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Winter Preparation & Maintenance:

One of the most commonly discussed issues here at GTA In Detail, aside from paint restoration, is how to adequately protect a vehicles paint year long, in particular through the harsh Canadian winters. We recommend that every vehicle, even ones not driven year round, are sealed at least twice yearly.

Unlike in the past (as recently as 5 years ago), it is not longer necessary to wax a car every 4-6 weeks to keep it protected. With the advent of modern polymer sealants paint, glass, chrome, and trim can now be protected for as long as 6 months. We strong recommend that as a minimum that a high durability paint sealant be applied once in the Spring and once in the late Fall, around the same time you would put winter tires on your vehicle.

Before I explain the benefits and reasoning behind this I want to point out that this document is designed to provide information on the minimum amount of protection we recommend. From an aesthetic standpoint it is still very viable to have your car re-sealed or waxed every 1-2 months. Of course we highly recommend all vehicles be maintained by a professional via a Maintenance Program to ensure that they are kept in show-room condition at all times.

Going back to protecting your vehicle, a high durability sealant such as the ones we use at GTA In Detail will last between 5-6 months even in the harshest conditions, this means that if you have your car sealed in November, you will need to seal it again in May, then again in November. We also highly recommend a light polishing session in the spring to remove any marring induced throughout the year, and bring the luster back to your paint. If properly washed this is the minimum amount of care a car will need throughout the year.

The benefits of protecting your car are relatively straight-forward; UV protection, acid rain and water spots, bird droppings and environmental fallout are the most common assailants of paint. In the winter some more subtle benefits include increased visibility, and that ice and snow slide more easily off the car as opposed to attaching to it, and of course sealants helps protect the paint from road salt.