Wax, Ceramic or PPF – What’s the difference and are they worth it?
With more and more choice when it comes to paint protection it can be overwhelming. What’s the difference and is it worth it?
What’s the difference?
Wax, ceramic coatings and PPF (Paint Protection Film) all offer protection to the paintwork, hydrophobic qualities and when applied correctly will not cause any damage. The main difference between each is the application, level of protection and durability.
Both wax and ceramic coatings/sealants are thin clear coatings applied directly to the paintwork that creates an invisible barrier keeping the paintwork safe from UV and gives you more time when removing bugs and bird droppings before they eat into and damage the paint clear coat.
PPF (Paint Protection Film) on the other hand is a clear plastic ‘sheet’ that is applied to the paintwork protecting it from everything including light scratching, some even claim to prevent stone chips. This stands well above both the wax and ceramic coating when it comes to the level of protection and durability.
Is it worth it?
In short, yes!
We always recommend having your paintwork protected no matter your choice of protection. Not only does it protect the paint but it also helps your car stay cleaner for longer as well as easing the removal of any dirt or contaminates when it is next washed.
The Wax is by far the cheapest and easiest to apply but only lasting up to 3 months it offers the lowest durability. It is however a strong favorite with people who work on their own cars as it does not require any specialist equipment or skill.
Ceramic coatings are newer to the market and offer deeper levels of protection over a wax. The coatings are also far more durable, ranging from 6 months to around 5 years. It is however more expensive and needs to be applied with more care, this especially applies to the 5 year coatings. Ahead of applying our 5 year coating we give the entire car at least a 1 stage machine polish to ensure that no imperfections are sealed under the coating.
PPF coatings offer the greatest durability (normally up to 10 years) and un-matched protection but will always cost far more than the alternatives and the application is a very specialist task.
You can even have a mix of protection, some have PPF on the front of the car where most damage is caused and wax or ceramic coating everywhere else.
It all comes down to your requirements, the age of the car, how long you plan to keep the car for and how you want the car to look.
How can Wright Shine help?
The application process and ongoing maintenance of each coating weighs heavily on how well it will protect and its durability. When applied poorly or washed incorrectly after application all coatings will quickly loose their ability to protect (the PPF may even peel off).
At Wright Shine we are always applying, and managing wax and ceramic coatings on all types of cars and vans, we currently do not offer any PPF application but safely work with cars that have PPF.
With our ‘Ultimate Valet’ we carry out a paint decontamination (removing and iron fallout and tar) ahead of any application ensuring the car will always look its best and stay protected for as long as possible. You then have a choice of the 3 month (wax), 6 month (Hybrid wax and ceramic) or the 1 year (lite ceramic coating), we also always add a coating after any machine polishing we do.
You can also have the 5 year, 2 stage ceramic coating however this has to be done in a sealed environment so it the only offering that cannot be done by our mobile team (unless you have a clean garage big enough).