What Is Car Paint Protection and Is It Worth Having?

We’ve all heard the stories about car paint protection - the normal salesperson pitch at the dealership as soon as you’ve picked that brand-new car, whether you want to add on paint protection, interior protection, and window tint for the unique rate of 10% of the car’s value.

The most typical question is “the paint is currently secured, isn’t it?” And it’s true - the clear coat on top of the vehicle’s paintwork is there to protect it along with keep it looking shiny, but it does need routine maintenance to keep it looking and performing its best.

Different kinds of car paint protection

Is it worth taking the dealer up on that offer, or is paint protection the snake oil that many people think it is? Let’s look into the various types of car paint protection and the so-called advantages that they use.

Paint protection has actually been around for practically as long as the vehicles they are created to safeguard. A very basic form of car paint protection is modest wax. Created to boost the paintwork it is applied to, wax also has some protective residential or commercial properties, although they tend to wear away rather rapidly, especially in hot conditions. They are relatively simple to apply, particularly if you like recreating the popular “wax-on” “wax-off” method from the Karate Kid.

The next step up from waxes is called paint sealants. These are of a polymer base and are normally artificial man-made products. They supply a lot more sturdiness, frequently enduring 6 months or more depending on how the vehicle is maintained, in addition to offering excellent shine and dirt repelling qualities. They tend to be used in the very same style as conventional wax but offer much better protection.

The latest technology in paint protection is glass or ceramic coating. This is generally the style of car paint protection the dealer will use you, with claims it is scratch resistant and will last a lifetime! It sounds too excellent to be real, and it is. This does not suggest that coatings are worthless and a waste of cash, but by comprehending how they work and setting realistic expectations, you can choose whether this type of paint protection will fit your requirements.

Glass or ceramic coating is primarily a silica-based product that creates a hard, glass-like coating on top of the existing clear coat. They tend to be of an unfavorable charge, which causes them to actively push back dust and dirt whilst also supplying a high level of repellency to water and contaminants such as bird droppings. They are also very resilient, with the majority of products lasting 2 years or more, depending upon the upkeep.

Glass and ceramic coating items make keeping the paintwork clean a lot easier and much faster, as common road gunk and dirt have trouble staying with the coating. A ceramic coating can likewise increase the gloss level of the paint, making it more glossy and reflective.

Is paint protection for you?

That’s a question you need to ask yourself. It depends on how the vehicle is kept, how much time you invest cleansing and keeping its showroom finish, or if you choose something that’s easy to clean and repels dirt and water.

If the car lives outside its whole life and you desire it to be simple to tidy, paint protection might be something to think about. If you keep your car kept in the garage and just bring it out when the sun is shining, a quality wax product will be more than enough to keep your vehicle looking amazing.

Something that everyone can settle on is that shopping around to have car paint protection applied outside the dealer network will be a big advantage to your back pocket. There are many quality detailers who will be able to look for your car paint protection considerably more affordable than the dealer will.

The end result? You’ll get a well-protected vehicle that will look fantastic for many years to come and you’ll conserve yourself a bit of dough doing so.