Ceramic Coating — Prep, Correction, Coating and Cure, Mobile in the GTA

A ceramic coating is a liquid silica-based layer that bonds to your clear coat and hardens into a glass-like shell. Once cured it makes the paint slicker, glossier and far more resistant to the things that attack cars in Ontario: road salt, bird droppings, bug acids, UV and the chemical film from winter driving. Auto Royale applies coatings at your home or office anywhere in the GTA, in a garage or on a dry, shaded day outside.

The coating itself is the easy part. The result depends almost entirely on what happens before it goes on, because a coating locks in whatever is under it. Swirls, water spots and bonded contamination that get coated over are there for years. That is why our coating day is mostly preparation and correction, with the application itself taking a fraction of the time.

What the coating day looks like

We begin with a full decontamination wash: foam, hand wash, iron remover, tar remover and clay, so the paint is chemically and mechanically clean. Then the paint is corrected by machine, usually a one-step polish for a newer car and a multi-stage correction for one with heavier swirls, to bring out gloss and remove the defects that would otherwise be sealed in.

After correction, every panel is wiped with a panel-prep solution to strip polishing oils so the coating can bond directly to the clear coat. The coating is applied panel by panel with an applicator block, allowed to flash, then levelled with microfibre towels under inspection lighting to catch high spots. Glass, wheel faces and trim can be coated with purpose-made products in the same visit.

• Decontamination wash with iron, tar and clay
• Machine paint correction matched to the condition of the paint
• Panel wipe, coating application and levelling under lights
• Optional coating for wheels, glass, trim and headlights
• Written aftercare instructions for the first weeks

Curing and the first two weeks

A coating needs time to cross-link and harden. For the first 24 hours it should stay dry, which is why we prefer a garage, a covered spot or a clear forecast. For about a week it should not be washed, and for two weeks it is best to avoid automatic washes, bird droppings left to sit and parking under trees. After that it is ready for normal use and will handle Toronto winters far better than bare clear coat.

What a coating does and does not do

A coating makes washing easier because dirt and salt have less to grip. It beads water, resists chemical etching from bird droppings and bug guts, and keeps the gloss from the correction locked in. It is much harder than wax or sealant and lasts years rather than months when it is maintained.

It is not armour. A coating is microns thick, so it will not stop rock chips, door dings or a key. It reduces light swirling from washing but will not survive a drive-through brush wash unharmed. Think of it as a sacrificial, easy-clean layer over corrected paint rather than a force field.

Looking after a coated car in the GTA

Wash with a pH-neutral shampoo and the two-bucket method, or book our maintenance washes so it is done correctly. In winter, rinse salt off the lower panels when the temperature allows rather than letting it sit for weeks. Every year or so, a decontamination wash and a coating topper restore the water behaviour. Coatings on daily drivers in this climate typically perform well through several winters with that routine; with no maintenance, they degrade sooner.

Best for

• New and nearly new cars
• Dark paint that shows every swirl
• Daily drivers that live outside through winter
• Owners who want easier washing for years

Typical time: A full day including the decontamination wash, paint correction and application; the coating then needs 24 hours dry before the car sees rain.