HOW IT WORKS

CLAY BAR TREATMENT

WHAT IS A CLAY BAR TREATMENT?

Using a clay bar will remove embedded surface contamination that still remains after a maintenance wash. Sometimes the contamination removed is not always visible on the paint to the naked eye. After using a clay bar on your paint you will be left with a surface that is as smooth as glass and properly prepped. It is now ready for polish or for you to apply layers of protection, including ceramic coating. Not only can you clay your vehicles paint, but glass, wheels, lights and more. A common misconception about using a clay bar is that it has an impact on removing swirls and scratches, it does not.

CLAY BAR PREP

Before using a clay bar, your car should be washed and dried to remove a majority of contamination on your vehicle. The more contaminated the paint is the more likely imperfections can be added during the clay bar process.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

• Wash and dry your car.

• Flatten your clay out to fit flat in your hand.

• Spray a small area of a single panel, around 2 square feet, with your lubricant of choice.

• Lightly rub the clay back and forth on the lubricated paint.

• Rub the clay back and forth until you no longer feel any resistance or hear friction. This means the paint is clean.

• Wipe off the area you just worked with a quality microfiber towel.

• Feel the surface with your fingertips. It should feel smooth. If not, repeat the claying process again.

• Move on to the next area.

• When the surface of the clay stars to look dirty, fold it in to reveal a clean surface to proceed with.

• Once you’re finished it is a good idea to re-wash the vehicle to remove any residue left behind by the clay and lubricant.

PAINT CORRECTION

What Is Paint Correction, and Why Does a Car Need It?

The most basic way to put it is that paint correction is essentially polishing the paint. It’s a procedure that involves using a polisher and multiple grades of polish and cutting compounds in stages to remove minor imperfections on the paint’s surface.

Every time you run a duster or microfiber over the paint, install a car cover, or lightly brush up against the surface of your car, dust, dirt, and debris bite into the paint. Although you might not always see them, microscopic scratches are left behind.

As these tiny scratches pile up throughout the years, they’ll start to stand out. Paint correction is great for dealing with them, as it removes a very small layer of the paint or clear coat, just to bring it to level with the deepest parts of the scratches. If the right products are used, paint correction can also help with some oxidation, but that’s another discussion entirely. 

While paint correction is a more aggressive tactic than simply giving a light polish or waxing the surface of your car, it can only do so much. It’s not going to fix orange peel, it won’t remove any deep scratches in the clear coat, and it certainly won’t repair scratches that go all the way to the metal. It’s simply the process of cleaning up the outermost layers of paint so that minor imperfections don’t take away from the luster. 

CERAMIC COATING

What is Ceramic Coating?

By definition, a ceramic coating is an auto detailing product used to protect interior and exterior surfaces from common blemish causing materials. Primarily composed of silica and titanium dioxide, these two substances together form a covalent bond that is hydrophobic in nature and forms a nano-ceramic shield above the vehicle’s clear coat.