Ceramic Coatings! Why Is The Prep Work So Important

 When it comes to getting a ceramic coating on your vehicle, like most coatings, the biggest and most important factor to getting the most and longest lasting protection from your coating is the proper preparation of your vehicles paint before the coating is installed.

Why it's important!

Your vehicle's clear coat painted surface appears to be smooth and level to the human eye. At a microscopic level it is actually very rugged and uneven. This rugged, uneven surface is what causes your vehicle to collect dirt, grime, iron particles, and other contaminants from the air, and roadways we travel everyday.

If all of these contaminants are left on your vehicle and not removed before the coating is applied, it will prevent the coating from bonding properly to your vehicle's painted surface and gives it a high probability of rendering it useless, or prevent it from lasting or protecting as it should. The coating is designed to fill in these valleys and ridges and create a thin invisible smooth and slick layer over top of the painted surface. In turn, this layer of protection literally prevents contaminants from being able to stick, and accumulate on your paint's surface. It also makes the surface very slick to the touch repelling rain, sleet, and snow. You'll notice that water, or rain highly beads and rolls right off of the painted surface. Now you can imagine how Ceramic coatings have gained the popularity of having self-cleaning properties when applied to your vehicle's paint.

At Brian's Detailing, LLC, we do a very extensive decontamination process before applying a ceramic coating, probably more then most of our competitors.

The first step we do is to high pressure rinse the vehicle to remove heavier debris before we begin washing it.

Step #2 is to wash a vehicle using a special formulated stripping concentrate car soap. This soap is designed specifically to aid in removing, previous wax, and/or sealants that have been applied previously, as well as oils, grease, and other surface contaminants that may exist on the paints surface.

Step #3 is to use a special spray on iron remover which melts away any iron particles such as rail dust, fall out, or other iron particles that might be embedded into your vehicle's painted surface. Once applied the solvent turns to a purple color as it melts and breaks down these particles which then are rinsed away.

Step #4 is to clay your vehicles painted surface completely which assures all remaining iron particles, or other contaminants are removed from the surface bringing the surface to a silky smooth finish.

Step #5, is to once again wash the entire vehicle, and rinse it clean.

Step #6 is to dry the vehicle.

Step # 7 is to remove any remaining tar, bugs, or sap with a special chemical solvent.

Step #8 if needed will be to buff any swirls, or light scratches from the paint using a Dual Action polisher and a light duty polish bringing depth, clarity and shine to the painted surface.

Step #9 is using another special formula panel wipe spray to remove any traces of polish or remaining oils left behind from polishing just before the ceramic coating is applied.

Step #10 is to apply the coating.

Is Your Car Making You Sick?

 If you’re constantly on the go, your car can feel like your second home. But your vehicle can be carrying some uninvited passengers: illness-causing bacteria. Do you know what’s riding in your car? Find out how to keep your family healthy on the road and beyond.

For busy parents, cars are full of kids and groceries, meals and snacks, toys, clothes and sporting goods. Yet within this seemingly-innocuous flurry of activity, your vehicle can also be transporting illness-causing bacteria like diarrhea-causing E.coli, Enterobacteria (feces), Serratia (vomit), and Aspergillus niger, the mold that exacerbates asthma. Dr. Oz explains which areas of your car are hot spots for pathogens, and how to keep your ride safe for caravanning.

Germ Hot Spot #1: Car Mats. Your shoes track in an array of bacteria from the ground. These germs burrow into the fibers of the mat and can contaminate the bottom of your clothes. Anytime you drop a lipstick or some change and feel around on the mat, you risk contaminating yourself.

Safe Solution: Replace carpet mats with rubber, removable car mats. These are easy to take out of your car and cleanse with soap and water.

Germ Hot Spot #2: The Driver’s Seat (including the steering wheel and interior door handles.) Your steering wheel becomes a repository for anything that’s on your hands. Anytime you eat in the car, your fingers touch food and the steering wheel, directly exposing you to bacteria.

Safe Solution: Regularly wipe off the wheel and seat area using anti-bacterial wipes or a foaming car cleanser, which can be found at local hardware stores.

Germ Hot Spot #3: In Between the Seats. Kids (and adults) can drop food in between the seats, which can burrow into your car’s cracks and crevices. This dark, enclosed area becomes the perfect environment for growing bacteria.

Safe Solution: Keep a small cooler in the car to cut down on food debris. Additionally, clean your car once a week with a vacuum upholstery attachment to reach into the cracks and crevices.

Germ Hot Spot #4: Air Conditioning Vents. When humidity is high, particularly in the summer, water accumulates in the vents. This moisture allows fungi to bloom.

Safe Solution: Eliminate water by using a long brush with a cloth around it that can reach into the vent to clean out spores. You can also kill fungi by putting the heat on for 10 minutes and having a mechanic change your filter every year.

Does Salt from the Road Damage the Paint on my Car?

 

How to Protect Your Vehicle’s Paint in Winter

When it gets icy outside during the winter, everyone who lives in areas like Pennsylvania, West Virginia, or Ohio knows that roads need to get salted. The salt helps melt ice and gives drivers more traction. However, as you drive on salted roads, your tires will kick up the salt onto your vehicle. That raises the question of whether salt from the road will damage the paint on your car. Here are some tips on how to protect your vehicle in winter.

How to Protect your Car in Winter

The best way to protect your vehicle from salt damage is to give it a car wash after every major snowstorm. If there aren’t any recent snowstorms, you should still give your vehicle a car wash every month. Make sure you get a wash that also cleans the undercarriage to prevent rusting on your mechanical components. We highly recommend you get this wash when the temperature is at least 40 degrees during the day, so the water has a chance to dry before the temperature drops.

In addition, it’s a good idea to give your car wax before winter arrives. The wax will provide an extra layer of protection and give you more time to get to a car wash. Vehicles are huge investments and should be taken care of regularly