatings for most every day daily driver use cases. Exotic and uber expensive cars? Yes.

A good paint sealant like Klass will last you a year - it is bullet proof - no special soaps or hand washing, has a shine that rivals if not exceeds ceramic and will cost you 1/20th the cost of ceramic.

Meanwhile, PPF is absolutely worth it (not the whole car unless, again you have an exotic or super expensive luxury vehicle) but on high impact areas.
Just curious, what's the issue with the chemical guys products? I've never used, but I've heard them mentioned previously in BMW/Audi forums.
 

Zeusy Zeus

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Just curious, what's the issue with the chemical guys products? I've never used, but I've heard them mentioned previously in BMW/Audi forums.
Mostly they’re very gimmicky you can get better quality products that pro detailers use for a little more.
 

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Read the fine print on Modesta and other coatings. The oleophobic properties are only warrantied for 2 years max and that is if you follow all the rules - hand wash - no harsh soaps - Ph neutral - no automatic car washes.

In my humble opinion, having had experience with ceramic, polymer, wax, sealants, you name it - ceramic coatings are absolutely not worth the outrageous price relative to other coatings for most every day daily driver use cases. Exotic and uber expensive cars? Yes.

A good paint sealant like Klasse will last you a year - it is bullet proof - no special soaps or hand washing, has a shine that rivals if not exceeds ceramic and will cost you 1/20th the cost of ceramic.

Meanwhile, PPF is absolutely worth it (not the whole car unless, again you have an exotic or super expensive luxury vehicle) but on high impact areas.
Why do you say that ceramic is expensive? Adams is $100 to $150. Application and prep are PITA though.
 

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Why do you say that ceramic is expensive? Adams is $100 to $150. Application and prep are PITA though.
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.

Rivian R1T R1S PPF and Ceramic Coatings: What Would You Like to Know? 1684335251805
 

Zeusy Zeus

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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
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.
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