Time for a little controversy: The Case AGAINST Coatings

[MarcHarris]

Figured that as Autopia is North America`s home to good detailing dicussion, I`d post this on up and allow people to respond / question / correct anything they feel is wrong.


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http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/the-case-against-coatings-part-1-of-4/ (`http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/the-case-against-coatings-part-1-of-4/`)


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My goals with this article series are to make people think and analyse choices and decisions rather than just going with the latest trend. Everything, to include permanent coatings, have pros and cons. I feel they should be weighed and implemented individually rather than used as a blanket solution. How do you feel?

[Accumulator]

While I like coatings for wheels, and understand why they might be right for many people, they`re not right for me (on paint/etc.) as I need to be able to do spot-correction as needed and I don`t see them lending themselves to that (i.e., how to recoat a small area after the "layering period" has passed).


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OK, that`s just me....but I can see it being an issue for Pros too if a customer`s car were in the same boat.

[MarcHarris]

Good point, though I don`t know how many clients many of us pros have that have your experience/talents to the point they`re doing spot correction when needed. Certainly something to consider though.`

[fdresq4]

As someone else had posted in the blog, I will wait until all 4 are published and then decided as to give an opinion.


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Thanks.

[RaskyR1]

My issue against coatings is that the cost to the customer is very high and our hard work can be undone in a matter of minutes with one improper wash. See below pic of my wife`s car after it was brought in for emergency service, despite them being told not to touch it and having it noted in there system. The work I performed on her car 3 months prior would have been a $1200 bill to a retail client today. Owners need to be made VERY aware that proper care is require to get the most out of these coatings. My biggest issue though is the ever increasing cost by some of the newer "boutique" coatings popping up, and the massive upping of cost on one coating in particular. I`ll never pay the silly price for some of the 4 figure waxes out there and I`ll likely never pay the money these newer companies are asking for their coatings either, at least not without some solid evidence supporting why I should, not just some distributor spamming boards with exaggerated claims and flashy pics.


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I do see some validity in your point of coating garage queens which maybe see the light of day a few times a year.


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With the above being said, I still love coatings! My car was been wearing Opti-Coat Pro since 4-24-12 and it still looks great, swirl free, and beads like a champ. I rarely have time to wash, let alone wax so it`s perfect for people like me.


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Wife`s car after coating


http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i288/Raskyr1/Rachaels%20car/20121007-DSC_2020.jpg


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After dealer wash


http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i288/Raskyr1/IMG_3665.jpg

[Scottwax]

Honestly, I think coatings work best for real car guys who aren`t going to let others wash their cars. I make it very clear to people that while Optimum Coating is more scratch resistant than the paint, that doesn`t make it bullet proof. I do have some who have their wife`s car done even though it will see tunnel and dealer washes just because they won`t have to worry about waxing it anymore.`


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I`ve found that customers who use proper washing techniques can keep their cars swirl free indefinitely. I even had one message me to say he can finally wash his jet black BMW without messing it up. And its funny how many of them switch to ONR after watching me wash their cars with it.`


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As long as you properly educate the customer and they understand that coatings, while offering more protection than waxes or sealants, they still have to take care of it properly. And I do explain that it is a sacrificial barrier that might get some environmental damage (concrete parking structures are notorious for leaving concrete rings on pretty much anything) that will protect the paint underneath. Just like with a clear bra, it make show some damage from rock hits but the paint underneath is fine. I`ve also found that on the occasions someone has had a damaging wash, the swirls and marring are mostly in the coating itself so the damage comes out more quickly.`

[House of Wax]

In my younger single days I probably wouldn`t even give coatings much of a thought. I enjoyed and more importantly had the spare time to wax my vehicle multiple times a year. These days with a job that I put many hours into, a wife, and two kids, I just don`t have the extra time to allocate to waxing my (and my wife`s car) truck multiple times per year. Coatings are a blessing for me and others in a similar situation

[House of Wax]

I get the point as well about the exotic garage queens spending the extra money when they aren`t exposed to the elements much, but let`s be honest.... Any car enthusiast that has that kind of money is going to want the best protection possible

[C. Charles Hahn]

I get the point as well about the exotic garage queens spending the extra money when they aren`t exposed to the elements much, but let`s be honest.... Any car enthusiast that has that kind of money is going to want the best protection possible



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And more importantly than that, enthusiasts with that kind of money usually don`t do the bulk of the work on their vehicles themselves (maybe occasional hand washing or QD-ing, but not much beyond that) due to not having a ton of time on their hands, so the experience of spreading a paste wax out of a "cool container" on their car isn`t likely to matter for them.


