Wonder, which car protection coating to choose? There are several products on the market either wax or sealant to protect your car from sun, weather, and debris.
The Most Practical Coatings
Image | Product | |
---|---|---|
Eco-safe and Easy Applicable | TopCoat F11 Master-Craftsman Polish & Sealer 1 Kit
| Check Price |
Fast Cleaning with Scratches Protection | Chemical Guys HOL148 Arsenal Builder Wash Kit
| Check Price |
Long Durability for Fairest Price | Adam's Ceramic Spray Coating 8 oz Complete Kit
| Check Price |
Professional Results for People on Budget | Meguiar's G55107 Dual Action Power System Kit
| Check Price |
Safe and Easy Application | Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant
| Check Price |
1. TopCoat F11 Master-Craftsman Polish & Sealer 1 Kit – Eco-safe and Easy Applicable
Top Coat Painting was founded in 1996 by John Davern and Roger Smale. The company is well-known worldwide for its professionalism and excellence. The company does care about the environment. For instance, they recycle all unused solvents and paints.
No Need in Extra Cleaning Equipment
F11 is made in America with Eco Friendly formula, which is water-based, silicon free and acrylic. To be more precise, the coating is based on Polydimethylsiloxane, which does not last long and should be applied often. There are no abrasive compounds, solvents, and VOCs.
The coating makes the color be more intensive.
Your vehicle’s surface will become water-resistant with no white wax residue. Also, the coating protects your vehicle from other things such as bug splatter, brake dust, weathering, bird droppings, and more. You may use it for your grills, engines, and more. Note that the Top Coat F11 does not work properly on glass surfaces, leaving streaks. You do not need to shake the item before using.
- Long durability
- Eco friendly formula
- Easy-to-operate
- Uses non-stick coating technology
- It can leave streaks, if applied on glass
2. Chemical Guys HOL148 Arsenal Builder Wash Kit – Fast Cleaning with Scratches Protection
The Chemical Guys Company is located in Gardena, California. It specializes in car wash accessories, buffing pads and machines, and car care chemicals. It was founded forty years ago.
All Inclusive Kit
The kit includes everything you need to keep your car clean and shining. It consists of a wheel brush, soft microfiber towels, and applicator pad. HOL148 makes a lot of foam so you won’t need any bucket, soap, or towels. Also, you will protect the surface from abrasive scratching, that can cause swirl marks.
All in all, Chemical Guys HOL148 Kit is recommended for those who want to have long-lasting and ideal swirl-free finish, removed swirl marks and deep scratches, and is able to pay for it.
- Long durability
- Removal of deep scratches and swirl marks
- High-quality materials
- Fast and easy cleaning
- You should additionally get the soap with neutral acidity
3. Adam’s Ceramic Spray Coating 8 oz Complete Kit – Long Durability for Fairest Price
The company is located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. It is more than 21 years in business. The mission of this company is to provide the customers a number of coatings and paints for a huge range of applications. The customer is to get the highest quality for the most reasonable price to maintain strong relationships.
Adam’s Ceramic Spray provides a coating for various surfaces of the vehicle such as glass, wheels, headlights, bed liners, plastic trims, canvas tops, tonneau covers, and more.
The coating of the spray is guaranteed to last more than 6-8 months, even up to a year.
All the tools that are needed for cleaning are already included in the kit so you won’t have to buy them separately. The hardness rating of the spray is 9H. It is made in the USA.
All things considered, Adam’s Ceramic Spray is recommended for those who would like to use it for various surfaces and serve for a long time. Also, it is designed for those people who would like everything to be included into the kit for cleaning.
- All inclusive kit
- Long durability
- Easy in application
- Fair price
- Rather rough texture
4. Meguiar’s G55107 Dual Action Power System Kit – Professional Results for People on Budget
The company is located in Irvine, California. It was owned by Maguiar family for more than 100 years, but in September 2008 it was sold to 3M. Maguiar is one of the best car wax on the market. It is designed to be for customers on a budget.
