Most Ceramic Coatings Only Last Two to Three Years!

What do I mean when I say Sio2 coatings aren't durable? An Sio2 Coating makes a strong bond to the clear coat. It is not attached directly to the clear coat, but attached by a resin. Think of bricks being attached together by mortar to make a wall. They require a "topper" or "booster" every six months once a year.

They require a "topper or "booster" because those resins keeping the coating attached weaken over time. The "booster" restores the bond by adding more Sio2 back into the coating. the "booster" contains some level of Sio2 in it, although not as much as the original coating application.

If the Sio2 coating is not "boosted" or "topped off" then the coating bond will become weaker and weaker. After about three years the coating will have been depleted.

Most ceramic coatings are Sio2 or silicon dioxide. This is an inferior formula to its counterpart which is SiC or silicon carbide. The reason most coating chemical companies use Sio2 over SiC is because Sio2 is less expensive, easier for the detailer or consumer to use, and does offer some great gloss. Sio2 gloss is more like wax. It produces a warm wax-like glow. SiC offers more depth (darker) of color and a glossy sheen.

To counter the bond weakening over time, detail shops offer a detail service and require you to come back in every six months or one year to restore the coating. You can also use these "toppers" at home to maintain the bond making the coating reach five years of life or more.

Most detailers are completely aware that an Sio2 coating bond quickly diminishes. There are videos all over YouTube regarding this Issue. Once in a while I come across one. The title says something like, Six months in and the water no longer beads when I wash my car. The people producing this content are not pro detailers. They are hobbyist detailers and are using a consumer grade Sio2 coating which has less Sio2 than the pro-grade coatings do. Oh right, by the way, consumer-grade Sio2 coatings last about  year.

Here is the kicker. An Sio2 3 year, 5 year, 7 or 9 year ceramic coatings are all about the same. There may be slightly more Sio2 in one over the other, but it doesn't really matter because they are still bound to the clear coat by those resins. Maintaining the bond is more crucial rather than what Sio2 coating you gave on your paint. How the chemical company justifies the additional time on the warranty is that instead of requiring you to come in every year for 3 years they require you come in for that appointed time until the warranty clock runs out.

My name is Tug Bankert. I own and operate Wax On Wax Off Detailing in Hanover, PA. I have been doing so since 2013. I am an Opti-Coat ceramic coating installer. I first started installing Opti-Coat in 2015. Much of what I have learned about clear coat and coatings is from David Ghodoussi CEO and organic chemist of Optimum Polymer Technologies in Memphis Tennessee. (Anything I say in this blog is my expert opinion and does not reflect Opti-Coat or Dr. Ghodoussi's opinion). David Ghodoussi formulated the basecoat/clearcoat for Dupont and PPG while working for a chemical company in the 1970s. Moving the automotive industry aware from the junk single stage paint. David Ghodoussi is also the chemist who first formulated the silicon carbide ceramic coating around 2007. Opti-Coat ceramic coatings was the pioneer coating for North America. Opti-Coat is also the reason other ceramic coatings exist. Opti opened the door for the coating market to provide superior automotive appearance protection and preservation over waxes and sealants.