What Happens When You Book a Ceramic Coating?
A ceramic coating booking is much more than wiping a product over clean paint. Before the coating goes anywhere near the vehicle, the surface needs to be inspected, decontaminated, corrected where required and prepared properly. Here is what actually happens when your car comes through the Quantum Detail studio.
The coating is the final part of the job.
Most of the work in a professional ceramic coating package happens before the ceramic itself is applied.
Washing, decontamination, paint inspection, machine correction and final surface preparation determine what gets sealed underneath the coating. The coating cannot hide defects that should have been addressed first.
Our approach: every vehicle is treated according to its actual condition. A new car may require relatively light preparation. An older vehicle, previously polished car or sensitive paint system may require considerably more.
Follow one panel from drop-off to handover.
It starts with understanding the vehicle.
Age, paint condition, how the car is used and how long you plan to keep it decide the preparation and the protection level.
A simplified cross-section, not to scale. Every vehicle's process is set by its actual condition.
It starts with understanding the vehicle.
The right package depends on much more than the make and model.
Before booking, we look at how old the vehicle is, its paint condition, how it is used, how long you plan to keep it and what level of protection you actually want.
That helps determine whether the job needs light preparation, paint correction, a higher-level correction process or additional protection for areas such as glass, wheels and interior surfaces.
New does not automatically mean perfect.
New vehicles can still arrive with dealership wash marks, transport damage, sanding marks, light swirling or other imperfections. We inspect the paint rather than assuming it is ready to coat simply because the odometer is low.
Wash and decontamination.
Paint can look clean and still be nowhere near ready for ceramic coating.
Road film, iron contamination, tar, old protection products and bonded fallout can remain attached to the paint after an ordinary wash.
We use an appropriate combination of safe washing, chemical decontamination and mechanical decontamination where required to expose the actual condition of the surface.
Remove loose contamination
The vehicle is safely washed to remove dirt, grime and surface contamination before more intensive preparation begins.
Remove bonded fallout
Iron deposits, tar and other contamination are addressed using products appropriate to the surface.
Refine the surface
Mechanical decontamination is used where required before paint correction or polishing begins.
Inspect and correct the paint.
This is where the job becomes specific to your car.
Once the paint is genuinely clean, we can properly assess defects such as swirls, wash marring, holograms, oxidation, previous polishing marks and isolated deeper defects.
Correction is then tailored to the paint system and the result being targeted. We do not use the same compound, pad or number of polishing stages on every vehicle.
See what is actually there.
Studio lighting allows us to identify defects that are often invisible in flat outdoor or dealership lighting.
Understand the surface.
Where appropriate, paint thickness readings help us understand what we are working with before chasing correction.
Find the correct combination.
Pad, machine and polishing combinations are selected around the behaviour and condition of the paint.
Remove what can safely be improved.
The correction stage reduces defects while respecting the limitations and condition of the paint system.
Restore clarity and gloss.
Refinement removes polishing haze and restores a clean, crisp finish before protection.
Check before coating.
The finish is inspected again before we move into final preparation and ceramic installation.
Prepare the surface for the coating.
Polished paint still needs to be prepared before ceramic application.
The coating needs a properly prepared surface free from unwanted residues that could interfere with installation.
The exact preparation process can vary depending on the polish, coating system and behaviour of the particular paint.
This is also why a professional coating job should not be reduced to simply following one generic recipe on every vehicle.
Apply the ceramic coating.
Only once the finish is prepared do we install the selected coating system.
Depending on the package and surface, this may include Crystal Serum Light, Crystal Serum Ultra, EXOv5 or another Gtechniq product selected for that application.
Ceramic coating is applied in controlled sections, levelled carefully and inspected under appropriate lighting to ensure excess product and high spots have been removed before curing.
Why the working environment matters.
Gtechniq specifies controlled application conditions for its coatings. For example, Crystal Serum Light should be installed indoors and kept dry for at least 12 hours after application. Product-specific temperature, timing and curing instructions are followed during installation.
What happens when EXOv5 is added?
EXOv5 is not simply "more ceramic."
Crystal Serum provides the long-term ceramic foundation. EXOv5 is used as a highly hydrophobic finishing layer to increase water and dirt repellency, slickness and gloss.
Gtechniq currently advises that EXOv5 can be installed over freshly applied CSL, with approximately two hours between layers recommended for best results.
The exact process depends on the coating system selected for the car.
Cure, inspect and hand over.
Controlled curing
The vehicle remains protected from moisture while the coating begins its initial cure. Gtechniq currently specifies at least 12 hours dry for CSL, CSU and EXOv5.
Final lighting inspection
Panels are checked under studio lighting for even finish, residue and any areas requiring attention before the vehicle leaves.
Aftercare instructions
We explain the initial care requirements, when the vehicle can be washed and how to maintain the coated surfaces moving forward.
Ongoing maintenance
Safe washing and sensible contamination removal help preserve the behaviour and appearance of the coating over its useful life.
There is no honest one-size-fits-all answer.
Studio time is driven by the amount of preparation required.
A well-kept new vehicle needing light preparation is a very different job from a vehicle requiring significant defect removal, previous coating removal or multi-stage correction.
Some ceramic packages can be completed relatively quickly, while more involved correction and protection work can require multiple studio days. We confirm the expected booking time when the vehicle and package are assessed.
The important distinction: the number of studio days is not the measure of coating quality. The vehicle should stay for as long as the preparation, application and initial curing process genuinely requires.
The first week is simple.
Freshly applied and curing.
The coating has just been installed indoors. It stays protected from moisture while the initial cure begins.
Let the system cure.
- Avoid unnecessary water exposure during the initial cure period.
- Follow the handover instructions for the exact coating installed.
- If contamination lands on the paint early, contact us rather than aggressively scrubbing it.
Maintain it like protected paint.
- Use a safe hand-wash process.
- Remove bird droppings and aggressive contamination promptly.
- Avoid abrasive brush-style automatic washes.
- Use products compatible with ceramic-coated surfaces.
When can I wash it?
Gtechniq currently recommends avoiding washing for at least one week after EXOv5 application. We provide aftercare instructions based on the exact coating system installed on your vehicle.
Understand the complete ceramic coating system.
Ceramic coating process FAQs.
How long does a ceramic coating appointment take?
It depends on the vehicle and how much preparation is required. A new vehicle needing light preparation requires less studio time than a vehicle needing substantial paint correction or previous coating removal. We confirm the expected timeframe when the job is assessed.
Does a new car need paint correction before coating?
Not necessarily extensive correction, but it still needs to be inspected. New vehicles can have transport marks, dealership wash damage, sanding marks or light marring that should be addressed before long-term protection is applied.
How long must ceramic coating stay dry?
Gtechniq currently specifies at least 12 hours of dry curing time after application for products including Crystal Serum Light, Crystal Serum Ultra and EXOv5.
Why is paint correction done before ceramic coating?
Ceramic coating preserves and protects the prepared surface. It does not hide existing swirls, haze or polishing defects, so correction is carried out beforehand where appropriate.
Can EXOv5 be applied over Crystal Serum?
Yes. EXOv5 can be applied over Crystal Serum Light and Crystal Serum Ultra as a hydrophobic finishing layer. Gtechniq's current guidance for CSL recommends approximately two hours between layers for best results, although EXOv5 can also be applied sooner.
When can I wash the car after ceramic coating?
The exact recommendation depends on the installed system. Gtechniq currently recommends avoiding washing for at least one week after EXOv5 application, and we provide coating-specific care instructions at handover.