Sealing over wax?

A

altec914

New member
Hey everyone I'm a newbe and this might be a stupid question but can you seal over wax or should you strip it off first. I have a new F150 and waxed it 2 weeks ago. Should I wait or just seal over the the wax?







Thanks
 
altec914 said:
Hey everyone I'm a newbe and this might be a stupid question but can you seal over wax or should you strip it off first. I have a new F150 and waxed it 2 weeks ago. Should I wait or just seal over the the wax?
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Try a test panel and see what you think. The prevailing wisdom has been to top a sealant with a carnauba for added depth and wetness rather than vice versa. Dr. G says Opti Seal permeates the wax and ends up on the bottom. YMMV.



TL
 
Depends on what sealant. Most OTC stuff has cleaners that will remove the wax. Either way, the worst issue you'll run into is streaking or durability issues.
 
My truck sits outside in the Florida sun and I wanted a better protection for it plus keep the new shine. I try and wax 2-3 times a year but as of late it's been 1-2 times.



I'm looking at using Hybrid V7 from Chemical Guys or Paint Sealant from Griots Garage. They both have good write ups.



Plus if I use one of these over the wax job I did with Megulars NXT 2 weeks ago would there be a problem?





Thanks for all the replies.
 
My understanding is that sealants need a properly prepared surface to work properly and waxes stop sealants from properly adhering to the paint. Also, I think I read an article that suggested sealants might even counteract the waxes; what Dan said. (I'll see if I have that article somewhere). After I polish my cars I do an alcohol wipe down because even polishes can affect how well a sealant works.
 
Sealants or the new coatings are the answer for longevity in protection. Traditionally the practice of topping a sealant with a wax is really only for making the look prettier.
 
Let's see.

I have worked hard to put a wax on the paint.

I am going to now take a very liquid (solvents in the sealant) sealant and put it over the wax.

The solvents in the formula of the sealant will liquify the wax and become part of the sealant.

The components in the wax will migrate into the polymers of the sealant.

This will negatively affect the required "catalizing" or "curing" of the polymers, which require air (aerobic cure) in order to crosslink (cure) and may create what is observed as "streaking" or "cloudy apperance" of the final surface.

Humm, doesn't make sense to me.

Brumpy
 
Yep no sealant over wax. If the user insists, wax over sealant unless you're saying that also is a bad chemical reaction. I've never encountered cloudy hazing when I used to do wax over sealant.
 
Bill is right. Try HD Uno and Poxy, then top if you like. But Poxy gives a great finish



Bill D said:
Yep no sealant over wax. If the user insists, wax over sealant unless you're saying that also is a bad chemical reaction. I've never encountered cloudy hazing when I used to do wax over sealant.
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+2 with these guys. The idea of layering the two different products is one of aesthetics. The sealant is for long lasting durability but only if it is applied first as a base. The carnauba wax is a sacrificial layer that wears off. Since carnaubas have tints and offer different looks they can be added as a topper for effect if desired.



Before the advent of so many quality choices of sealants us old timers would play with this a lot but not it's not as popular now.
 
Your question is interesting, most detailers talk of putting "wax" over a paint sealant.



For a paint sealant to properly bond to a paint finish the finish should be free of contaminants such as wax, oil film, etc.

As well, a sealant must be allowed to cure before washing it. Some 24 hours some 48 as per the manufacturer's instructions.



If you are going to apply a paint sealant to your vehicle clean the surface with a mineral spirits solvent and then apply the sealant.



Now, should you or can you put wax or a paint sealant. YES, as long as you give the sealant time to air cure as per the manufacturer's instructions.



But, why would you do that? There is no major reason to do so. It would provide a limited protective barrier for the sealant but not more than a few weeks as waxes come off the vehicle very quickly.



As well, being more oily than a sealant a wax could "fill" micro spider scratches so if you were putting the car in a car show it would look better for a short time.



There is a good article that I wrote on Paint Sealants & Waxes for Professional Carwashing & Detailing Magazine. If you go to PC&D Online: The leading source of news and information for car care professionals. and register and click on "Archives" and click into detailing you will find that article and others I have written on several aspects of auto detailing.



