Ceramic Coating- WHEN THINGS GO WRONG! How To Prep, Apply & TROUBLESHOOT Issues!

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you for the great educational content Chelsea!

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Just passing on what I’ve learned from people like you over the years

[@diydetailofficial]

You did a great job making your knowledge relatable and enjoyable.

[@marcg1964]

I really appreciate you keeping it real, showing challenges as they occur and talking through them.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

You’re welcome and thanks for watching!

[@davidruggles996]

Great video Chelsea! Very relatable on the coating struggles. I love that you kept the struggle in the video. I also had a small learning curve with this DIY 8-year. Definitely read the flash, don't go by the clock and get it on and off the glass promptly. I also wasn't a huge fan of the foam applicators and went back to my autofiber saver blocks. Excellent work!

[@404notfound.....]

Great video Chelsea! Ilike your honesty & what u can expect with different coatings moving forward.

[@archiepezek]

Awesome work Chelsea. I appreciate all the detail you put into your videos. I can attest to the one-hour cure time of a DIY Detail coating. I applied the three-year coating to my car with the car getting rained on an hour and a half later and the coating remained intact. Yvan wasn't lying. As far as that applicator is concerned, I held it by the back strap instead of sliding my hand inside of it and that worked very well. Keep up the great work!

[@tomchinigo5014]

Great video Chelsea !! It was nice to see the process live because we "all" run into some issues here and there but like you said we learn along the way. The coating came out amazing and you did a heck of a job !

[@lakestevensautodetailing]

I would suggest a two-towel method for the surface prep (spray unto one towel, and have a dedicated dry towel to wipe off) before ceramic coating as well as wear some gloves. Takes the guess work out of 'am I going to introduce hand oils, sweat, etc into the paint just prior to coating it'. Great work though - I enjoyed the video very much!

[@ohboy2592]

I just ordered DIY detail 5 year ceramic kit. I bought it after watching your 3 part series with Yvan. I feel fairly confident after watching you two that I can do this. I’ve been watching many of their videos too

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

You can do it!

[@diydetailofficial]

You definitely can do it.

[@ohboy2592]

I applied two coatings so far and it was easy. Thanks for such a good product

[@alexbryan7641]

Always enjoy watching your videos Chelsea! Nice job!

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Thanks for watching

[@phenixwars1]

I put the 5 year coating on a family member's car, silver too, and ran into the exact same issues you did. Hard to see the coating cause of the color, I left it on the sunroof too long and it had tons of high spots. However, just like you did, I applied more coating on the sunroof, buffed with a plush towel, and it went away. After I figured out the flash time it was all good and went faster. It was my first time applying a coating ever, but I've been watching your channel and DIY's so it's because of that that I was able to figure out what to do. I also used the whole bottle lol Your video made me feel happy cause you're a pro and you had the same struggles I did, so I guess I did ok after all. Thank you!

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Great job!

[@dustin3700]

I use prep wipe on some cars but I also use mckees rinseless at 8 to1 as a prep spray on soft clear and dark colors to prevent scratching the clear. If I use the rinseless as a prep I spray half the car and then start wiping it down.

[@dmacd7514]

Like other viewers mentioned Thanks for keep it real By keeping it real, your videos are much more interesting to watch Experimenting most often is the best way to learn We’ll done. Fun to watch and informative

[@neovisual633]

I wish i had watch this video before applying my C6 Hydro Lite, very informative and would have answered a lot of my questions instead of me having to trial and error, and lots of error 😅

[@ccooke70]

Great video. That’s the product I used on my personal SUV. The shine and slickness really picks up over time too. I let mine sit for no longer than two mins and found it to be easy as you saw too. Fully agree about the applicator. I could not keep it from slipping and tossed it.

[@limoman4125]

I am putting the 8 / 3 year combo on my wifes soon!! Thank u for the honest video!! Like u said u could have edited it but u didn't!! That's what separates u!!

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Thanks!

