One of the most alluring characteristics of a new car is its glossy exterior and the paintwork as it catches the light of the day. However, it inevitably loses this shine upon prolonged use and wear-and-tear under the sun’s exposure or rain. Are there ways for the owners to restore its appearance and prevent it from going dull again? Yes, through car paint protection. There are several options available in the market to preserve the fresh paint and gleam of the car. The three most sought-after ones are paint protection film, ceramic and Teflon. This article takes a deeper look at each of them.
Why Does One Need to Coat Their Car?
Australians bought over 916,968 new cars in 2020. Today, over 20.1 million cars run along the streets of the country. A newly purchased car comes from a factory with a simple paint job which is not bad. However, it is not long-lasting. The shine of the stock paint vanishes within a short while. Car coating helps enhance its elegance and makes the finishing retention longer and more durable. Simply said, it is an additional coat of paint. One might think that they can achieve the shine through some cleaning or even waxing. While the effects of these methods may last for a short while, they cannot mitigate the damage they endure every day.
Paint Protection Film
Interestingly, paint protection film or PPF has gained popularity among car owners in recent years to protect the shine of their cars. It comprises four layers of different compounds, making one PPF, including polyurethane, acrylic adhesive, polyester liner, and clear coat. The PPF covers the entire car like a saran wrap. The layers can heal any minor damage, like scratches, graffiti, rock chips or chemicals from acid rain on the car, as long as it is not deep enough to damage the layer and break it. As long it doesn’t tear, it can heal anything. It uses force dissipation to protect the entire car and goes to its original stable state when it experiences external pressure, restoring the car. One of the easiest ways to remove scratches is to pour hot water on it to help the PPF self-regenerate.
Ceramic Coating
It is an additional layer on top of the car paint that sacrifices itself to protect the car paint. The coating is hydrophobic, which means it repels water from the surface ensuring no other liquid sticks to it. It is called the lotus effect, as similar to roses, the car’s surface is tilted to an angle, allowing the water to form droplets and roll off. This coating also creates UV resistance for the paint, can avoid scratches, not falter upon contact with chemicals, and protect the paint against the Australian summer heat. Many car companies claim that one need not clean the car if they have a ceramic coating. This claim is true, to an extent, as it has minimal water and dirt retention, which makes it easier to clean.
Teflon Polishing
Teflon, an acronym for Polytetrafluoroethylene, is similar to ceramic with its hydrophobic properties. Additionally, it is known for protecting cars from wear and tear, rusting and extreme temperatures. These features make it suitable for car coating. Unlike the other two, one can have Teflon on the car underbody that takes the maximum damage from different terrains. Like non-stick cooking utensils, Teflon resists attaching itself to atoms other than fluorine or carbon, making the car’s surface non-stick and repel liquids or solids.
Author:- flavia