REgards

Bud ABraham
 
i used Zaino Clear Seal over D-301. on their web site Zaino says that Z-CS can be applied over anything and still meet their product claims...enhanced gloss and durability.



a prime reason to visit Autopia is to learn, and what i'm learning here is that i might have made a mistake. :) hope not because i did the full monte (D-300, D-301, Z-CS) on my car and on a neighbor's car -- both for free! :)
 
It is said to "believe nothing you hear," and only 1/2 of what you see."



That is good advise when it comes to what detail chemical salesmen tell you.



A professional detailer needs to educate themselves in the chemistry of detailing chemicals so to not be taken in by chemical company marketing hype and wizardry.



Detail chemicals are simply basic chemistry. A combination of ingredients to achieve a desire result.



No chemical company has a corner on the ingredients that can be put in a compound, polish, wax or sealant. It is a level playing field so when you hear or read, 5 year guarantees, 2 year guarantees, etc, etc. It should be a red flag.



Or, if you see cans of paste wax selling for a low of $170 to a high of $1295 you know what PT Barnum said, "there is a sucker born every minute....."



Regards

Bud Abraham
 
buda said:
It is said to "believe nothing you hear," and only 1/2 of what you see."



That is good advise when it comes to what detail chemical salesmen tell you.



A professional detailer needs to educate themselves in the chemistry of detailing chemicals so to not be taken in by chemical company marketing hype and wizardry.



Detail chemicals are simply basic chemistry. A combination of ingredients to achieve a desire result.



No chemical company has a corner on the ingredients that can be put in a compound, polish, wax or sealant. It is a level playing field so when you hear or read, 5 year guarantees, 2 year guarantees, etc, etc. It should be a red flag.



Or, if you see cans of paste wax selling for a low of $170 to a high of $1295 you know what PT Barnum said, "there is a sucker born every minute....."



Regards

Bud Abraham
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so what you're sayin is that if i believe that something won't rip, tear, snag or tangle, run, chip, crack or peal, and it's good for molds, colds and sore a%%holes, and makes child birth a pleasure i probably should be a little skeptical. okay!
 
altec914 said:
My truck sits outside in the Florida sun and I wanted a better protection for it plus keep the new shine. I try and wax 2-3 times a year but as of late it's been 1-2 times.



I'm looking at using Hybrid V7 from Chemical Guys or Paint Sealant from Griots Garage. They both have good write ups.



Plus if I use one of these over the wax job I did with Megulars NXT 2 weeks ago would there be a problem? Thanks for all the replies.
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I'm not a pro detailer, but read allot on this and other sites to learn from the pros--If you used NXT you shouldn't have a problem as I believe it is a sealant not a carnuba wax. That being said most sealants should be applied to a squeaky clean surface (some recommend washing with Dawn) before applying the sealant to assure good bonding of the sealant to the paint. You need the sealant for durability, but you can always add a coat of carnuba wax for a deeper, wetter look, however once you add the carnuba you can't add another coat of sealant without stripping off the wax. Why not try something simple and inexpensive with a good reputation for durability like Duragloss 601/105 with a quick coat of Aquawax (after 24 hours) before jumping to the extra steps of adding a coat of carnuba wax. You may just like what you see.
 
Through educating myself over time, I learned the washing with Dawn thing probably isn't the optimal way of going about getting a totally clean finish to apply your LSP. If there's a risk to using it, I won't take it, especially if it isn't the best product for the job.I'd use a wash formulated for the purpose. Hi Temp Prep Wash, CG Citrus Wash, etc.
 
Bill D said:
Through educating myself over time, I learned the washing with Dawn thing probably isn't the optimal way of going about getting a totally clean finish to apply your LSP. If there's a risk to using it, I won't take it, especially if it isn't the best product for the job.I'd use a wash formulated for the purpose. Hi Temp Prep Wash, CG Citrus Wash, etc.
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I never understood the whole Dawn thing anyhow. I've never heard a "scientific" answer as to how much to use for stripping wax, and it certainly isn't as cost-effective as CG CW/CWC/CWG/CW-whatever anyway.
 
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