As technology improves, in any industry, oftentimes it has a trickle down effect. For the car care industry, coatings have started to evolve to more consumer level coating options. This allows for the possibility for the at home detailer to experience results that used to be only obtainable by the pro’s. Today, I would like to go over some things I have learned from many years of experience in applying a broad spectrum of coatings in the hopes that you could apply these tips to your own coating application. This is, if you are actually in the market to perform a paint coating yourself. I also recommend that if this process is overwhelming or outside your comfort zone, to seek the professional application of a qualified detail shop in your area.

What to Do

• First and foremost, DO make sure that your work environment is sustainable to achieve the highest level outcome as possible.
• Don’t apply coatings outside and never in direct sunlight or on a warm surface.
• DO make sure the surface has been properly polished.
• DO make sure the surface has been properly decontaminated by using a clay bar and/or iron remover during the wash process.
• DO follow the instructions on the bottle of the coating solution.
• DO wear proper safety equipment such as gloves and a mask if specified by the manufacturer during installation.
• DO Make sure to remove polishing oils and residue after polishing with a solution such as Car Pro Eraser or ServFaces Neutra Cleaner

What to do if you experience high spots

We find that proper surface prep is detrimental to ensure that the coating levels easily

Try to avoid high humidity as this can make it hard to work with certain coatings

High spots are simply an excess amount of coating on the paint surface that was not properly removed or “leveled” during the application process. Sometimes these do not show up in direct lighting but require different light settings and angles to see.

Be sure to apply the coating nice and thin and if you do have high spots, remove them quickly. The longer you wait, the harder they will be to remove, which can often times requiring polishing.

Curing Process

Each coating will have different installation instructions, always follow the instructions on the bottle. Cure or “flash” time essentially means the time it takes for the coatings solvents to properly evaporate and allow the active ingredients to bond to the clear coat. Remove the coating too quick and you risk reduced performance, waiting to remove the coating for too long and it can be very difficult to remove. Try to avoid the car getting wet or seeing rain for the first 48 hours. Coatings generally cure with heat, thus a nice warm day in the sun after coating is the best way to ensure proper and fast curing.

Taking care after coating

To ensure the coating lasts as long as the manufacture specifies it is ensure to take care of the coating as the manufacturer recommends.

Usually this means using a ph neutral soap, avoiding polishing or buffing, removing any heavy contamination as quickly as possible, avoiding use of all purpose cleaners, and using a high quality maintenance detail spray.

Our featured coating brand is ServFaces. German made, German quality, protecting your's.