The tools included in the kit are universal. They are able to be used for cleaning various surfaces. In the aftermath, you will get glossy, smooth finish without stains, oxidation, and swirls.
It will take you less than half an hour to clean your car’s surface with this coating.
It is recommended for using with 3/8″ corded drill, that is operating between 1,200 and 2,500 RPMs.
To sum up, the Meguiar’s coating is recommended for those who want to apply it to various surfaces, have excellent and professional final results, not hurting the paint of the car, and of course, save money.
- Universal application
- Quick and safe
- Premium final results
- This polymer sealant will not last as long as the acrylic paint sealant
5. Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant – Safe and Easy Application
The company was founded in 2004 in Burnaby, BC, Canada. It focuses on exterior and interior painting, washing, cleaning, and commercial caulking. Wolfgang is a good choice since it has great expert painters with good product knowledge, exclusive system for project management, and competitive pricing. It is honored with Better Business Bureau Buzz award, a Business in Vancouver, a PROFIT 500 Fastest Growing Canadian Company, and Top 100 Fastest Growing Company.
The kit includes microfiber buffing towel, applicator, and both sealants.
With this coating, your car’s surface will be protected for 4-6 months.
With regular use of this product, the life of the paint will be prolonged. The sealants are safe and can be applied no matter what type of paint is. With a huge percentage of polyamide, the applicator has plush texture and is soft. The risk of micro-marring is minimal with silky microfiber material.
To conclude, Wolfgang Sealant is recommended for those who don’t want any scratches appear after cleaning and polishing of the car. Also, choose this sealant if you want long protection and safe application.
- Safe and simple when applying
- Quality material
- Long durability
- It is rather expensive
Topcoat F11 – Buyer’s Guide
Before you purchase the car protection coating, mind these factors
- Place of parking – Decide whether you place your car outside or in a garage
- The weather conditions – Mind whether you have specific weather conditions where you live such as rain, hot sun, or snow
- Frequency and distance – take into account how far you travel and how long it takes
- Cleaning – consider whether you clean the vehicle often and what kind of coating you choose
Is paint protection worth spending money on?
For instance, you can apply wax sealant on steroids. With it, the results will last longer and you won’t have to clean your car with it frequently.
How to use paint sealant?
- Step 1. First of all, you need to wash your car properly. No dirt allowed
- Step 2. Utilize a prep product before application
- Step 3. Choose the buffer made of soft cloth. Then use it at a low speed
- Step 4. Take a time to use the sealant. The more time you spend, the better the results are
- Step 5. Wait till the car coating dries. The next few months you won’t need to apply the sealant
Pro Tip: How to protect your car paint
1. No drawing on your car’s surface is allowed
2. Use car wash soap often
3. Choose waxing method, if you like to protect your car from bird’s droppings, tree sap, and more stuff you may face on the road
4. Parking should only be in covered zones
Difference between car wax and paint sealants
Use car wax when you want your vehicle to shine bright like a diamond. Waxing is done after cleaning of the surface.
It makes your car look nice, but it does not protect the vehicle’s paint properly.
Also, the effect of waxing is not long-lasting so you will have to do the same process from time to time.
Sealant application should be done also when your car is cleaned. For that, you may either use a buffer or soft cloth. On the contrary, with sealant you will have to make one more preparatory step.
Reasons why using a paint sealant is better
- With paint sealants, your car will shine much longer
- Paint sealant application provides much more protection to your car coating than waxing does
- Waxing is to be done every month, whereas using a paint sealant is needed only 2 or 3 times per year
- Paint sealants are more expensive, if compared to waxing, but as long as they are used less frequently, you will save money
Frequently Asked Questions:
Should I wash my car more often when I polish it?
When you polish your car, the surface becomes slippery. So dirt particles will not stick to it. Meaning, you do not have to wash it more frequently. Just wipe it and that’s it.
