Are Waxes & Sealants Even Necessary??
- Thread starter David Fermani
- Start date
Anthony O.
New member
There is NO natural UV protection within wax, it must be added. So to think that because you're waxing your car on a regular basis and it will deter sun fade then you're fooling yourself.
First, your cars protection starts at the factory. So if your car happens to get a bad UV spray, perhaps because of technical issues while being sprayed, then it doesn't matter what you do... it's just going to fail premature. Why? Because the UV added to paint has a half life of 5 years so this would then mean that after 5 years half has broken down. What's remaining in 15 years? This goes for all cars sprayed with a UV system.
So it becomes clear that while waxes and sealants cannot stop marring and such, the main goal should be adding to or supplementing the paint protection that's already present then worry about the polishing and keeping it as mar free as possible.
If paint is not protected properly then there will be no paint to polish, correct?
Anthony
First, your cars protection starts at the factory. So if your car happens to get a bad UV spray, perhaps because of technical issues while being sprayed, then it doesn't matter what you do... it's just going to fail premature. Why? Because the UV added to paint has a half life of 5 years so this would then mean that after 5 years half has broken down. What's remaining in 15 years? This goes for all cars sprayed with a UV system.
So it becomes clear that while waxes and sealants cannot stop marring and such, the main goal should be adding to or supplementing the paint protection that's already present then worry about the polishing and keeping it as mar free as possible.
If paint is not protected properly then there will be no paint to polish, correct?
Anthony
Anthony O.
New member
Also, clear coat is paint......(it does have different properties/characteristics) yet with no pigment. So it does oxidize yet not in the same manner as pigmented paint.
Those seeking to add layers of wax thinking that this adds protection must understand that wax does not bond with paint thus it lays on top of the paint and your next layer will only replace the first layer, it will not build on top of the first layer. Now adding a second coat is smart for full coverage but it won't add to the first.
Those seeking to add layers of wax thinking that this adds protection must understand that wax does not bond with paint thus it lays on top of the paint and your next layer will only replace the first layer, it will not build on top of the first layer. Now adding a second coat is smart for full coverage but it won't add to the first.
salty
Active member
I was kinda thinking about the same thing the other day.
As a lot of people like the look of a freshly polished and waxed car but after a few light rain showers and the paint beading, they get discouraged and lazy and start to live with the water spots.
So I was thinking of polishing without a LSP and after the polishing oils and initial slickness goes away, the paint might sheet water a lot better.
As a lot of people like the look of a freshly polished and waxed car but after a few light rain showers and the paint beading, they get discouraged and lazy and start to live with the water spots.
So I was thinking of polishing without a LSP and after the polishing oils and initial slickness goes away, the paint might sheet water a lot better.
Anthony Orosco said:
Yes, but a sealant like UPGP offers UVA/UVB protection and will layer.
While most carnauba waxes don't layer, I have found carnauba/synthetic blends that do.
My favorite filler wax is actually an OTC blend that does layer - TWUGP.
Not the best looking wax, but fills well and does layer. Pretty good looking for an OTC, but not my go to.
Anthony O.
New member
tmg19103 said:
That's great that you have found products that you like but how is it that you know you are getting these products to in fact layer one on another?
Please understand that I am not seeking to argue here but rather wanting to know how you determine these are layering.
Thanks,
Anthony
Anthony O.
New member
Legacy99 said:
Your reply is rather odd and while the burden of evidence is on you I will attempt to explain why it doesn't.
Wax doesn't cross link, like many polymer sealants do (and paint), therefore it is, in a nutshell, an oily layer resting on the surface. If you add another layer of wax the solvents present in that wax will replace, not build up or layer, the first application.
Solvents are needed to soften up the wax and make it pliable therefore the thinking is that those same solvents will remove the previous wax layer.
Now if you wish to hold to the thinking that they can layer I must then ask how can you possibly measure that? There is no way to do so. It would seem that the science/chemistry of this all would disagree with the possibility of waxes being layered.
Anthony
AeroCleanse
New member
wfedwar said:
Wrong! Clear coat is a non-pigment paint.
meguiars.com: FAQ - What is clear coat paint?
One thing I've always wondered is , since clear coat is just a non pigmented paint layer, why is it you don't see clear transfer to your pads after polishing? Or is it really transferring and you don't notice because it's clear? I would have thought it would have showed up as some sort of residue.
citizen arcane
New member
PursuitSE said:
:up
Yup, this is exactly why I put sealants on my vehicles. That and the perceived notion that a sealant/wax will give a sacrificial layer to bird bombs, industrial fall out and bug etchings when dealt w/ promptly.
Anthony Orosco said:
With TWUGP you can actually see the thickness of the wax after numerous layers (I used to apply every other week spring to fall). I have had people comment that I have a lot of wax on my car in the past when I used to use TWUGP, and I can tell you I and others could notice the difference after several coats compared to one coat - especially on the hood. There was a difference the naked eye could quite easily notice in the right light. I have not been able to notice this with high end carnauba's. They don't look like they layer, but then I can't say for a fact they don't. Note TWUGP has synthetics mixed in with the carnauba and is probably mostly synthetic.
As for the UPGP I can't really tell visually if it is layering, but am relying on their own information I read on the Ultima website forum and how they have measured (however minute) increased thickness with additional layers.
You guys can go right on thinking clear coat and base coat are the same, but they're not. If you'd ever sprayed it, you'd know they aren't. Base is a pigment suspended in solvent, usually xylene or similar, and is often blended with a reducer (more solvent) to make spraying easier. It dries by evaporating off the solvent, leaving pigment and/or flake and some residual binder. Clear is usually urethane-based, and does not dry, but rather hardens shortly after being mixed with a hardener or catalyst.
imported_RZJZA80
New member
All I know is the cars I've seen that haven't ever had wax or sealant on them hardly get water spots, not true for a heavily waxed or sealed car.
WaxManRonnie
New member
Anthony Orosco said:
If thats true, does that mean the same for Zaino or not?
I say no. But interesting post none the less.