How to apply ceramic coatings: the DEFINITIVE guide! | Podcast #82

This is THE video to watch if you want to know how to properly install a ceramic coating. Look no further! We address the importance of preparation, the proper techniques (and the why's behind them), how much coating to use (and how to know when enough has been applied), and so much more. If you've never applied a ceramic coating, or you're looking for a bit of continuing education, please enjoy! Leave your comments and questions for us -- we answer them all!
(Panel Prep process)
PANEL PREP: bit.ly/DIYPane...
KOREAN PEARL TOWEL: bit.ly/PearlTo...
PLUSH BUFFING TOWEL: bit.ly/PlushBu...
(Coating process)
FOAM COATING APPLICATOR: bit.ly/Coating...
3 YEAR GRAPHENE COATING: bit.ly/3yearGR...
5 YEAR CERAMIC COATING: bit.ly/5YearCo...
8 YEAR CERAMIC COATING: bit.ly/8YearCE...
COATING LEVELING TOWEL: bit.ly/Coating...
PLUSH BUFFING TOWEL: bit.ly/PlushBu...
Web site:diydetail.com/
-
Podcast:bit.ly/DIYDeta...
-
#autodetailing #diydetail #yvanlacroix #carwash #claytowel #detailing #detalingtip #howtodetailacar #detailing101

[@TheMuseCoffeeco]

I have used the 8 year and it has been amazing. Seeing ice freeze in drops on my hood was well worth it. Love the products and what a better looking guy without the stach!!! Let’s go!

[@diydetailofficial]

Thanks for sharing!

[@neilwalker5041]

Thank you for the highly educational video as I always learn from Yvan and Nick!

[@diydetailofficial]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@neilwalker5041]

Sometimes in the heat of battle and things do not go as planned I lean in your videos to find a solution. You two have put a lot of knowledge out there and I rely on it.

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you

[@limoman4125]

Great video as always!! I guess my question was answered!! Without asking!! My wife 2019 pathfinder I used 2 much coating because I only have a quarter of each bottle left!! Did the stack but I absolutely love the stack

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you

[@davidskinner1046]

Excellent information guys. Much appreciated I learned lots!

[@diydetailofficial]

Great to hear!

[@billwatercutter4736]

Great Video!! Love all the detail you give. Doing my first coating and really needed this.

[@diydetailofficial]

Glad it was helpful!

[@goharhayat2489]

Hi guys, love watching your informative videos. All your ceramin coats and detailing seems to be with basecoat / clearcoat paint finishes. My old VW has been resprayed in 2k red as original. With no clearcoat are the ceramic coats effective in preventing UV fading / bleaching effects with longterm sunlight exposure? . Secondly what is your preferred advice in maintain these types of paint. Im a little hesitant to use a ceramic coat if it's going to start to fade underneath and then the ceramic make it difficult to repolish. Thanks for your advice.

[@diydetailofficial]

Treat it the same, yes a coating will definitely help slow oxidation.

[@goharhayat2489]

Thank you kindly, I'll go for it.

[@Widetaco13]

I have a 11 year old truck that has never been clayed, would a clay towel be good to use before polishing and ceramic coating or should I use a clay bar to get all the contaminants off? I will also be using an iron remover.

[@diydetailofficial]

Try with the towel first

[@erichammond3490]

great videos guys. one thing I haven't heard you talk about is stone chips/scratches and touch up paint. what are your thoughts on touching up paint before ceramic or waxing?

[@diydetailofficial]

Great suggestion!

[@craigmiller8564]

Great vid as usual fellas. But…..over the last 6 or 8 weeks you made several vids saying you do NOT have to polish a vehicle if the car is new or the customer is preserving the paint. If that paint has been preserved like an 87 GNX, that car will most assuredly have waxes and polishes on it. Today’s vid you said the ONLY way to remove waxes/polishes is by mechanically polishing the car. Some clarity please. Ivan in particular, a lot of us take your word as gospel, please know that and how much we appreciate your informative videos.

[@diydetailofficial]

Polishing is the best way for sure. On a new car it’s highly unlikely it has any protection. Do you need to polish, no, is it preferable to polish, yes.

[@maximus518774]

You should do a strip wash and paint correction on any new car then ceramic or PPF or whatever.

[@Stainlessautos]

Definitely a big windex and acetone guy right here, but I do like to try the accompanying prep when possible. I’m just not a huge fan of carpro eraser or gyeon prep really. I’m excited to try your prep eventually once I get the opportunity to use one of your coatings

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you.

[@GoogleUser-il1vr]

Great video guys! Have a couple questions: Can I use your 5 year coating on my Mach1 hood decal? It has a bit of matte and glossy finish. I don't want to create a high spot. Also, can I use panel prep on PPF before coating them? Can I coat my chrome exhaust tips?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes you can!

