HomeCeramic Coating
Paint protection
Ceramic coating, applied over corrected paint.
A coating chemically bonds to your paintwork and creates a hard, hydrophobic barrier. Salt, grit and road film sit on top of it and rinse away instead of bonding on.
What you get
Paint, glass and wheel faces.
All three are coated as standard on every package, at no extra cost. A lot of places price the glass and the wheels as separate add-ons. I don't agree with that — there's nothing worse than paying serious money for a coating and finding out afterwards you've had half a job.
Coated glass sheds rain far better and stays clearer through winter, and coated wheel faces release brake dust instead of letting it bake on. They're part of protecting the car properly, so they're part of the price.
- Full decontamination and clay bar before anything goes on
- Machine polished first, always — a coating locks in what's underneath
- Aftercare guide provided, and I'm on the phone whenever you need me
Packages
Three ways into an 8 year coating.
They differ by how much correction the paint gets first, not by the coating itself — all three finish with the same 8 year product on paint, glass and wheel faces. Prices start from the small car rate and are confirmed once I've seen the vehicle.
New Car Protection
3 year version from £425
For cars under 12 months old. Protected before the damage starts, which is by far the cheapest time to do it.
- Full decontamination and clay bar
- Light gloss enhancement polish
- 8 year coating on paint, glass and wheel faces
Single Stage Correction
3 year version from £525 · 8 hrs
Removes around 70% of the swirl marks and defects in the paint, then locks that finish in for eight years.
- Full decontamination and clay bar
- Single-stage cut and polish
- 8 year coating on paint, glass and wheel faces
Two Stage Correction
3 year version from £750
A heavy cutting stage followed by a full refining stage. Around 90% of defects removed for a deep, mirror finish.
- Full decontamination and clay bar
- Cutting stage, then a refining stage
- Full photo documentation throughout
If a coating is more than you need
The Enhancement Detail.
Not every car warrants eight years of protection, and I'd rather tell you that than sell you one.
If you're planning to change the car inside a year or two, or you simply want it looking considerably better without the full commitment, the Enhancement Detail is the sensible option. It's the same decontamination and the same single-stage machine polish — the paint genuinely improves — finished with a 1 year coating instead of the 8 year product.
Plenty of people start here and come back for a full coating when they change the car.
Enhancement Detail
- Full decontamination and clay bar
- Single-stage machine polish
- 1 year ceramic coating
The process
How a coating day runs.
Decontaminate
Wheels, arches and tyres first, then snowfoam, iron fallout remover, tar removal and a clay bar. Nothing goes near a machine until the paint is clean.
Correct
A test spot establishes the right pad and compound for your paint, then the car is machine polished panel by panel and checked under light as I go.
Coat
Panel wipe to strip any residue, then the coating goes on by hand across paint, glass and wheel faces and is levelled before it flashes.
Aftercare
Dry for the first hour, no washing for seven days while it cures. You get a written aftercare guide and I'll walk you through it.
Questions
Worth knowing before you book.
How long does a ceramic coating actually last?
The 8 year coating is rated for up to eight years on paintwork with correct washing and maintenance. Glass and wheel faces are 2-3 years, because wiper blades abrade the windscreen and brake heat works against the wheels. Those are the manufacturer's expected figures under normal UK conditions, not a guarantee.
Do I still have to wash the car?
Yes. A coating makes washing easier and far safer for your paint, but it doesn't keep the car clean on its own. Wash every two to four weeks, and weekly through winter when the roads are salted.
Why does the paint need correcting first?
A coating locks in whatever is underneath it. Apply one over swirled paint and you have sealed those swirls in for eight years. That's why every coating I apply comes after machine polishing, never instead of it.
What's the difference between the 3 year and the 8 year?
Durability, and nothing else. Both are applied the same way, over the same correction, to paint, glass and wheel faces. The 3 year is there as a lower entry point if the longer coating isn't what you need.
Will it stop stone chips and scratches?
No. A coating is a chemical barrier, not armour. It resists salt, acid rain, UV and road film, and it makes contamination rinse off instead of bonding on. It will not prevent damage from impact, and anyone telling you otherwise is overselling it.
How long will you need the car?
A single stage correction with a coating is a full day, around eight hours. A two stage correction runs over two working days. The car needs to stay dry for the first hour afterwards, and unwashed for seven days while the coating fully cures.
Fully mobile across the North East
Is your car a candidate?
Send me a couple of photos of the paintwork and I'll tell you honestly what it needs — including when that's less than you expected.
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