Why detailing is also important?
There are many different particles on your car’s surface. All of them may damage the finish. For instance, there may be dirt, bugs, sand, rain, and more harmful stuff for your vehicle’s surface. Detailing aims at making the micro layers with wax. So that your car will shine and look nice for a long time.
What is the main difference between washing and detailing?
Washing removes the simple things such as grime and dirt. Detailing focuses on oxidation and marks removal, that are left when chemicals penetrate into the surface.
Prevention of the paint from deteriorating is the main function of detailing.
What is the difference between waxing and polishing?
When more gloss is required, polish your car. When more protection is needed, use waxing.
Polishing is efficient, especially, on dark car’s surfaces, with deep dark gloss. Many factors influence on the frequency of waxing, which is necessary. For instance, waxing need depends on the environment and the way the surface is prepared.
How often polishing and waxing is needed?
Depending on the environment. For instance, if your vehicle stays in the covered room, you will need to wax and polish it once in four or six months. When your car is placed outside, you should repeat these procedures every other month. When your car is light-colored, polishing and waxing are to be done every two or three months. When your car is dark, polishing and waxing should be performed more often.
What is glaze or sealer?
When the glaze or sealer is used before waxing, it helps spider webbing, little scratches, swirl marks, and more. With it, the car will look clearer and shine more. When the car is darker, wetter look is achieved. Sealer and glaze should be protected by coating to last long.
How frequently my car is to be washed?
Wash your car as soon as you need it. Some people wash it every day, some people wash it every week.
Why swirl marks appear?
Swirl marks are microscopic scratches in the finish. They are caused by use of the wrong type of polishing pad. So they function as little prisms. They produce a dull rainbow effect. Also, they may appear if you use harsh material when washing your car. To prevent them, remove all the dirt before waxing and polishing using soft materials such as microfiber towel.
What is oxidation?
There is a protective coat on modern cars to prevent the paint from oxidizing. It has UV protection which prevents the paint from color fade. Now the top layer of cars is usually clear, but still the oxidation may occur.
As soon as the sun dries out the top layer of the car’s paint, the car looks dull and the paint oxidizes. Also, the oxidation may be caused by contamination. If it occurs, the car needs to be repainted immediately.
What is the difference between polishing, buffing, and paint correction?
Paint correction is actually the removal of all imperfections. For instance, paint correction deals with swirl marks, etching, oxidation, deep scratches, run lines, and more surface damages. Polishing is a regular name of the paint correction.
What is the difference between synthetic polymer paint sealants, carnauba waxes, and Silica-based paint coatings or sealants?
Carnauba wax has a rich and warm glow. This wax turns the paint into deep liquid pool. It protects your car from heat, moisture, UV rays, oxidation, and more issues. It lasts from 6 to 8 weeks.
Synthetic paint sealants last longer than carnauba (from 4 to 6 months). They are made of polymers and easy-to-apply. They are rather slick and glossy. Unlike carnauba, they do not have depth and warmth.
Silica-based paint coatings or sealants are made with glass nanoparticles or ceramic. They last for several years. They provide premium protection from environmental contaminants. So your car will be washed and dry up much easier.
Conclusion
All things considered, note that paint sealants and carnauba waxes are designed for protection only. A true shine of your car is achievable only when you polish it well.
Also, you need to remember that cleaning and polishing of your car should be your priority because you will never have a chance to create the first impression with your vehicle. When you apply enough coating to the surface of your car, it will look fresh and brand new longer which is beneficial when you want to sell your car within some time.
Bob Pelletier says
Polydimethylsiloxane is silicone. Silicon is a metal, I have a big chunk on my desk, and when polymerized it becomes silicone. 27 years in the Liquid Silicone Rubber industry. Need to change F11 description.
Derek Chase says
Thanks Bob. I think the point F11 is trying to make when they say it is ‘silicon free’ is that this product will not harm a recently painted surface.