[@briantrask8173]

Hi, you mentioned an inexpensive easy way to polish, but I don’t see that video link I’m really interested in that information?

[@diydetailofficial]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJWsf31jaLKWZrcsi=Ak2wrJSrIrD-eF5Y

[@BorderlandCorvette]

When will the 5 year ceramic be available again? Thank you

[@diydetailofficial]

This week

[@greghaefs4677]

Just bought a 5 year old vehicle and have no idea if there was a coating put on. If I just do the steps you suggest, is that okay? What if a coating was put on, would putting another coating on it be a problem? This is the year for a ceramic coating!!

[@diydetailofficial]

No problem, wash, decontaminate, polish, prep and coat.

[@jimmystabler3778]

Can we get a price point on the polishers DIY detail is bringing to the market? Will it be cheaper than a Rupes?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes, around $300

[@MikeKaufman-u2q]

Awesome!

[@diydetailofficial]

Thanks! See you soon

[@davestewart9146]

Does your car need to be completely dry before using your water spot remover? I’ve watched your videos and was just wondering, excellent video guys 😁👍

[@diydetailofficial]

Not necessary.

[@BorndetailersTv]

Great video.

[@diydetailofficial]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@drive2siva]

Awesome video. Do you use different sides of the pearl weave towel to level the coating or just one side enough for the entire car

[@diydetailofficial]

One should be enough

[@Ducklingdetail]

Thanks all for the information you guys gave us 🎉 . Dear Mr Yvan , so why there are many kinds of ceramic for the percificly mertearial . Trim ceramic , wheel ceramic , glass ceramic , paint ceramic . Can I use the wheel ceramic on paint , sir ? Hope you guys having a great day , I am thankful alot if you guys can help me for that . Thank😊

[@diydetailofficial]

Wheels are clear coat just like the rest of the car. A wheel coating is that same as a paint coating, just a different label

[@solomonurbanski5246]

Awesome video On your panel prep, how long do you wait after you wipe to put Ceramic coating to go?

[@diydetailofficial]

No need to wait

[@dankrupp321]

Hi fellas, i have a new truck that i would like to ceramic coat. I understand polishing isnt required , but recommended. My question is , how do i combat hard water coming from the garden hose to prepare the paint for the process. Is the water spot remover the answer? Would the minerals cause scratches? Thanks

[@diydetailofficial]

No need to worry, the minerals in the water are only a problem if you let them bake in the sun.

[@jont5320]

Can DIY Detail ceramic coating be applied on PPF?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes

[@jont5320]

Thank you, any video this process?

[@kuralik5169]

Is an IPA mixture not recommended for your polishes? Since stating that it doesn't have a place in detailing is quite strange, since, other, reputable companies such as Koch Chemie sell pure IPA as their panel prep (it's called Sil). Is "dedicated" the keyword here?

[@diydetailofficial]

IPA isn’t recommended for paint.

[@Mark-um3hm]

How about a prep shampoo? Like Avalon King? Would you agree, that would work, to your standards?

[@diydetailofficial]

No need if you follow the other steps

[@timallen1262]

Hello, enjoying your videos and have learned a lot. I just wondering, your vehicle has been coated and went you start washing it, what do you recommend to use as a drying agent to help with your drying towel? TIA!!

[@diydetailofficial]

DIY Detail Quick Beads, DIY Detail Ceramic Gloss , DIY Detail Waterless Wash or DIY Detail Rinseless Wash

[@dutch3605]

I have a question, I want to coat my car. I have a panorama sun roof. It has a rubber seal around it. Can I coat over that rubber aswell or do I need to tape it of?

[@diydetailofficial]

Coat it

[@keithchu1067]

Should you tape off your windows before ceramic coating them?

[@diydetailofficial]

No need

[@businessytshorts]

You said in the video that you don't want any waxes on the car before applying your ceramic coat... Is it okay to make use of a wash and wax car shampoo or would you recommend that even when simply applying ceramic spray then it's best to rather use a car shampoo that doesn't have the so called 'wax' component to it? And I assume those 'wash and wax' car shampoo doesn't really have wax in it, it's just for looks?

[@diydetailofficial]

It’s best to not have any waxes in your shampoo

[@businessytshorts]

@@diydetailofficial Thank you for the reply! Have a beautiful day

[@Ara_Milan]

how bad is it when someone went to carwash they had a wax sealant there , and you put coating above that ?

[@diydetailofficial]

The coating just won’t last if the paint isn’t properly prepared

[@mcfattie1995]

I graphene coated my car, and like you said, I had over half the bottle left. Can I use my left-over coating 3 years from now when I need to reapply the graphene coating?

