How Long Do Ceramic Coatings Last?

Ceramic coating in progress.

What Is A Ceramic Coating?

A ceramic coating is a thin, clear layer of a liquid polymer that is applied to the exterior of a vehicle or other surfaces to protect it from damage and enhance its appearance. It is called a "ceramic" coating because it contains microscopic particles of ceramic, which provide an additional layer of protection.

Ceramic coatings are highly durable and can provide long-lasting protection against scratches, UV damage, and other types of wear and tear. They also make surfaces easier to clean, and can even enhance their gloss and shine.

Ceramic coatings are often used on vehicles, including cars, boats, and motorcycles, but they can also be applied to other surfaces, such as glass, metal, and plastic. They are typically applied by professionals, but some DIY kits are also available for those who want to apply the coating themselves.

How Long Does A Ceramic Coating Last?

With proper maintenance, most ceramic coatings will last 2 to 5 years or 30,000 to 50,000 miles. Usually 1 coating will last up to 2 years (weakened hydrophobic effects after about 8 months). There are basically no 5 year coatings when applied with only one coat. This is because the second coat will fill in any missed spots and allow the coating to bond to itself as an extra layer rather than just adhereing to the lacquer clear coat. We recommend 2 coatings to qualify for 3+ years of protection. Another factor that determines how long the coating lasts is if the vehicle had paint correction performed.

Paint Correction Is An Important Factor To Ceramic Coating Lifetime

A vehicle that has paint correction will allow for a smoother surface that the coating can bond to more effectively. When a vehicle has scratches left in the clear coat, the coating will just fill in the gaps to some extent, but will not be able to bond to the rest of the coating, especially with only 1 coating. What I mean by this is imagine each molecule of the ceramic coating is a person holding out it’s arms and hands reaching for another ceramic molecule. If you stretch the coating by making it fill in a gap which would be the scratch in the clear coat, then it’s having to stretch even further to hold on, and this damages the integrity of the coating and makes it last for a much shorter period of time. If you want to do a ceramic coating without paint correction, you need to do 2 coatings in order to have desirable effects and protection. This is included in our ceramic coating add-on service so that even if you opt to not have your vehicle paint corrected, you’ll still get 2-3 years of protection.

Ceramic Coating Preperation With Iron Remover Is Very Important.

Iron remover is an important part of prepping a car for ceramic coating because it helps to remove a type of contamination called "iron fallout." Iron fallout occurs when iron particles from brake dust, industrial fallout, or other sources embed themselves in the surface of the car's paint, wheels, or other areas.

Iron fallout can be difficult to remove with normal washing and detailing techniques, and if it's not removed before applying a ceramic coating, it can prevent the coating from properly bonding to the surface of the car. This can result in the coating failing sooner, and require the coating to be reapplied.

Iron remover is specifically designed to dissolve and remove iron fallout from the surface of the car, making it an essential step in the prepping process. It works by chemically bonding with the iron particles and breaking them down so they can be rinsed away.

We also recommend clay barring a vehicle to remove any remaining contaminants from the clear coat. Perform the clay bar after using the iron remover so that you can remove contaminants more easily and not mar the paint as much as you would by doing the clay bar before iron remover.

Let’s go over how long to expect your coating to last

1 coating without paint correction: up to 1 year

1 coating with paint correction: 1 to 2 years

2 coatings without paint correction: 2 to 3 years

2 coatings with paint correction: 3 to 5 years

A coating will not last over 5 years by itself.

These ceramic coatings are usually backed by a lifetime warranty or advertised as a 7 year or 10 year coating. This is a bit of a lie. These coatings require you to maintain the coating with ceramic wax. To me this defeats the purpose of spending money on getting your vehicle coated because what is the point in spending all this money if you have to get a wash and wax every 6 months anyways in order for it to last 10 years?

Dishonesty In The Ceramic Coating Industry

I believe many people in this industry are dishonest when it comes to how long their ceramic coating will last. That’s why for us we give a more realistic expectation of 3-5 years with paint correction and proper prep. We do not lie to our clients by telling them it will last 10 years because this is not true. By this logic, a paste wax lasts 10 years when you keep the vehicle garaged and never driven.

The Bottom Line…

We advertise 3-5 years because that’s realistically how long a proper coating on a daily driven car that is hand washed will last. We stand by our word and do not lie.

I hope that was educational and if you would like to book with us, go to book.claritycarwashing.com or download our free app for iOS and Android at book.claritycarwashing.com/app today!

Stay Shining San Diego!