[@grahambell9831]

Excellent, honest, informative video, Chelsea 👏👏👏

[@thesamsquatch5224]

Thank you for this video Chelsea! You're very knowledgeable, you have great drive and you do phenomenal work!! I will keep your process in mind when coating

[@leo-ub6nb]

So which ceramic coating do you prefer, Apex Detail (Blue Collar 1) or DIY? I’m sure they are both great products, so I’m not really asking which is “best” performing product. Maybe more like, which is easier to work with. Especially for someone who has never used any ceramic coatings like this. I know you’ve used both products, and you are in no way affiliated with them (I think…), so I believe you won’t have any biases towards one or the other.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

I haven’t tested the durability on either but based on application alone I would say bc1 for ease of application and price BUT I’ve seen some say their bc1 is failing early so that has led me to hold off working on it more until I do more testing on durability. I haven’t seen any cars I coated with bc1 back and hope to see the 8 yr DIY coating soon . I find most customers coatings fail at that 2-3 yr mark regardless of what coating I put on their cars because they aren’t maintaining it ideally so for me I’m leaning more towards coatings that are around that 3-5 yr mark

[@user-ri3bf4or5y]

Great video Chelsea. Nice to see you showing that you were having some struggles when detailing. I used McKee's 5 year coating on my Hyundai Sante Fe and found the same on the glass. The flash time was much quicker than the paint. It was almost immediate. I was concerned at first but it seems to be OK. Keep up the good work. Nice to have Ivan close to get some quick help when needed. Is he on Speed Dial 🙂

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Pretty much lol

[@lakestevensautodetailing]

DIYDetail suggested 30 seconds to wait on glass before leveling and buffing-ish...@@attention2detailswchelsea

[@davestewart9146]

I love your honesty Chelsea, the car turned out amazing 👍😁❤️

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Thanks

[@Bullybeef972]

Hi Chelsea! I've watched you once with Ivan on the DIY channel, that's why I recognized you here. Good to see the mistakes you made coming from your perspective and seeing the high spots and how to correct it. Watched the whole video and enjoyed it. Subscribed!

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Thanks!

[@dustin3700]

Always test the coating ure time before doing panels. I put 2-3 drops on the applicator go to the hood and make one pass in a straight line about 2-3 ft long and wait. I prefer the rectangular cube micro swede applicator because you can switch sides if the coating cures fast on the applicator. It takes more time to use vs the big red pad but is far more precise and I tend to use less product.

[@KingdomWorksDetailing]

Thank you for this video. So much food for thought. 👊🏾👍🏾🙏🏾

[@KTMCraig470]

Great job as usual! I haven't seen you struggling this bad since one of the earlier McKees's 37 coatings that needed buffed off immediately after application.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Koch Chemie COo2 was even more difficult I just edited some of the struggle out because I didn’t want to blast it but ended up aborting it mid vehicle because it was so hard and switched to Mckees 37 Graphene

[@aldaley3537]

Nice work. I have 2 SPTA polishers that are awesome. The second one has the speed adjustment button. That red applicator was a little bit of a headache to apply BC1. Almost tossed it, kept slipping out of my grip, but, pushed through to the end.

[@jperez7499]

Chelsea, Great review and your feedback of the 8 yr coating. I have applied their 3 and 5 yr coatings and enjoyed working with them. Looking forward to trying out the 8 yr next.

[@adrianlawrence7224]

Appreciate the honesty from someone is so capable and familiar with ceramics but this one seems to be a good coating to avoid. I've only used four coatings and they were a dream to apply. If I'd have entered the ceramic world with this one I'd have gone running back to waxes.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

I wouldn’t avoid it but was trying to be honest that some coatings can be more difficult at first to work with until you become more comfortable with them but also how humidity etc can affect any coating and how to handle the issues that can arise sometimes

[@riceburner4747]

Nicely done, Chelsea. Turned out super. Me being an amateur, DIY guy, when u do doors, I would do trim all the way across & not cut it in half. Maybe do down to the trim, then do it all across trim last. I'm, by far, NO expert.😉👍

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

That is a way you can do it

[@ilikechickensausages2075]

I saw an Australian professional detailer use a test panel on the day of ceramic coating a car to test the flash/drying time's, Before starting.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Yeah that would be a lot easier lol

[@rogerventorres7234]

I wish you are in WI!! Amazing educational video! Thank you

[@millerdetailing4176]

Really great video and demonstration Chelsea.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Thanks

[@dustin3700]

My first time using the 8 year way on a 2021 challenger and I ran out and still had the hood left but I switched applicator pad half way through because I didn't really like the red applicator pad because of the grab and large size.

[@tucksmith8300]

It looks awesome Chelsea

[@paulrogers3511]

Great video! Appreciate keeping it real 💯

[@joelpasserell4525]

Great job & thanks for keeping it real. At 55% or 64% humidity & 74 deg., thats like the perfect coating environment, and you still had to remove in 1-2 min.? If I'm mobile & it's 85 deg. & 80% humidity, even under canopy, it's going to flash almost instantly. 😳You're def. going to have to work in a lot smaller areas. I thought these were supposed to have upwards of 10min. before leveling?