[@diydetailofficial]

No, it keeps for about 3 months

[@richardhines7042]

What is the best way to remove a scuff mark from a shopping cart on a ceramic coating?

[@diydetailofficial]

Polishing and re-apply coating locally

[@ayasir1956]

Hi fellas. Yasir from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia here. On the topic of ceramic coating wheels, if i want to coat a wheel, should I do it after a changing the tire, remove the balancing weights and re-installing the balancing weights? What if I install for example, DIY Detail's 3 Year Coating, and during the three years, I had to change a tire? Will the new relocated balancing weights stick on the 3 Year Coating, or do I have to compound the wheel with the Gold Standard Polish and the wool pad, and recoat again?

[@diydetailofficial]

Coat after they are mounted. Your tire company will no what to do if you tell them the wheels are coated.

[@ayasir1956]

@@diydetailofficial Sad to say, tire shops here in Malaysia, from low end to those high - end tire shops, don't know what to do if they encounter a ceramic coated wheel. I myself experienced it before. My motorcycle wheels was coated with G***n D**x, and whatever the tire shop staffs did, the balancing weights never glued itself properly. I had to ask the tire shop staff to mark with a tape, where the weights will be installed, went home with the wheels, compounded the taped areas, went back to the shop, get the balancing wheels glued on. Went home and had to re-coat the surrounding areas of the balancing weights. :(

[@cgraham6]

Quick question. Wouldn’t it make more sense for the polish manufacturer to make a panel prep that’s engineered to remove the fillers and oils in their polish? I mean, a coating manufacturer doesn’t know what type of polish you used.

[@diydetailofficial]

Both actually. Our DIY Detail panel prep does both.

[@louislabush4442]

Can I use chemical guys clean slate shampoo instead of panel prep to put your ceramic coating on?

[@diydetailofficial]

No

[@gregkemp4933]

Can you use APP instead of Panel Prep.

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes

[@justinardeneaux1006]

How much ceramic would you need to cover a 1/2 ton truck?

[@diydetailofficial]

1/2-2/3 of a bottle

[@graemefeeney2256]

Great video as usual. But you are torturing me in regards to product ordering to Australia 🇦🇺. I want to purchase the Ultimate Ceramic Coating package, 5yr coating with 5.5” Waffle kit . “Serenity Now!!!” Make it so and take my money 😭 How or who to make it so?

[@diydetailofficial]

We have a few distributors in Australia

[@richardhines7042]

Can this be applied to exterior vinyl trim?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes

[@layyronfrasier9713]

Hello guys ..could I stack the 3 year coating on top of the 5 year

[@diydetailofficial]

yep!

[@layyronfrasier9713]

@@diydetailofficial thanks 👍

[@mariosantiago8931]

Vive 💚

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you.

[@SkyShineAutoDetailingLLC]

we love your product. Just fyi, your bottles leak everytime when you try to add to your applicator. R&D needs to fix this.

[@diydetailofficial]

It’s a technique

[@JVAutoDetailWarsawIndiana]

I installed an 8 year coating with an immediate flash time and it was a nightmare. And it didn’t even look that good. I should’ve known to stick with diy detail lol

[@diydetailofficial]

Sorry you had to experience that.

[@Mark-um3hm]

How much easier can it get, to apply a coating? You use an applicator pad, or whatever you use, and apply the coating. You’re saying IPA, does nothing to clean the oils, waxes, ect…?

[@diydetailofficial]

It’s a great placebo

[@glenzee9083]

Yes very confusing over many video's. Iron remover and a synthetic towel( clay bar) and suddenly this video now needs waterspot remover. Seems you need exactly every product DIY sells. I've watched a lot of video's and contradiction is rampant. Many Pan video's as well.

[@graemefeeney2256]

Water spot remover is required for any long term or burnt water spots that have etched into your clear coat. After you have washed and dried your car beautifully, thoroughly inspect your paint and glass for visible water spots. If you don’t have any, you don’t need it. Pretty simple really.

[@diydetailofficial]

We used it here because we know the vehicle goes through a car wash, they leave a lot of mineral residue on vehicles.

[@glenzee9083]

@@diydetailofficial Thanks. Don'tget me wrong I am not bashing. Just trying to get as much information as possible before I regret touching as well as maintaining my new car. Information Overload I guess. Trying to process techniques and products.

[@dcurry8147]

Do you understand these videos are really advertising to buy their products.

[@diydetailofficial]

Our techniques work with other products as well. This channels goal is to provide educational content to detailers to make detailing more accessible, enjoyable, and safe.

[@PaulClark-s1t]

Nice sales pitch 😅

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you.

[@dickmorissette2900]

do you expect to sell directly your product in Canada anytime soon?