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I too am going to wait until all of the article series has been posted before adding my thoughts, but I have some definite concerns about the way things are being stated here. Will be interesting to see if any of the remaining parts of this series change my perception.

[Jean-Claude]

My issue against coatings is that the cost to the customer is very high and our hard work can be undone in a matter of minutes with one improper wash. See below pic of my wife`s car after it was brought in for emergency service, despite them being told not to touch it and having it noted in there system. The work I performed on her car 3 months prior would have been a $1200 bill to a retail client today. Owners need to be made VERY aware that proper care is require to get the most out of these coatings. My biggest issue though is the ever increasing cost by some of the newer "boutique" coatings popping up, and the massive upping of cost on one coating in particular. I`ll never pay the silly price for some of the 4 figure waxes out there and I`ll likely never pay the money these newer companies are asking for their coatings either, at least not without some solid evidence supporting why I should, not just some distributor spamming boards with exaggerated claims and flashy pics.


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I do see some validity in your point of coating garage queens which maybe see the light of day a few times a year.


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With the above being said, I still love coatings! My car was been wearing Opti-Coat Pro since 4-24-12 and it still looks great, swirl free, and beads like a champ. I rarely have time to wash, let alone wax so it`s perfect for people like me.


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Wife`s car after coating


http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i288/Raskyr1/Rachaels%20car/20121007-DSC_2020.jpg


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After dealer wash


http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i288/Raskyr1/IMG_3665.jpg



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I`d be willing to take that to small claims court if it came to that. Of course they will deny they caused damage.`

[Ron Ketcham]

Read through this, and some good points made.`


Key to coating are like the same when it comes the paint system used on a vehicle, be it 60 years ago or last year. They have moved forward in the technology of such, however, it is still necessary to address the "one" issue that affects such at the start.


HEAT!


What ever is applied to a surface, is not a "solid" film, it is reduced, by "reducers, thinners", but that is required to create a "film". Waxes are not a solid, but are a blend of solvents, etc, as are paint products. Apply enough heat to such "applied" coatings, and they expand and attempt to return to the "liquid" state.


Heat makes any "solid" to expand. In doing so with most of the "car coatings`, that means that it "expands", when it "expands", it makes `well known transformation to a "gas" state, when then `releases the once solid state of the applied solid to "gas off". That "gas off" `breaks the molecular chain that held together the "solid" one saw to an "evaporative" state.`


Think about these "basic chemical" facts and then get back to me. Cause this is just a "make you think" post.

[Lexi65]

I`m not a chemist so I`m not sure whether you like coatings or not. Feedback please!

[RaskyR1]

I`d be willing to take that to small claims court if it came to that. Of course they will deny they caused damage.


Not worth my time to be honest...and my wife`s even a lawyer. :)



They offered to pay for my product cost but I declined and we traded the car in the next day.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jean-Claude]

Read through this, and some good points made.`


Key to coating are like the same when it comes the paint system used on a vehicle, be it 60 years ago or last year. They have moved forward in the technology of such, however, it is still necessary to address the "one" issue that affects such at the start.


HEAT!


What ever is applied to a surface, is not a "solid" film, it is reduced, by "reducers, thinners", but that is required to create a "film". Waxes are not a solid, but are a blend of solvents, etc, as are paint products. Apply enough heat to such "applied" coatings, and they expand and attempt to return to the "liquid" state.


Heat makes any "solid" to expand. In doing so with most of the "car coatings`, that means that it "expands", when it "expands", it makes `well known transformation to a "gas" state, when then `releases the once solid state of the applied solid to "gas off". That "gas off" `breaks the molecular chain that held together the "solid" one saw to an "evaporative" state.`


Think about these "basic chemical" facts and then get back to me. Cause this is just a "make you think" post.



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Right and the coatings I am aware of have a threshold above what temperature a car`s paint would naturally see. For instance, CQuartz Finest is designed to withstand temperatures beyond 575 degrees F.

[Nth Degree]

Interested to see where the other parts of the series go.


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I agree about some cars (garage queens) not being ideal candidates for coatings. `They have their place and I do agree that they are sometimes oversold. `They are low maintenance, but not maintenance free. `I also don`t often recommend coatings for a black car since regular polishing will still be necessary to keep the car looking its best. `I have only coated one black vehicle, a minivan, and the owner was well educated about the product and proper maintenance. `