Ceramic Coatings

Which coating do I need?

• First coating, doing it yourself? A single-layer, forgiving coating.
• Longest life? A professional or multi-layer coating.
• PPF or a wrap? A film-specific coating.
• Matte paint? A matte coating that won't add gloss.

How it works: most coatings react with moisture in the air and cure into a hard, glass-like layer. It only bonds to clean, bare paint, so decon, polish and panel-wipe first. Durability figures are the manufacturer's own and assume correct prep and care.

Keep it working: pH-neutral shampoo for routine washes, and an acid wash when the beading fades.

A ceramic coating is a liquid polymer — typically built on silicon dioxide (SiO₂) or polysilazane chemistry — that bonds to your clear coat and cures into a hard, hydrophobic layer. Unlike a wax that sits on the surface and washes away in weeks, a cured coating becomes part of the surface: years of UV resistance, chemical resistance and gloss, not months. The differences between coatings are real chemistry, not marketing — Si–O versus Si–N backbones, physical versus chemical resistance, self-healing polymers — and they decide which coating suits your car and how you use it.

Not sure where to start? Read our guides: Physical vs chemical coatings — what the labels actually mean, the “9H” myth, a chemist's honest Labocosmetica vs Feynlab comparison, and how to make a coating actually last. Prefer it done professionally? See our Melbourne ceramic coating service.