How to Apply Ceramic Coating Like a Pro

Ceramic coatings are very popular, and for good reason. They're more durable than waxes and sealants, add a deep gloss to your paint, and they make your vehicle easier to clean. But, the application process is more involved and less forgiving than other paint protectants. That's why professional detailers can charge thousands of dollars to apply a ceramic coating.

Ceramic sprays are an easy-to-use alternative to nano (or “true”) ceramic coatings. While they won't provide as much protection, they're a great way to take ceramic out for a test drive. The steps for preparation will be the same though, so stick around!

The ceramic coating process breaks down into three stages: prep, application, and follow-up. We'll cover these in detail below, as well as some fixes to common mistakes and ceramic maintenance tips.

While a DIY ceramic coating application may seem intimidating, it can provide up to five years of protection. You'll also get the ultimate detailing bragging rights.

Before You Get Started

There are a lot of factors to consider before you ceramic coat your car. You'll need good weather, the right tools, and time to get the job done right.

Check the Weather

Temperature, humidity, sunlight, and precipitation all affect how well your ceramic coating bonds to the paint. You want to make sure the weather is just right to get the best application possible.

• Mild temperature. Most ceramic coatings have a temperature application range of 50-80 degrees. Applying the ceramic coating outside of this range could negatively affect its ability to bond. This applies to the temperature of the paint as much as it does to the air temperature. So, if your car's been roasting in the sunlight, let it cool off before applying your coating.
• Low humidity. Humidity also plays a role in the bonding process. If the temperature is above 70 and the humidity is greater than 50%, you won't get a good bond. This is due to the moisture in the air preventing the coating from flashing or drying fully.
• Avoid direct sunlight. While applying your ceramic coating outside may be the best, or only, option for you, make sure you don't do it in direct sunlight. The focused heat could cause the coating to dry incorrectly.
• Plan around precipitation. The final piece of weather to be aware of is rain (or any precipitation). If your car gets caught in the rain within 48 hours of applying your coating, it could shorten the coating's lifespan.

Leave Plenty of Time

The total time required to apply a ceramic coating should be around 10-15 hours. However, you'll also need to factor in the time your car will spend drying in the garage before you can drive it again. This can range from 1 to 2 days.

Most of the time is spent on preparation. A full exterior detailing is necessary to remove all contaminants. Even a little grime can keep your ceramic coating from bonding correctly. This process can take 8-10 hours. It'll take even longer if you have a lot of paint correction to do.

Once the prep is done, you'll apply the coating to your car in 2' x 2' sections. Depending on the size of your vehicle, this should take 2-3 hours.

Get the Right Safety Equipment

The chemicals in ceramic coatings are known skin, eye, and lung irritants. While they aren't considered extremely dangerous, safety precautions are still highly recommended.

The most important thing is a well-ventilated workspace, but you'll also want to protect yourself. Make sure you have the following safety equipment before you apply the coating:

Application Process

No matter which nano ceramic coating you use, the steps required for the application are generally the same. Just make sure you read the directions for the product you choose for specifics on application, flash time, and drying time.

Required Materials:

Prep

• Microfiber cloths
• Wax-free car shampoo
• Paint prep spray
• Clay bar
• Clay lubricant
• Two buckets and a grit guard
• Wash mitts/sponges/towels
• Decontamination spray
• Polishing compound

Coating

• Ceramic Coating
• Applicator pads
• Microfiber towels (These won't be able to be reused)

Recommended

• Motorized polishing tool

Ceramic Coating Prep Steps

The prep work is the most important part of the ceramic coating process. If the exterior isn't perfectly detailed, you'll end up trapping things like swirls and scratches under the ceramic coating for up to five years.

Take your time, be meticulous, and you'll be just fine!

Step 1: Wash the Car

The first step is to wash your car starting at the top and working your way down. It's best to use the two-bucket wash method: one bucket with the shampoo mix and another with plain rinse water and a grit guard.

A foam cannon is also acceptable for applying the shampoo mix. The most important thing is that you don't mix your rinse water with the wash water.

When you're done washing and rinsing, dry the car thoroughly with a good microfiber drying towel.

Pro Tips:

• A shampoo with added degreaser will help you easily strip old wax, sealants, or polishing oils off the panels.
• Cut the tags off your microfiber towels before you dry your car. These tags are known to cause small scratches in the clear coat.

Step 2: Decontaminate Clear Coat

Use an iron decontaminant spray to remove brake dust and industrial fallout from the painted body panels.

Once the spray has dissolved the ferrous material, wash the spray and contaminants away with water. Do this before using a clay bar so the iron particles don't interfere with the claying process.

While you may expect new cars to have a pretty clean clear coat upon arrival, this is rarely the case. During transport, these vehicles are exposed to brake dust and fallout in shipping yards.

Pro Tip: If you want to see how much fallout is in your car's clear coat, pick up a decon spray that changes color as it dissolves.

Step 3: Clay the Car

Clay the painted body panels with your preferred clay medium and lubricant. This will remove ingrained particles like sap and tar.

Claying your car is another form of decontamination that targets different impurities. Both decontamination steps are necessary.

Step 4: Correct Paint Imperfections

Polish the clear coat to smooth out any imperfections like scratches and swirls. This can be done either by hand or with a machine polisher.

A fine-cut polish pad and polishing compound are perfect for this job.

Depending on the state of your exterior, you may also need to touch up the paint and level the clear coat.

Pro Tip: Put the polishing compound on the pad of your polisher and dab it evenly on the panel you'll be polishing. This way you won't run out of polish after the first couple runs across the section.

Step 5: Remove Leftover Oil

Use a paint prep spray or an IPA (isopropyl alcohol) spray to remove any oils or waxes on your ride's exterior left by soaps, lubes, and polishing agents.

