Ceramic coating in Hays, Kansas
I machine-polish your paint to remove the fine circular scratches that washing leaves, then seal it under a ceramic coating. Coatings start at $650.
I do the work at your home or workplace in Hays, or in my garage in Hays when the job needs one. I give you an exact price after I have seen the paint, usually the same day.
What a ceramic coating does
A ceramic coating is a thin, hard shell that bonds to the clear coat and protects the paint against chemicals, water spots and ultraviolet light.
Bird droppings, bugs, tree sap and road salt are acidic or corrosive. On bare paint in summer sun a dropping can begin etching within hours. A coating takes that attack in place of the paint, so a dropping you find the next day usually wipes off. Water sheets off a coated panel instead of drying into hard-water spots, and dirt releases more easily, so washing is quicker and gentler.
What it does not do
A coating does not stop scratches or stone chips, and it does not protect the paint from a dry sponge or an automatic wash with dirty brushes. It is only a few microns thick. That is enough to protect against chemicals and not enough to protect against abrasion. I tell you this before you pay.
Starting prices
The price depends on the size of the vehicle and the condition of the paint. Every coating includes a one-step polish and takes one day.
| Vehicle | The paint | With glass, trim, wheels and lights |
|---|---|---|
| Car | $650 | $900 |
| Mid-size SUV or truck | $750 | $1000 |
| Full-size SUV or van | $850 | $1100 |
The second column adds $250 at every size. It puts the same coating on the glass, the painted or finished trim, the wheels, the headlights and the taillights.
With a top coat
The top coat goes on about an hour after the coating. The coating on its own is the real protection and lasts about three years with proper maintenance. The top coat does not change what it protects against. It leaves the paint slicker under your hand, with a deeper and wetter gloss, water that leaves faster, and about a year more before the paint needs doing again. It adds $150 at every size.
| Vehicle | The paint | With glass, trim, wheels and lights |
|---|---|---|
| Car | $800 | $1050 |
| Mid-size SUV or truck | $900 | $1150 |
| Full-size SUV or van | $1000 | $1250 |
Paint correction with no coating starts at $400 and includes a full interior detail.
I quote from photos. The deposit and refund terms are on the refunds page.
One-step polish or two-step correction
Washing leaves swirl marks, the fine circular scratches you see around the sun or a streetlight. A one-step polish removes most of them. A two-step correction uses a heavier first pass and a finishing pass, and it removes nearly all of them. Every coating includes the one-step polish. If your paint needs more than that, I tell you before I start and quote it separately.
How the job goes
- You send photos of the car, or I look at it in person, and I quote the price.
- I wash, decontaminate and polish the paint.
- I apply the coating in a garage or a shaded spot, because direct sun and wind spoil it.
- The coating needs 72 hours to cure. Keep the car dry and do not wash it in that time.
Common questions
Does a coating stop scratches?
No. It protects against chemicals, water spots and UV light, not abrasion.
Do I still need to wash the car?
Yes, but washing is quicker and gentler because dirt releases more easily.
Where do you do the work?
At your home or workplace in Hays and the towns within about 30 miles, if there is shade or a garage. If not, I can use my garage at 3205 Willow Street in Hays, where the car stays overnight and you pick it up the next day. Outside Hays there is a travel fee, set for each town. The service area page lists the towns.
How long does it take?
One day on site. Then keep the car dry and unwashed for 72 hours while the coating cures.
How long does it last?
About three years with proper maintenance, and about four with the top coat. Proper maintenance means a hand wash every two weeks or so with a pH-neutral car soap. A touchless wash is fine, but a brush or tunnel wash is not. I give the car a free check-up wash a couple of weeks after the coating, and I check the coating again every year.
How do I book?
Send me photos through the quote form, or call or text 785-498-9007. I am available Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm.
The rain and polishing demonstrations are on the main page.