[@diydetailofficial]

We are already available through TOC Supplies, Waxit and Carzilla 👍

[@dickmorissette2900]

How long after I finish to apply the 5 years coating I can get my car outside the garage?

[@diydetailofficial]

1 hour

[@dickmorissette2900]

Thanks!

[@MarkRidge-yf5kq]

Hello guys,do you no where i might get a pearlweave towel in England ? Kindest regards mark.

[@diydetailofficial]

Https://diydetail.com/pages/distributors

[@dcurry8147]

I've used prepsall and a mixture of alcohol for as long as I can remember. You guys are just trying to sell your product. Make a video and prove that statement.

[@diydetailofficial]

It’s your risk to take, and you will notice we also say to not use our panel Prep if you’re using another brand. We’re not trying to sell you product, we’re trying to make sure you get the best possible outcome.

[@Twolves2005]

I also just coated my f150 and the amount in the 8 year bottle was perfect, even a little bit left over. 👍

[@diydetailofficial]

Excellent

[@Mark-um3hm]

Alcohol, I mean? I use 91%, mixed with water. I didn’t have any problems?

[@diydetailofficial]

Lucky

[@Mark-um3hm]

So, you want the rainbow to disappear, before you level the coating?

[@diydetailofficial]

About 50%

[@stevenv9224]

Excellent video like always💪🏼💪🏼👍🏼👍🏼 let’s see more video on the new da and rotary.

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you. Soon

[@KoalaTeaa]

How many drops should I apply to the applicator for a headlight restoration?

[@diydetailofficial]

2-3

[@alanhefter4659]

Do you throw away the leveling towel when done? I think I would.

[@diydetailofficial]

Just let it soak in your wash bucket for 30 minutes immediately after the job is over and launder as usual 👍

[@InvestmentProtectionDetailing]

Can you apply these coatings outside in the sun?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes

[@haroldcottam8174]

Would your panel wipe work well if I am applying a sealant?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes

[@francos2696]

With your ceramic coatings after applying it how long for it to fully cure? How long should it be kept out from the elements? (I.e. not get wet)

[@michaeljaramillo3285]

Says in the video. 1 hr for getting wet in rain. one week for a wash.

[@diydetailofficial]

One hour before it gets wet

[@408man44]

What is the best way to use your water spot remover

[@diydetailofficial]

This will give you guidance. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmqueGyHZa-roqcsi=JHMVSN3azF9tp0z7

[@yweleung]

Thank you guys, this video answered my question about removing existing wax on the car. I was hoping just washing would be enough but looks like I'll need to get a pad and some polish to do the job properly. Also, what process and products do you guys use to clean all the towels and applicators after the whole wash-prep-coat process? I can't imagine throwing those out after doing just one car.

[@diydetailofficial]

We use a “free and clear” liquid laundry detergent.

[@yweleung]

@@diydetailofficial thank you!

[@rvazquez818]

Thank you for the tips. Very useful.

[@diydetailofficial]

Glad it was helpful!

[@delmilligan4584]

Awesome guys 👍🏼

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you 😁

[@ravindranvenkatesan4088]

I am a new DIY detailer. That was a very useful tip to go for a paint prep of the same manufacturer. But after polishing, if I am going for a carnuba or a synthetic wax , an IPA wipe will be enough?

[@diydetailofficial]

No need when applying a temporary product

[@Mario-si5fi]

Another great video guys very helpful thanks Merci Yvan 😉

[@diydetailofficial]

Glad you liked it!

[@t4262sv]

What about using a car soap that strips all waxes

[@diydetailofficial]

They don’t really strip waxes.

[@troywasacase5741]

Do you guy have a flow chart for this process?

[@diydetailofficial]

Check out this playlist, specifically the three silver Subaru videos we recently released: Wash, Polish & Ceramic Coat: step by step kzbin.info/aero/PLD8gYJ2cLWeNJwVAqkPn5ZwrT7nGLQn1s

[@Ara_Milan]

💯DiyDetail !

[@diydetailofficial]

Thanks for watching!

[@Mark-yy2vw]

Will be applying the 5 year coating soon, i have all 3 pads , gold standard polish just need to pìck up your panel prep and im good to go

[@diydetailofficial]

Awesome!

[@0-60STYLE]

I used to be on the IPA solution train until my Panel Prep bottles came in. You will be able to feel the material as you apply you it and see what they mean. It's hard to explain, but after you apply it, you will feel a nice nice nice squeaky surface ready for a coating NO DOUBT. Very nice panel prep, you need very little on the towel.

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you.

[@louislabush4442]

I have a white car first time I’m gonna do ceramic coating. I think it’s gonna be hard for me to see the rainbow

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes unfortunately