What is a Ceramic Coating?
There was a time when paste wax was the best option for adding shine and protecting your vehicle’s paint from elements like rain, dirt, and bird droppings.
But thanks to advancements in technology, we now have a much more durable and long-lasting solution: ceramic coatings.
Unlike traditional wax, ceramic coatings form a semi-permanent bond with your vehicle’s surface, creating a sacrificial layer that helps repel contaminants like water, dirt, and road grime. This means your paint stays protected for a much longer time without the need for frequent reapplication.
Your Go-To Ceramic Coating Experts in Victoria
Applying a ceramic coating is one of the best ways to enhance your car’s shine and protect its paint for years. However, if not done correctly, the results may fall short of expectations—or worse, create more issues that need fixing.
Many store-bought spray-on ceramic products make bold claims but aren’t true ceramic coatings. While they may add some shine and protection, they don’t offer the same durability and performance, and they certainly aren’t worth paying hundreds of dollars for.
Proper paint preparation is also crucial for achieving the best results. At Everest Mobile Detailing, we follow a thorough process before applying a ceramic coating. This includes washing, claying, and polishing the paint to ensure the coating bonds properly and delivers maximum protection.
The time required depends on your vehicle’s condition and the level of correction needed. If your paint is already in good shape, a light polish may be enough, allowing the job to be completed in a day. However, if the paint has heavy swirl marks and requires more extensive work, it can take two to three days to fully prepare and coat.
Is polishing necessary before applying a ceramic coating? Technically, no—you can apply a coating to paint with swirls and imperfections. However, this reduces the coating’s effectiveness and means you won’t get the full benefits. In that case, a paint sealant might be a better option.
Applying a Ceramic Coating Requires Precision and Time
Applying a ceramic coating is much more involved than waxing or sealing your car. Unlike those, where you simply apply, wait, and buff off, applying a coating requires precise timing to know when it’s ready to be wiped away.
Each coating, depending on the brand and environmental conditions, has a specific "set" point when it’s ideal to remove it. There’s no exact time like “30 seconds” to wait—it's all about visually assessing when the coating has reached the right consistency for removal.
To do this correctly, you need to work in sections with proper lighting to ensure you can see what you're doing. If you remove the coating too early, you risk compromising its longevity since it won’t have had enough time to set. On the other hand, waiting too long makes removal difficult and can cause problems.
One common issue with ceramic coatings is the formation of high spots—areas where the coating hasn’t been fully buffed off and left streaks behind. If caught soon enough, these can be fixed easily, but if left for too long and the coating cures, you’ll need to polish the paint again to remove them.
This is the difference between a coating and a wax or sealant—it’s a semi-permanent layer of protection. To get the full benefits, the coating must be applied properly. If mistakes are made, you'll have to redo the entire process, polishing the whole car again to fix the high spots.
Is Ceramic Coating The Best Option For You?
A ceramic coating offers excellent gloss and protection, but it’s not always the right choice for every vehicle.
For example, if you have a work truck that frequently encounters rough conditions—getting scratched by branches, boxes, and constant use—a coating might not be the best fit due to the heavy wear and tear it endures.
However, if you use your work truck for long-distance travel and want to protect it from dirt, rain, and other environmental factors, a ceramic coating would be a great option to enhance its durability and maintain its appearance.
The Benefits of a Ceramic Coating
Many coating companies make bold claims about what their products can do. While there is some truth to those claims, we prefer not to oversell the capabilities of ceramic coatings
Here’s what you can actually expect from a high-quality coating:
✅ Creates a long-lasting protective layer that can last 3 to 5 years
✅ One-time application—no need to reapply every few months like other protections
✅ Enhances your vehicle’s gloss much more than wax or sealants
✅ Offers superior hydrophobic properties, keeping your car cleaner and making it easier to wash
✅ Can be applied to paint, glass, wheels, vinyl film, and paint protection film
Before applying a ceramic coating, your vehicle must go through proper prep and paint correction. Without this step, you won’t fully benefit from the coating's protective features.
Common Myths About Ceramic Coatings
Ceramic coatings are highly durable and long-lasting, but that doesn’t mean they’re invincible. It’s important to understand their limitations, as many people mistakenly think they can do anything to their vehicle and still rely on the coating to protect it.
We often see customers who expect too much from their coating and are disappointed when they spot swirls or etchings in their paint. Let’s address some common myths about ceramic coatings:
Myth: Ceramic coatings make your paint scratch-proof.
While coatings are scratch-resistant to some extent, they’re not as indestructible as some claims suggest. When we say a coating resists light scratches, we mean light scratches from gentle wipes, like when using a quality towel to remove spray wax. Coatings are not designed to prevent rock chips or impact damage. For example, if you drag a dirty wash mitt or your clothes across the paint, you’ll still scratch it. The coating can help reduce swirls, but it’s not a shield against every kind of damage.
Myth: Ceramic coatings protect your paint from rock chips.
The only way to protect your vehicle from rock chips or other impacts is with paint protection film (PPF). No matter how many layers of ceramic coating you apply, it won't stop the force of a rock hitting your vehicle. While the coating helps prevent dirt, water, and grime from sticking to the paint, it won't protect against scuffs or chips. For impact protection, PPF is the way to go.
Myth: You don’t need to wash your car after it’s coated.
A ceramic coating makes car maintenance easier, but it doesn't eliminate the need for washing. To ensure the coating lasts, regular cleaning is necessary. If you take your car through an automatic wash with harsh brushes, it can cause swirls and degrade the coating. Instead, when you wash the vehicle, use high-quality wash mitts, drying towels, and gentle cleaners that preserve and enhance your coating. This is how you get the full lifespan of the coating—anywhere from two to four years, depending on care.
Ceramic Coating Prices
Price is based on the size of vehicle and coating lifespan. General prices are shown below. Please contact us for a more accurate quote.
$550 to $1150
Ceramic Coating FAQs
Is ceramic coating the best protection for my paint?
Ceramic coatings provide excellent protection and enhance your vehicle's shine, but for ultimate protection, paint protection film (PPF) is the top choice. PPF offers an 8mil layer that can better withstand debris and impact, making it superior in protecting your paint from chips and scratches.
Can I wash my car after the coating is applied?
After the ceramic coating is applied, the vehicle should not get wet for the first 48 hours to allow it to fully cure. Following that period, we recommend waiting another two weeks before washing the vehicle to ensure the coating has set properly.
Can ceramic coating replace my clear coat?
No, if your paint is chipping or fading due to clear coat failure, the only solution is a repaint. Ceramic coatings cannot fix issues with clear coat damage, as they are a surface layer designed to protect, not restore.
Can I get the coating without prep work or paint correction?
We do not apply ceramic coatings to vehicles that haven't undergone the necessary prep and paint correction. Without proper preparation, the coating won't deliver its full benefits, and you won’t get the desired results.
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