How Do I Prep a Car for Ceramic Coat?Updated 8 months ago

Armor Shield IX is engineered to bond directly to the surface of any material that is porous in nature and solid. This means you can apply it to body panels, windows, glass, wheels, plastic trim, chrome, carbon fiber, fiberglass, vinyl wraps, paint protection film, and many other similar surfaces.

But before doing so, a certain amount of prep work must be completed in order to ensure that all waxes, polishes, debris, foreign contaminants, and blemishes are removed or repaired.

Here at AvalonKing, we recommend using the following four-step process:

• Wash the vehicle with a ceramic coating prep soap. This will help break down things like wax and paint sealants, as well as any embedded foreign materials, like tree sap and road tar. These ceramic coating-specific soaps are higher on the pH scale and often range from 8 to 10, making them more akin to a degreaser than a shampoo.

• Once the vehicle has been washed and dried, you’ll want to proceed with a clay decontamination treatment, which involves using a clay-based product and a lubricant spray. This will remove any microscopic imperfections that might still be embedded on the vehicle surface.

• Claying complete, it's time for paint correction, an optional but highly recommended preparation step. Since a nano-ceramic coating will enhance anything it coats, scratches and swirl marks will become far more noticeable if not repaired or removed. That said, this process does require specialized tools and expertise, so don't be afraid to cough up the cash so that a professional car detailer can handle these paint correction steps.

• The final step in the ceramic coat prep process involves using an isopropyl alcohol spray, which contains anywhere between 15-30% isopropyl alcohol to 85-70% distilled water. This will remove any polish, wax, or debris that may still be lingering on the surface and ensure that the ceramic coating can fully bond with the surface. Just be sure to wipe this solution away before it dries with a microfiber cloth, or you will have one hell of a mess on your hands during the ceramic coating application process.

For a more in-depth look at the ceramic coating prep phase, check out our blog article on the subject here.

Looking to learn more about the rock-hard world of nano ceramic coatings, as well as DIY car detailing tips, automotive quick fixes, and various other forms of nerdy garage information? Head on over to the AvalonKing blog, where you will find a deluge of useful automotive advice.