Sealant, Wax or Both.....

[imported_Luster]

I`m interested to know how many of you put wax over your sealant and why.

I`ve been using sealants for about the past 10 years and I never use wax over it because I just never saw the need.

The sealants I use are so shiny and slick, that I really think it`s a waste of time, effort and money to do so.

What`s your opinion on this?

[gmblack3]

I feel the same way Bill.

I`d rather put another coat of sealant then a wax over the sealant.

[Tuck91]

When I use M21 2.0 Synthetic Sealant I usually do not put a wax on top of it.

it looks good by itself plus my prep work helps too.

[TOGWT]

My preference is for a polymer and then a wax, purely for `looks`. The bright shine of a polymer sealant I often criticize as being ?sterile? (a flat silvery-white reflection) good reflective properties but without ?depth?. My Father and I entered / were both judges of Concours d`Elegance and I`m used to following their criteria

The aesthetics- of a vehicles appearance is very subjective to say the least, the only best wax or sealant that really matters is what looks `best` to you. In the final analysis it all come down to; 85% preparation, 5% product, 7% application method and the balance is pure emotion

Colour, Depth and Clarity - [: Reflectivity is the fraction of incident radiation reflected by a surface. In full generality it must be treated as a directional property that is a function of the reflected direction]

Are the three factors Concours d`Elegance judges look for when scrutinizing paint film surfaces. So much depends on proper surface preparation, a clean and level surface, and product clarity, which allow the natural properties of the paint to show through, as without transparency the true colours of the paint surface cannot be seen. Waxing a surface that has not been properly cleaned will only result in a shiny layer over dull, dirty paint - not the deep smooth, optically perfect crystalline shine that is obtainable

Shine ? a perfectly ?flat? levelled surface is obtained by polishing the paint surface. Shine an easily understood concept of light reflection / refraction (in simple terms the light reflectance from a mirror) I wanted to expand that concept so that the shine would be optically perfect as well as multi-dimensional.

Colour and Clarity - Waxing a surface that has not been properly cleaned will only result in a shiny layer over dull, dirty paint - not the deep smooth, optically perfect crystalline shine that is obtainable. Without clarity the true colour of the paint cannot be seen, on a muted version of its colour.

The fact that Carnauba wax isn?t perfectly clear is an advantage on some solid colours as it artificially deepens or darkens the colour. There is an issue with metallics as many Carnauba waxes tend to mute metallic flakes.
Gloss - the oils that are formulated in Carnauba waxes provide gloss, which causes jetting (a ?wetting? of the surface) this distorts the light reflectance, giving the surface the ?look? of depth or liquidity, like a mirror in shallow water reflecting a three-dimensional deep, rich colour

Depth ? (iridescence) occurs due to the internal reflection of light within a transparent film or layer of material, where the thickness of the film or layer is of the order of the wavelength of the incident light. Where the wavelength of the light matches or is a low multiple of the path length through the layer it will re-emerge from the layer after a single reflection but where the wavelength is different to the path length it will be re-reflected within the layer until it emerges after several internal reflections. Changing your viewpoint changes the path length through the layer and this means that a different wavelength or colour of light will seem to be reflected.

Jetting ? sometimes called optical depth comes from an applied product that is two-dimensional, so that light is reflected from both a high and low source, the light waves are distorted (diffuse reflection) which creates a three dimensional illusion of depth to produce jetting (a rippling effect, the so-called ?wet-look) The oils that are formulated in Carnauba waxes provide gloss, this distorts the light reflectance, giving the surface the ?look? of liquidity, like a mirror in shallow water reflecting a three-dimensional deep colour, in contrast, bees wax, paraffin wax, and some synthetic waxes tend to occlude the surface

Optimising light refraction
Apply product in ?direction of airflow? to vertical surfaces roof to floor and then left to right, on horizontal surfaces bumper to trunk and then left to right, over-lapping panels to ensure complete coverage. Then apply in direction of airflow, horizontal surfaces hood to trunk, vertical surfaces front to back. This application technique affects the paints optical properties by optimising light refraction and the reflectivity of the bodylines and contours of the vehicle. IMO Zymol?s Vintage is the most optically clear Carnauba wax I?ve used, applied with bare hands; it?s got to be seen to be believed

An extract from one of a series of in-depth detailing articles ? TOGWT ? Ltd Copyright 2002-2008, all rights reserved.

[bigpoppa]

I feel the same way Bill.

I`d rather put another coat of sealant then a wax over the sealant.

+1

When I use sealants and they are in need of refreshing, I top with a sealant.

When I use wax and they are in need of refreshing, I top with a wax.

Never saw the need to top one over the other.

[BIOLINK]

I like to wax so I use a sealant twice a year and wax periodically when I get the urge to detail. I like the warmth and depth of nuba waxes. I realize they are mostly for show but that`s ok to me. I am currently rotating between Blackfire batch 23 and batch 24. I love them both.

[GranPrix]

Two reasons why I top with a wax. I`ll apply the sealant 2-3 times a year and then I`ll apply the wax right after. I`ll also wax every 1-2 months.

1. It adds the depth/wet look.
2. The wax adds a bit of protection along with a refresher every so often.

[imported_Luster]

The reason I just add another layer of sealant rather than wax, is sealant-to-wax bonding issues.

Most sealants don`t co-exist very well over wax.

Sealant-to-sealant, no problem.

I had a black show car for 3 years and I added a layer of sealant every 2 weeks. The depth and shine was unbelievable.

[TOGWT]

[Most sealants don`t co-exist very well over wax.]

Polymers ? There are two main types of polymers; Organic (Natural) and Non-Organic (Synthetic) Polymers

Since urethane clear coat paint is both a non-organic polymer and has porosity, a durable bond is formed and provides the intended protection. A polymer forms a molecular bond with other polymers in a chain-like structure or polymerization, which involves the formation of chains of monomers to form a polymer.

It cannot form a bond with an organic (natural) organic Carnauba wax as they do not contain polymers ;( non-organic (synthetic) waxes however, are formulated with polymers, which enable molecular bonding or polymerization

[imported_Luster]

[Most sealants don`t co-exist very well over wax.]

It cannot form a bond with an organic (natural) organic Carnauba wax as they do not contain polymers ;( non-organic (synthetic) waxes however, are formulated with polymers, which enable molecular bonding or polymerization

Thanks.... I didn`t know any waxes were formulated with polymers! Good info to know.:wink:

[RustyBumper]

Quick question. Yesterday after the sealant cured on my wifes car, she took it to run some errands before I could apply a coat wax. Can I use a QD on the paint to clean it of any dust before I apply the wax or should I just use water? Sorry to derail this topic.

[TOGWT]

If it was my vehicle I would wash (ONR) as I don`t trust a QD not to just grind dirt into a paint surface

[imported_RaskyR1]

I just use one or the other, maybe two coats of the same wax or sealant but nothing more.

[supercharged]

I always use a sealant in a full detail, then top it off with wax ofter it cures...I prefer beading action, rather then sheeting...this wax I get the best of both worlds...I usually rewax my dd once a month or so, while garage queen gets a coat of wax once every 2-3 months or so (only driven on weekends)...During winter I use Collinite waxes, which last all winter, so there is no need to rewax...