The most common myths about ceramic coating
You probably have heard many times about all the miraculous effects that ceramic coating can provide: anti-scratch, paint correction properties, 9H even 10H or 11H hardness, and no more car washing, just to mention some. Unfortunately, most of the time these claims are false!
There is so much confusion on the internet about ceramic coatings, and customers are usually led to think that they can provide any type of protection for a vehicle. While ceramic coatings are one of the best ways to protect your new vehicle, there is a clear distinction on what they can and can’t achieve. Today we will try to clarify this topic once and for all!
Ceramic coating: the definitive solution to a vehicle’s problems?
There are already many articles clearly explaining the degree of protection that car coatings can provide. As one of the most reliable coating brands on the market, which makes no secret of our coating’s real capabilities, KubeBond decided to list the most common myths about ceramic coatings according to our detailers’ experience.
Resist scratches and rock chips
Although many brands claim this feature, the truth is that no coating on the market is thick enough to resist this type of damage. The maximum that ceramic coating can reach is about 10-20 microns of a thickness (AKA thinner than paper), and despite the increase of hardness up to 9H of several brands, coatings will still be unable to resist scratches and rock chips. To better prevent this kind of damage, we suggest the application of PPF, which has an average thickness of 140-200 microns.
The vehicle doesn’t need to be washed anymore
Who wouldn’t wish this statement to be true? Unfortunately, the car protection market still lacks a ceramic coating that does not need car washing. What the ceramic coating does instead, is to maintain the surface clean for a longer time than bare paint, making it easier to clean. This happens mostly because of the excellent water and dirt-repellent properties of coatings, which allow water, dust, and other contaminants to easily slide off the surface.
The car paint will achieve 9H hardness
This statement is often debated, and it needs to be clarified once and for all. Several coatings on the market can achieve a 9H hardness, and KubeBond made this claim one of its most marketed topics. We performed several tests on stainless steel, officially certified by SGS, that proved that our coatings could reach a 9H hardness level.
However, the hardness of the car paint is usually never more than 3H, and given that coating only increases the hardness by 2-3 points, 9H simply can’t be reached on it.
Therefore, coatings can reach a 9H hardness, but it depends on the type of material it is applied on.
Your old car will look as new after ceramic coating
No, coatings will not restore the original conditions of your 10 years old paint, and no, they won’t heal scratches or any other damage to it. In fact, by the time you realize that your car needs to be protected with coating, it might already be too late. That’s why we encourage every car owner to apply ceramic coating to a vehicle right after buying it. Ceramic coating can only prevent a certain type of deterioration from happening to your vehicle but has no restoring properties. For relatively old vehicles, we suggest extensive polishing that can restore the paint to a certain level of decency (always depending on the extent of the damage), and an evaluation from a professional before proceeding to apply any type of protection to it.
Ceramic coatings prevent the appearance of water spots
Technically speaking, ceramic coatings can contain the appearance of water spots and prevent them from etching the car paint. Usually, multilayering coatings provide a more effective and secure way to reduce the appearance of water spots on the surface, which can be removed by car wash with stronger detergents. After the removal of water spots, the hydrophobic properties of the coating will likely decrease and will need to be restored depending on the situation. With KubeBond’s new ION, things are about to change. Not only does its Top layer activates the ION exchange technology of the ION package, but it also provides a more durable hydrophobic effect. It replaces the nano-hair of the past, with an actual solid 3D “spiked” structure that better resists frequent washing. Moreover, ION improves the resistance to strong detergents, and the hydrophobic effect will still be visible, even after a treatment to remove the water spots.
Is ceramic coating a valuable investment?
The answer is: yes, depending on when it is applied to a vehicle. Imagine ceramic coating as a barrier that shields your vehicle from potentially deteriorating elements, and that should be applied to it as soon as possible. Kubebond always emphasizes that if you want to get the best out of our coating, you should apply it when the vehicle is new. Old cars have probably undergone some kind of polishing, which impacted the thickness of the clear coat. Therefore, no matter how many layers of coating you apply, the final result might still disappoint you.
In conclusion, if you only take your vehicle out for regular tasks (such as shopping for groceries, or the daily commute to work), we believe that coatings will be enough to satisfy all of your needs. However, if you love to drive your car regularly, enjoying the high speed on the highway, we suggest applying a combo of PPF and ceramic coating, that will provide your vehicle with the ultimate protection.