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Up to 5 minutes but humidity is normally the biggest culprit to situations like this

[@chelsabailey1018]

Hi Chelsea! Great video and very informative! Question...Have you ever used the Advanced Graphene Ceramic Coating from Weiruixin (claims 10 years of protection) or the 10H Nano Ceramic Coating from Autokcan (claims 2 yrs of protection)? These coatings are available on Amazon for under $30 😲and both companies are based in China. I realize neither company has the reputation of DIY Detail, Gyeon or CarPro, however, their prices are very budget-friendly for those of us who are not professional detailers. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

I’ve never even heard of them

[@marcg1964]

Just placed my 1st order for several DIY products. Looking forward to using them.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you! What are you most looking forward to trying?😊

[@lukeweaver417]

Hi Chelsea great videos they are informative, clear & easy to follow keep them coming and keep up the good work. 👍🏻 Luke United Kingdom

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Thanks

[@robl6044]

Awesome job on the vehicle it looks great thanks for sharing 😊

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Thanks

[@milwaukeemike3557]

I think my brother got this gray gloss paint job on his nee SUV, he bought it that way but it look like 5 layers of glossy primer, like somebody painted the whole truck with fingernail polish, good thing his kids are in their late teens because i think if it gets scratched it'll look horrible

[@jsclayton]

What do you use to maintain the temp/humidity in the garage? In the 90s I struggle to keep the inside of the house cool, and my garage is just as hot or hotter than outside. Thanks!

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

I have a mini split that has a dehumidifier on it

[@CVMarius]

could you look for high spots inside, just with lights, without sun?

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

You can, that Softbox light greatly helps that’s why I didn’t really have any but on that color car it was extremely hard to see on camera. I can try to show that process on a darker colored car in the future

[@ratton5028]

Hi Chelsea 🖐 I enjoyed the video, thanks for relating your experience. How much of the product did you use? Or how much was left in the bottle after the job? Cheers!!..

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

I used every last drop of the bottle on this car but after talking to Yvan I used way too much and some of that was due to the larger orifice causing product to dump out and they have since changed that to a smaller orifice

[@amberatkinson4230]

This is a great video, thank you. How did you like the softbox light for this vehicle? Did it significantly improve your ability to see the coating?

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Yes very especially on a silver car but this has greatly reduce high spots for me on cars especially on side panels

[@amberatkinson4230]

@@attention2detailswchelsea Thank you. I clicked the link in your description box and am delighted to see the light is inexpensive.

[@ferlandogillis1870]

Good evening I'm getting ready to start my own business and doing the ceramic coating you charge people by the size of the vehicle and the different types of coating that they want to do right and what kind of shape the vehicle is in right

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Correct but always say “starting at”

[@mickeyreefer4212]

What is the best bang for the buck for paint thickness guage. Just using on my own vehicle.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Best and cheap don’t normally coincide. I like this one bit.ly/45sVsIB

[@paulmouradjian6045]

If working outside can you use the "polish the entire vehicle then rinseless wash" technique as well if in the sun?.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

With this product, yes. Others may not work as well

[@jorgeaceves2068]

Good video Chelsea, but in my opinion CC has to improve too much still is difficult to put, dry and finish, for my still I'm putting pre-wax polishing paint cleaner following sealant and Custom car wax. the result show car. Greetings from Canada.

[@Starriddin]

Actually, the DIY Detail coatings are simple to use. The prep is we’re the work comes in. I just did my white Pearl 2023 Accord outside in south Louisiana. I watched several of Ivan DIY videos, including the one he did with Chelsea. I had no permanent high spots. This was my first ceramic coating. I am doing my wife’s 2022 Accord next. You should try it.

[@mickeyreefer4212]

Awesome job. Wish I lived closer

[@Starriddin]

I just put the 5 year product on my 2023 white pearl Accord. I had no issues, but Ivan said in another video that glass and plastic should be leveled in about 30 seconds. Also, you are having trouble with applicator as you are using way too much pressure. That makes loaded product ooze causing runs and high spots and cause the pad to grab when it starts to dry.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Good tips!

[@TwiztidThorn]

I really loved the video. Thank you for the going so in-depth on the process. I have a 69 Chevelle with nowhere near perfect paint. If I wanted to preserve the patina and keep the look of being old and worn, would ceramic coating be a good option? Thanks again 👍

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

If you don’t want that hard candy like reflection from a coating personally I would recommend waxes for classic cars as they give off more of a warm glow vs the glass like reflection of a coating. Collinite 845 is one of my favorites or you could do something like Wolfgang deep gloss paint sealant or Jescar power lock

[@joelpasserell4525]

​@@attention2detailswchelsea Wouldn't the DIY 5yr. gloss be good in that case? Or using a coating with carnuba in it, like Undrdog Pro, would give a warmer glow and protection?

