Ceramic coating

You have had the car polished before. It was beautiful for three weeks. Then October came, along with road salt, a trip through the brush wash because things were busy, and by November the paint looked like it had before. The feeling of having paid for something that disappeared is one of the more irritating aspects of car ownership.

Ceramic coating solves a different problem than polishing does. Polishing removes. Coating preserves what has been removed.

What we actually do

This is four stages, not one. The first three are the whole of our three-stage paint correction, and they are included in the price of kr 8 999 — not an add-on.

Stage 0 — preparation. Hand wash using the two-bucket method, chemical iron removal with dwell time, tar and adhesive remover, clay bar over the whole car. Then paint thickness measurement panel by panel, because we need to know how much clear coat we have to work with before we remove any of it.

Stage 1–3 — correction. Cutting to address deep scratches and oxidation, polishing to remove the marks left by cutting, finishing to build the deep gloss. Inspection under LED light from several angles between each stage. This is why the order matters: the coating is transparent and hard, and it preserves the paint exactly as it was when the layer was applied. Apply coating over scratched paint, and you preserve the scratches for years.

Stage 4 — the coating. The whole car is degreased with IPA right before application, panel by panel, so that the layer bonds to bare, clean paint rather than to any residue of polish. The coating is applied in controlled passes with an applicator, given exactly the dwell time the manufacturer specifies, and buffed off with high-pile passes before it sets. This is the part of the job that cannot be rushed: a coating left on too long leaves streaks that have to be polished away again.

We also apply coating to the visible surfaces of the wheels, where brake dust would otherwise bake on, and seal the windscreen and side windows, which gives noticeably better visibility in the rain.

Finally, the car is given curing time under cover, and you receive written instructions on how to treat it during the first two weeks.

Why it pays off

A ceramic layer is harder than wax and chemically stable in an entirely different way. It withstands detergents, road salt and acidic fallout that would dissolve wax within weeks. The water-repellency means most dirt runs off with the water rather than drying onto the surface — so the car is not only cleaner, it becomes easier to keep clean, and every wash is gentler on the paint.

The sums are straightforward. A 3-stage polish at kr 6 499 plus wax has to be repeated. A coating at kr 8 999 includes the same three stages and holds the result for years. The difference between the two figures is kr 2 500, and that is the price of not having to do it all again next spring.

How often should you have it done?

Once, and then an assessment after roughly three years. Between coatings, your job is simple: wash the car by hand, keep it away from the brush wash, and do not let bird droppings sit in the sun.

How long does it take?

Around 16 hours of work spread over two days, plus curing time. The car stays with you the whole time, and we need cover overhead and access to power.

See available times and book ceramic coating — we go through the condition of the paint with you before we begin.