Author Topic: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment  (Read 4793 times)

Offline Mr.Edge1974

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Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment
« on: 05 July 2019, 15:47 »
Afternoon all

I,m getting my car ( 2019 VW GTI ) fully paint corrected next month Im still debating ceramic coating versus a good wax coating / protection, I,m aware the wax will wear off pretty quick but I do enjoy washing my car on a 3 weekly basis, the wax protection will be cheaper in comparison, just wondered what everyones thought were, from pictures I've seen on here with vehicles with ceramic coating the results do look outstanding.


thanks again

Offline TweedsideR

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Re: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment
« Reply #1 on: 05 July 2019, 16:10 »
From my experience, it's hands down the ceramic coating. Wax will give you a nice shine for about 3-6 months but a good ceramic coating will actually protect for 1-2 years. If you like, you can add a wax coat on top of the ceramic.

I've found that the ceramic coating, which I have twice done myself with Gyeon Mohs+ and Mohs Synchro, makes it so much easier to wash the car (using snow foam two-bucket method). If you're  paying someone to do your paint correction (which I do myself as well) you might as well pay for the ceramic.

Offline Mr.Edge1974

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Re: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment
« Reply #2 on: 05 July 2019, 17:38 »
Thanks for that Tweedside. Just wondered how the ceramic coating degrades over the 3 years and if you have a accident etc how the coating is reapplied for example, when the ceramic coating starts to detriorate.does it peel off or wear off like a wax ? can wax be put  on it again as usual if I decide not to reapply ceramic coating etc?

Thanks again

Offline TweedsideR

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Re: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment
« Reply #3 on: 05 July 2019, 19:00 »
I can only speak for my own experience with the gyeon coatings, but they don't peel, I guess they just get thinner over time. I would think 3 years is a pretty long time for most coatings, 2 years is the norm.
If you have an accident where the paint has to be renewed then you would have to have that area re-coated. If you are not doing it yourself then you would have to arrange things with whoever does your coating.
Quite honestly, if you have a garage to work in, it's easy to do it yourself - right after paint correction - but if not you're a bit stuck.

Offline Mr.Edge1974

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Re: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment
« Reply #4 on: 05 July 2019, 21:33 »
Thanks for your help. Will be speaking gltonthe detailer a bit various options just won't to get something out before tje winter etc!

Offline SRGTD

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Re: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatments
« Reply #5 on: 06 July 2019, 07:36 »
@MrEdge1974; a ceramic coating will offer greater durability than a wax or sealant if it’s applied correctly. However, nothing offers 100% protection against all eventualities. Anyone looking for near-100% protection, then PPF is an (expensive) option, but even PPF and the paintwork to which it has been applied can be damaged by projectile stones thrown up by other vehicles. I doubt any ceramic coating will prevent the inevitable stone chips.

I’ve not had personal experience of ceramic coatings, as I enjoy detailing and polishing / waxing my car. I’ve read of owner experiences and instances of clear coat etching from bird poo (depending on what they’ve eaten, a birds droppings can be extremely acidic), and paintwork swirling from poor washing techniques, even with a ceramic coating applied. No doubt some ceramic coatings perform better than others, and correct, thorough preparation of the paintwork prior to application is absolutely key to longevity and durability.

So, even with a ceramic coating, to maintain the appearance and condition of a car’s paintwork, IMO a safe 2BM washing technique should still be used, preceded by a pre-wash. Any bird droppings should always be removed as soon as possible after they’ve happened by soaking the bird poo and leaving it to soften, and then carefully removing with a soft microfibre cloth - there may be grit in the bird droppings so never rub hard or try and remove a dried-on bird dropping, otherwise swirls will be inflicted the paintwork. If the clear coat does become etched from bird droppings, the damaged area would probably need to be machine polished to correct the defect, and the ceramic coating reapplied to the corrected area. I’ve seen videos of clear coat etching being ‘repaired’ by applying a heat source to the damaged area. What this this form of clear cost correction does to the ceramic coating, I have no idea, but there’s a good chance the ceramic coating would need to be reapplied to the heat treated / repaired area.

At the end of the day it’s your choice on what you use to protect your car’s paintwork. If you enjoy washing and waxing your car, then there are some decent waxes and sealants that have good durability (up to 5-6 months) that you could consider.

2020 Polo GTI Plus; Pure White, DSG (because they all are)
Gone but not forgotten;
2016 Polo GTI; Blue Silk
2011 mk6 Golf GTD; Carbon Grey
2007 mk5 Golf GT (2.0 170bhp TDI version); Deep Black Pearl
2002  mk4 Golf GTI (the 150 bhp diesel version); Deep Black Pearl

Offline Mr.Edge1974

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Re: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment
« Reply #6 on: 06 July 2019, 12:41 »
Thanks for the advice "SRGTD" it's good to get views and opinions from alot of you guys.

Offline mcmaddy

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Re: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment
« Reply #7 on: 06 July 2019, 21:33 »
I've got the Gtechniq 7 year ceramic coating on my Dec 16 GTi pp and it's the still the same with beading and protection to and a half years down the line. So much easier to wash, I haven't got any swirls from bird poo although it is washed off straight away. For washing I just hose loose dirt off first, foam, rinse, wash and dry. Wheels are coated in Gtechniq stuff too which makes washing them a piece of cake too. Applied correctly by a Gtechniq approved place and it will last.
TCR, Pure Grey, DCC, Dynaudio and Climate Screen.

Offline Mr.Edge1974

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Re: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment
« Reply #8 on: 07 July 2019, 17:50 »
Thanks for the advice McDaddy


Offline ben1987

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Re: Ceramic coating vs Carnuba Wax treatment
« Reply #9 on: 08 December 2019, 09:26 »
I've got the Gtechniq 7 year ceramic coating on my Dec 16 GTi pp and it's the still the same with beading and protection to and a half years down the line. So much easier to wash, I haven't got any swirls from bird poo although it is washed off straight away. For washing I just hose loose dirt off first, foam, rinse, wash and dry. Wheels are coated in Gtechniq stuff too which makes washing them a piece of cake too. Applied correctly by a Gtechniq approved place and it will last.
How much did you pay for it just out of interest?