Every car owner wants to protect the paint on their car; however, it is quite easy to get the paint damaged. Imagine a slight scratch as someone brushes past your car at the shops while you are parked, a little rock may hit the car when you are driving and the million other things which can harm the paint of the car unintentionally. So, to avoid scratches, chips and other harmful impacts, it is quite necessary to focus upon the protection of the paint. The more protected the paint is, the more amazing your car will look for longer, and also increasing its resale value.
While you are searching for products in the market for the protection of your cars paint, you will find out that there are two types of products available, one is the car paint protection film, also known as PPF for short, or stone guard and the other is ceramic coating. Now you have to figure out which one is for you.
The paint protection film is made with urethane and it is transparent, it can be applied to the exterior of the car to prevent various physical damages, it protects scratches and chips from debris, marks from car washing, chemical stains, hard water marks and much more.
On the other hand, ceramic coating is basically a liquid nano ceramic which can be applied to most areas of the car. The unique thing about this ceramic coating is after application, it bonds with the car’s original paint creating a hydrophobic surface. A hydrophobic surface resists contaminants and marks. The biggest benefit that a car owner gets from ceramic coating is that it lasts for quite a while and it becomes quite easy to clean as well. With ceramic coating, you don’t have to worry about UV ray’s exposure, chemical stains or damage as it strongly resists such kind of damage.
Both products are quite similar at what they are designed to do, both of these products will help to maintain the exterior of your car while adding value to it, however, the car protection films are thicker and they have the ability to resist swirl marks, hard water spots and even small scratches. However, the ceramic coatings are thinner and don’t have the ability to resist scratches, or debris marks, they are only capable of protecting the car exterior from chemicals and sun exposure. Also, they are capable of creating a hydrophobic surface which is quite beneficial for your car.
If you are someone who is more into creating a gloss on the exterior of the car then you must opt for ceramic coating. On the other hand, if you fear small scratches, swirl marks and hard water spots then paint protection films are your first choice. But the good news is that, you don’t have to stick to one product, you can get both of them and apply to them on your car’s surface at the same time.
Now that you can apply both products to your car for ultra-protection, what you can do is, apply the paint protection film to all those areas which are more likely to get scratches, swirl marks or any other kind of damage. Areas such as bumper, hood, side mirrors and rocker panels are most likely to get damaged. Once you are done with that, you can apply the ceramic coating to the rest of the car. You will be surprised with the amazing gloss and protection. This way, cleaning the car will be easy and you will be protecting your car at the same time. The hydrophobic surface created through the ceramic coating will make sure that no contaminants stick to the car surface. It will also resist oxidation or other chemical marks. While the paint protection films will leave you with a smooth surface which is capable of resisting scratches, debris marks or swirl marks during washing.
Table of Contents
Paint Protection Film
Pros – Protection against physical damage (scratches, stone chips), Increases gloss, Adds hydrophobic effect for easy cleaning.
Cons – Costly.
Ceramic Coating
Pros – Protection against environmental fallout (bird droppings, bug splatter), Increases Gloss, Adds hydrophobic effect for easy cleaning.
Cons – Does not protect against physical damage (scratches, stone chips).
We hope that this little guide will help you keep your car looking amazing and give you an insight on what each product offers.
