The typically harsh winter conditions in Colorado can damage your car’s exterior. For this reason, paint protection should be a priority when looking to winterize your car. Applying sealant or ceramic coating to the exterior provides a mirror-like finish that’s both functionally and visually beneficial to the vehicle.
As you look to protect your vehicle’s exterior ahead of winter, one question that will run through your mind is, do ceramic coatings and sealants work well in frigid winter conditions? Well, ceramic coatings and sealants protect the car’s surface from winter elements. Nevertheless, you should ensure the surface gets adequately prepared before application.
What Does it Mean to Winterize Your Car?
Winterizing a car means taking measures to ensure it’s ready for the frigid winter conditions. It could entail mounting winter tires and performing other maintenance tasks to ensure it can withstand winter conditions.
There is so much you can do to winterize your car’s interior. For instance, a high-quality sealant or ceramic coat can come in handy if you’d like to prevent snow, ice, debris, or road salt from damaging the exterior paint.
A major drawback of applying the sealants/coatings in winter is that it will take longer for the products to work their way into the car paint’s pores and cure. However, once the coatings and sealants cure, they don’t come off quickly. You’re guaranteed protection from anything that could cause the paintwork to fade or peel.
How Sealants/Ceramic Coatings Protect Your Car’s Paintwork
Here’s a look at ceramic coatings and sealants and how they protect the vehicle’s exterior.
Ceramic Coatings
A ceramic coat is a thick and durable synthetic material designed to bond with the vehicle’s paint and protect against the elements. It contains nanoparticles that seal the tiny pores in the car’s paint. Once the coat cures, it will provide an impenetrable layer over the paintwork.
This repels common road contaminants, preventing them from damaging the paintwork. Since it’s a buffer between the paintwork and the winter elements, ceramic coatings ensure that the vehicle’s exterior stays protected and in excellent condition.
Why Use Ceramic Coatings?
Ceramic coatings are popular because they deliver a high-gloss finish. Despite being semi-permanent, they last longer and perform better than sealants and waxes. Nonetheless, regular maintenance is needed to maintain the gloss and ensure that the coatings protect the vehicle’s exterior from the winter elements.
When a ceramic coating is applied to your car, you’ll still need to wash it regularly if you want it to look new. Nonetheless, the repelling power of the ceramic coat makes washing easier. Dirt, snow, and other elements won’t bond to the paintwork, so you won’t have to scrub hard to get it off. Water and dirt do not stick to any coated surfaces.
The ceramic coating ensures that your car looks new for longer. Everyone loves how new vehicles look, especially when they’re fresh off the lot. Applying a ceramic coat has a similar effect. It helps maintain a vehicle’s showroom shine for longer.
Although ceramic coating costs significantly more than other treatments, it’s cost-effective in the long run. You’ll spend a considerable amount up-front than what you’d spend on sealants or waxing, but the long-term benefits justify the investment. Also, ceramic coatings are typically 10 times stronger than sealants. Moreover, the ceramic coating protects a vehicle’s surface from different types of winter-borne damage that could be more expensive to fix.
Sealants
Sealants are similar to ceramic coatings in their function. Nonetheless, they’re less thick and don’t provide long-term paintwork protection. Although they’re a cheaper alternative to ceramic coatings, applying a sealant on your car’s exterior ahead of winter can make a significant difference. Remember, a think protection layer is better than none at all.
Applying sealants results in a long-lasting and high-quality shine. Besides protecting the surface from winter elements such as snow and ice, sealants offer advanced protection from tree sap, the sun’s UV rays, and other hazardous environmental elements.
Why Use Sealants?
Generally, sealants are designed to bond to your car’s surface. The chemical bond between the paintwork and the sealants means they last longer and offer better protection than car wax. Paint sealant can be applied like a conventional car wax paste or sprayed onto the vehicle’s exterior. Spray-on sealants are more convenient since their applications are faster.
With spray-on sealants, you only need to spray the product onto your car or apply it to an applicator before spreading a thin, even layer across your car’s exterior. As such, the application is a quick and straightforward process. Even so, it’s best to leave the job to experts who know the appropriate sealant and applicator.
Paint sealants are highly resistant, so the typical winter elements can’t wear them out of the vehicle’s exterior once applied. This goes a long way in protecting the paintwork from the elements that typically make it fade or peel. Moreover, sealants ensure low car maintenance costs. Thanks to their protective capabilities, you don’t have to worry much about exterior maintenance during winter.
Give Your Car Extra Protection This Winter
There’s no better way to winterize your car than applying a sealant or ceramic coating. Winter weather can be harsh to the vehicle’s paintwork, and the added protection layer helps to keep out the winter elements. In a place like Littleton, Colorado, the winter elements, salt, and chemicals can wreak havoc on a vehicle’s paint and cause it to deteriorate faster. That’s where the experts at Jazz Car Wash come in.
We understand that your car is a significant financial investment. For this reason, we’re committed to keeping it looking great all year round. Our experts provide full-service car wash, detailing, and paint protection services that ensure your car looks newer for longer.
Our experts take great pride in ensuring your car looks nice and serves you optimally. At Jazz Car Wash, we work on all types of vehicles, from trucks to small family cars and prioritize offering services that exceed your expectations. We know too well that winter can be rough for cars, so ensure you winterize it by getting a sealant or ceramic coating from Jazz Car Wash. Schedule an appointment to get started.