Be sure to wear gloves while you clear off this excess oil. The oil from your hands can stick to the freshly-cleaned panels, which would require you to spray again.

Ceramic Coating Application

With your surfaces prepped and ready to go, it's time to ceramic coat your car. Work in small sections, stay safe, and be as patient as you can.

Step 1: Add Ceramic Coating to the Applicator

Shake 6-10 drops of ceramic coating onto your applicator.

Step 2: Apply Ceramic Coating

Apply the ceramic coating to a 2' x 2' section of your exterior.

The best way to do this is to apply the coating in straight lines going either up and down or left to right. Then, go back over these lines going the opposite direction (instead of up and down, go left and right. Or vice versa). This technique is sometimes referred to as cross-hatching (seen below).

6-10 drops of coating should be enough for two passes. After this, the applicator will most likely not slide as smoothly over the panel. This means it's time to add another 6-10 drops.

Keep an eye on how your applicator is looking as you work your way through the process. If you can see the silica crystals forming, or if the applicator feels “crispy,” it's time to use a new one.

Most ceramic coating kits will come with two to three applicators, which should be enough to complete your coating. If you have a very large vehicle, then you may want to have a couple backups on hand.

Step 3: Let It Flash and Wipe Away Excess

Let the coating on your 2' x 2' section flash. Flashing happens when the ceramics settle into the pores on the clear coat and the carrier pools on top.

You'll know your coating has flashed when either a rainbowy shine appears (like oil on water) or the coating beads up (also known as sweating). This will take 35 seconds to 1 minute depending on the humidity, temperature, and brand of coating.

Once it has flashed, quickly wipe away the excess coating with a clean microfiber towel. Make sure you wipe in straight lines to keep the coating consistent. Also, don't be afraid to do 3-4 passes with the microfiber to avoid unevenness once the coating is dry.

Do not forget to wipe this top layer away before it dries. If you do forget, your coating could end up looking rough due to an uneven finish. It will then need to be removed and reapplied.

Step 4: Finish the Coating

Repeat steps 1-3 until the entire exterior is coated.

If you want, you can usually add a second coat for extra durability. Follow the brand's recommendation on timing and second coats.

Keep in mind though, some brands recommend sticking to just one coat.

Let Your Ceramic Coating Cure

Once you finish coating your car, you'll need to wait for the coating to harden. This varies based on product, but usually it's at least 48 hours. After two days in well-ventilated storage, you're clear to take your car out for a spin.

While your coating won't fully harden for three to four weeks, you can wash it a week later if you want.

Fixes to Common Ceramic Coating Problems

If your ceramic coating ends up with high spots (spots where there's excess coating), an uneven application, streaks, or a hazy finish, fix it as quickly as possible. There are a few ways you can go about this, depending on how long the coating has been drying.

Microfiber Cloth - If the coating isn't entirely dry yet, you can probably get away with using a clean microfiber cloth to level the excess coating. This will help to remove high spots and streaks.

Additional Coating - An uneven application can be fixed by applying just a few drops of ceramic coating to the missed or thin areas to try and even the coating out. This method can also be used to blend high spots into the rest of the coating.

Polishing - If you're finding high spots, streaks, and haziness after the coating has had a few days to dry, you may need to remove the excess coating with a polishing compound and microfiber towel.

Removal and Reapplication - If worst comes to worst and these methods aren't working, you may have to remove that section of the coating and reapply.

No matter which method you choose, it's recommended you perform this correction outside under some kind of shade. This setting will provide the optimal light for catching errors. If you don't feel comfortable fixing the coating outside, checking each panel with a flashlight will also illuminate problems like high spots and streaks.

Removing a Ceramic Coating

You may end up needing to remove your ceramic coating for a variety of reasons like haziness, age, or missed paint imperfections. Follow this video from Chemical Guys for step-by-step removal instructions.

Ceramic Coating Maintenance

Maintaining your ceramic coating is by far the easiest part of the process. Just wash your ride by hand every 2 weeks with a pH-neutral, wax-free shampoo, and perform a decontamination every 6-12 months.

There are a few contaminants you'll want to remove within 48 hours, though. These include:

• Bugs
• Bird Droppings
• Tree Sap
• Water Spots

These contaminants make it easier for layers of dirt and grime to form on top of your coating, nullifying the hydrophobic properties. But, thanks to the ceramic coating, removing them should be a simple spray and wipe procedure.

If stubborn particles like brake dust, oils, and stuck-on pollutants won't budge with a simple decon, you can use a clay bar. But, make sure it's a softer piece of clay to avoid scratches.

There's no need to wax your ceramic coating, and actually doing so could reduce its lifespan. Some of the solvents used to make waxes spreadable can break down your coating.

A maintenance spray (A.K.A. ceramic topper or boost) is also a good call and can be used 21 days after application. These sprays provide a refresh to the nanoparticles protecting your paint. If possible, use a spray from the same manufacturer as your coating, or reach out to them and ask which spray they recommend.

Once you've finished ceramic coating your ride, let us be the first to say “congratulations!” This process is long, difficult, and unforgiving, but you stuck through till the end. Enjoy that long-lasting protection and easy cleaning, and don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for more helpful how-to guides.

Sources: 5 Ceramic Coating Safety Tips Everyone Needs To Know, Avalon King | How To Safely Decontaminate Your Paintwork, Auto Finesse | (2022 Guide) How To Apply a Ceramic Coating, Avalon King | How To Remove Ceramic Coating COMPLETELY (w/Pictures), Torque Detail | What Is Ceramic Coating High Spots and How to Remove Them!, Super Ceramic Coating | How To Easily Remove Ceramic Coating High Spots, Pro Detailing Supplies | DIY Ceramic Coating Gone Wrong? Steps For Fixing, DriveDetailed