About
Table of Contents
About Us
Steve Rosenthal was the founding member of our duo. After getting certified through System X, Steve's passion in educating people on vehicle protection and maintenance was his muse to create Perfect Reflections. The old school drive and work ethic is what makes the quality so real. He strives to not rush any detail because it's the details that matter!
(Zack “BRO” Infusino)
Bro came onto the Perfect Reflections team last year. His fascination with the end results of a detail led
him to start asking a lot of questions. Through answering these questions I invited him to work with me
on a vehicle. From that point on his meticulous drive for perfection has shown on every detail that
crosses the threshold of the Perfect Reflections shop.
Ceramic Coating
What is Ceramic Coating?
A ceramic coating is a type of clear semi-permanent auto body protection
made from silicon dioxide that acts as a sacrificial layer to the clear coat on your vehicle.
What will a ceramic coating do for my vehicle?
The benefits of ceramic coating are many. Not only will it provide
hydrophobic behavior (water beading) but it also protects your vehicle from mineral buildup/water
spotting, acid rain, bug guts, bird droppings, ice & snow, tree sap, harsh corrosion/rust and UVA/UVB
oxidation from extreme heat from the suns rays.
What should I expect from a ceramic coating?
Basically,
a ceramic coating provides ease of maintenance. It adds high gloss and a layer of protection many times
more durable then other previous means of protection such as waxes or paint sealants.
No Ceramic Coating (Left) VS Ceramic Coating (Right)
Ceramic Coating Care Sheet
Ceramic Coating Care Sheet
Ceramic coating maintenance is a important part of ceramic ownership. Once applied a coating should
not be subject to rain or water for 12-24 hours. A ceramic coating will cure over the period of 30-45
days. Gloss levels increase as the coating hardens. It is recommended that you do NOT wash your
vehicle for 2-3 weeks after initial installation.
First Wash
If you plan on maintaining your coating yourself a PH neutral soap will be required.
Ceramics have a chemical resistance that improves after the curing time is complete. It should be noted
that degreasers and solvent based chemicals such as adhesive removers, low/high PH solutions to
include bug/tar removers or, decon chemicals shouldn’t be used until the coating has fully cured.
Scratches/Swirls
The best way to keep swirls and scratches off your coating is by not touching it with your hands.
Dragging dirt or contaminants across your paint by swiping with your finger or even a microfiber towel
or California Duster while not lubricated can introduce these anomalies to your coating.
Chemical Decontamination
It is recommended every 6 months a chemical decontamination be conducted. Decontamination
chemicals depending on time of year can include a iron remover and a low/high ph presoak prior to a
decon wash. What this does is remove embedded brake dust that could’ve stuck to the coating. After
removing these contaminants a ceramic spray is applied to fill in and level microscopic gaps that form in
the ceramic.
One Year Later
On the 1 year anniversary of your coating install it is recommended that you bring your vehicle back so an
inspection can be completed and a ceramic topper can be applied. This topper essentially does the
same thing as the ceramic spray just better. The yearly maintenance is strongly encouraged if you want
your ceramic coating to last for the full duration. Not adhering to this schedule can cause premature
coating failure.
Coating Durability Over Time
We have 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10-year coatings
varying from consumer-grade to professional use. These timeframes are both true and false. Similar to
fuel mileage ratings on vehicles, the timeframes specified on coatings are based on many factors that
aren’t always explained to the customer.
Questions your ceramic installer should be asking you that factor into the selection of a coating is:
Is your car stored inside a garage year-round? Environmental factors play into long-term durability.
How often do you wash your vehicle? Do you go through automatic car washes? Touchless car washes?
What environment is your vehicle expected to operate in?
Now that all the questions have been asked, let's answer them.
Ceramic Manufacturers label their products based on perfect conditions.
They assume every car gets a warm cozy spot in a garage after coming home from work and that you lovingly wash your vehicle every 1-2 weeks year around.