[@whalen530]

How well do you like your spta polisher I’ve been looking for a cordless polisher

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

It’s great for paint enhancements but battery runs out after 40 minutes of use and can make your hand tingle after extended use. But they do have 2 batteries and charge somewhat quickly but the batteries loose charge over time

[@davidm6256]

I have a question, after I ceramic coated my car I put carnuba wax over it, does that help with protection?

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Ideally once you go Ceramic, you wanna stay ceramic with your protection as the wax is really not going to bond or stick to the coating because the Coating will want to do it’s job and repel it. You want something that is in the same chemical family. The only one that would apply in the situation is a Mckees37 Graphene Coating wax as a spray wax that also has Ceramic in it that is safe to use with their graphing coating

[@SlowDiscoFourOneNine]

With the exterior what is the range for charging for the ceramic coating with all you did to it. Not sure where you are in Pa but I am in central Pa and prices are all over the place. I plan on using DIY coatings only. Products are amazing. Thanks 🙏

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

My coatings range from $500 for a 12 month coating for a sedan with just a quick enhancement and can go up to $1250 for our best coating and a 1-2 step.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

And I’m in Lancaster Pa

[@The_CR_Phil]

Chelsea, have you found DIY Detail 3-year or 5-year ceramic coating easier to apply than the 8-year? I'm a car owner who's never applied a coating and I'm concerned about screwing up.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

I found the 3 yr the easiest to apply and slickest imo. The 8 yr was the grabbiest but not bad in comparison to others I’ve used. The 3 yr is my favorite out of their lineup

[@The_CR_Phil]

@@attention2detailswchelsea Thanks, Chelsea. I recently found your channel and am enjoying it.

[@ddautodetailing]

Great job 👏!

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Thanks

[@bjimsondetailing]

can ceramic coating be apply on the panel that the clear coat is peeling

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

I wouldn’t recommend it because to remove it you have to polish it off which could make you burn through the already too thin paint

[@kirbyschneider4187]

What coating? For both paint and trim. Thank you!

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

DIY Detail 8 yr coating

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes it can be used on all exterior surfaces, paint, wheels, trim, glass, and chrome.

[@donlarsenjr2332]

How much of that bottle did you use on that size vehicle?

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Almost the whole bottle because of the orifice being larger

[@richardhines7042]

Would you do a video on ceramic coating a white vehicle?

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmnCgWZjhN5jbKMsi=m9vVtDhZ-o3NYb8m

[@coszec]

Do your customers drop off your car at your house and have someone pick them up? I’m trying to figure out how other detailer do it.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Yes either that or they get a Uber or Lyft. I am flexible with drop off and pickup and have a drop box for after hours pick up as well. Just like a mechanic and it works

[@dirtyrebel884]

Just curious do you ever chase paint perfection or is your entire client base solely your everyday vehicles. Would love to see what you do on a full correction

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

My customers have never asked for it honestly and my customer base is normally daily drivers on a limited budget or new cars that don’t have much correction required. My prices for coatings range from $800-$1250 and includes a 1 step and if more correction is required they normally say just do what you can to stick to that price. But also even if I do perfect it, most of my customers use the automatic car wash and all that effort was wasted so in my opinion, it’s unpractical to chase perfection on these types of cars

[@a.j.casper8873]

Been a fan of your channel. Just be honest even if you hurt Ivans feelings. The coating is not user friendly what so ever. We are intelligent detailers. Especially if watching entire vid. Yea it looks decent but it should its coating. Adams.Graphine and Apex are my personal favorite.

[@ohboy2592]

I have applied two of diy coatings so far and they have be very friendly. Watch the flash time and stick within that window which is a few minutes easily. I coated two full size cars and never had a single high spot. The foam pad needs to be primed well and it took more than 5 drops for me. I used 8-9 and then after that it was 2-3 drops when needed. 80 degree temps, 60% humidity and between 2-4 minutes I was good to go.

[@1stfrompuertorico568]

Nice!!!

[@darrenprintz2966]

That pad washer is extremely expensive

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

It’s an investment for sure (I have a coupon code to try to help with price) but it does save money in the long run I’m not having to buy as many pads and also saves time as well

[@darrenprintz2966]

@@attention2detailswchelsea I started to just use a bucket with diy rinseless and just hand ring for now. lol

[@sammitchell7310]

8 years 😂😂 highly doubt

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

It’s all about maintenance

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

But time will tell! We will see this vehicle soon for a update and hopefully can periodically give updates