When it comes to car care, there are lots of different things you can do. At Burbank Car Detail, we offer eight different specific services that focus on different parts of your vehicle. Two of these services may sound a bit similar, our ceramic coating and our film coating services. However, despite the fact that each has coating in the name, they are very different services. Here is a breakdown of each service so that you can get a better understanding of them and select the right service for you!

What is ceramic coating?

A ceramic coating is a liquid polymer that a trained technician applies to the exterior of your vehicle. The polymer layer bonds in a chemical reaction to the paint of your vehicle and provides a protective layer to the vehicle. Through this, a hydrophobic surface is also created, meaning that water will not disrupt the paint of your vehicle. Largely, there are two main goals that come with ceramic coating. First, it helps keep a car clean for longer due to the hydrophobic protective layer. Second, it makes the car easier to clean for its next wash.

Also, the protective layer helps reduce some signs of damage.

For example, if the car is exposed to any acidic contaminants, such as acidic particles simply floating in the air, the protective layer helps to reduce the possibility of the acidic contamination harming the paint. Furthermore, the coating reduces the likelihood of oxidation of the paint, which causes it to fade. This most often happens due to UV exposure.

What is film coating?

Film coating is made of a completely different material. Unlike the liquid polymer that ceramic coating is, film coating is typically a transparent, urethane film that is applied to the vehicle. Because of the application and material of a film coating, there is no chemical bond happening between the film and the paint like with ceramic coating.

Film coating does add a protective layer like ceramic coating, but it protects in different ways.

Film coating significantly aids in preventing scratches and chips in the paint that can occur from road debris kicking up while driving. It also eliminates swirl marks that usually naturally occur when washing a car. Similar to ceramic coating, it does prevent some chemical damage and can also aid in reducing oxidation of the car’s paint.

In short, each coating type provides a protective layer over the car’s paint that can help it to last longer. However, the ceramic coating focuses on long lasting clean for your car, while film coating focuses on scratch prevention when on the road. Both are great additions to any car detailing service and can be done by our expert technicians at Burbank Car Detail! Give us a call to schedule your detailing service today!