That you meet with your installer every year on your ceramic installation anniversary for your inspection and
ceramic topper. All these assumptions are therefore transferred to these yearly ratings on coatings. So
which coating is right for you? Well at Perfect Reflections we narrow the options knowing that everyday
people shouldn’t have to decipher the code on longevity. We only provide 5, 7, 10 year coatings. This is
because we care about our customers and want our customers expectations to be met or exceeded.
Mythbusting the Marketing
By doing a simple internet search under “ceramic coatings” you are thrust into a endless amount of
information making promises of scratch resistance, prevention of rock chips, Maintenance free
ownership and this illusion that after having a ceramic coating installed makes your vehicle bulletproof!
Well, I am sorry to inform you that this is all marketing and holds partial truths that may be misleading. Lets dissect these myths and put reasonable expectations to ceramic coating ownership.
Rock Chip Prevention
Ceramic coatings essentially are a layer of glass that, after application, adds a sacrificial barrier the
width of a human hair to your vehicle. As you can imagine, this thin layer may resist the smallest of rock
chipping to your paint work however, there is no way of knowing what types of impacts your vehicle may
be subject to on the road and therefore expectations on these claims need to be qualified accordingly.
Scratch Resistance
Ceramic coatings do have a small amount of scratch resistance. Previous to the
ceramic coating craze waxes and sealants were the preferred protection methods for your vehicles
paintwork. We all remember moms and dads in the driveway on Saturday morning washing the car and
after the wash drying with chamois clothes then rushing to apply wax. Little did they know at the time
that the chamois was adding swirls and micro scratches to the vehicle only to be covered up with the
fillers in the old school waxes back in the day. Most scratches are introduced during the wash process
due to improper hand washing or through car washes that have those swirling nylon brushes or the wall
of firehose dragging over your vehicle. A ceramic coating cannot withstand the repeated abrasion of
automatic car washes. If hand washing isn’t a option a touchless car wash can be a option on occasion.
Maintenance Free Ownership
Some information seen on the internet claims after getting your ceramic
coating installed you won’t have to wash your vehicle. That the dirt and road grime won't stick to the
coating. This is a partial truth. A ceramic coating does offer a reduction in dirt/dust collection due to the electrostatic properties (think about static buildup in your hair or when you wear a fuzzy shirt in winter)
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Ceramics are inherently insulative and due to that fact allow for a noticeable difference in how dirt adheres to the coating. Dirt can be delivered with water such as driving in a rainstorm and driving
through puddles on the road. Traffic film, road salt can be transferred to your coating where it can dry and look like any other dirty uncoated vehicle, however, the magic of a ceramic coating is the ease of
cleaning that dirt off your vehicle.
FAQ
What if my coating stops beading water?
Why is a ceramic coating so expensive?
Most people here in the Midwest know what a harsh winter with snow and salt is. If your coating has started to not bead or repel water it could be because it is clogged and needs a decontamination due to salt residue.
This usually occurs on the lower rocker panels of the doors and even on the tailgate trunk areas as they are the catch basins for these roadcontaminants.
What ceramic coatings do you offer?
We offer System X professional
coatings as well as Diamond Protech professional coatings. We have gone through extensive training and have been certified by the factory to install these coatings.
We are consistently working to obtain additional certifications to offer our customers only the
best products available.
We use a plethora of products to maintain vehicles and coatings. If you are looking for something specific or would like recommendations please inquire and we would be happy to assist you.
Ceramic coatings are labor intensive. At Perfect Reflections we are a small shop and pride ourselves in paying attention to the many individual details a car has.
Depending on the services requested ceramic installations can take 8-16 hours and require another 12 hours minimum for the initial cure time to allow your vehicle to be driven home. We have a climate
controlled shop that aids in offering the perfect conditions for your cars ceramic to be applied and
cured.
The long man hours and attention to detail is what sets us apart from other installers. We may
not be the lowest cost installers in our market however, we strive to be the best!
Can I really do this maintenance myself?
Yes you can, and Perfect Reflections will be here to help you.
Ceramic Coatings just made your life easier. Getting on a wash schedule helps keep things manageable.
We can help educate you on how to establish a quick an safe wash processes for your busy life at home or we can offer a maintenance wash plan that works for you.
