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The Anatomy of a Detail pg3:

Now the vehicles paint looks fantastic; there are no more swirls, scratches, rock chips - it's like a mirror. All done, right? Not so fast.

There is a perception that simply waxing a car will make it look brand-new. While waxing your car is never a bad idea, this "how-to" has illustrated that it often takes more steps to bring a car's paint back to life. Now that we've polished the paint and are happy with the results it's time to protect the vehicle from UV rays, water spots, acid rain, and bird droppings while making it easier to keep clean by applying a wax or sealant. A nice side-benefit is that while protecting the paint we also help beautify it.

The technical difference between a carnauba wax and a polymer sealant is quite profound, but for the purposes of this article we're going to focus on the fact that their intentions are the same; to protect the cars paint while making it look beautiful. Our customers are free to choose a sealant or a wax, or both - they each have their advantages are disadvantages which can be discussed at the time of the detail. For now let's move on by applying both a sealant and a wax

Before we move ahead with sealing/waxing, it's important to make sure the rest of the car (aside from the paint) has been cleaned and protected. This is often over-looked by in-experienced detailers; in fact it's one of the most important and labor-intensive parts of the job. Wheels, tries, rubber, vinyl, plastic trim, glass, mirrors, chrome, taillights, badges, even wheel wells - they all need to be thoroughly cleaned and protected.

Our wheels will be cleaned during the wash process, but now is when we protect them and dress the tires. Wheel sealant is applied to keep brake dust from building up on the wheels and make future cleanings easier. Tires are dressed for aesthetic purposes with a matte or gloss finish (whichever the customer prefers). Trim is treated for both visual purposes and to protect it from UV rays and to prevent sun bleaching. Rubber is dressed so that it doesn't dry out and crack. Glass is cleaned and protected so that water beads and runs off it. Chrome is cleaned and protected with a sealant as are badges and headlamps/taillights. Wheel wells are cleaned and protected.

Now comes the sealant application. As mentioned above, sealants have a number of advantages when compared with a traditional carnauba wax. They generally offer longer durability and tend not to stain trim, they also look very good when applied to properly prepared paint. We will normally apply sealant with a buffer at a slow speed with a non-abrasive finishing pad.

Carnauba waxes have been used on automotive finishes for decades (and still are) simply because they work, and they look good. They provide protection from the elements, and many people prefer the soft-glow they give a car's paint. When applying wax we will apply it by hand. Whether a wax or sealant is applied, the end product should turn heads. We guarantee all our work will exceed your highest expectations.

   

   

As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact us at any time.

Please note that these F.A.Q's are intended to be helpful and informative for people new to detailing. For more thorough detailing information please visit this wonderfully written detailing guide or my detailing forum of preference, Detail University.