Ceramic Coating from £495
at SK Zone, 36 Upper Brook Street, Stockport · approx 2 working days
A ceramic coating is a liquid glass polymer that chemically bonds to your lacquer and cures into a hard, slick, hydrophobic layer. It is not a wax and it does not wash off — measured in years rather than the six weeks you get from a carnauba. What it actually buys you is gloss that stays, dramatically easier washing because dirt and water sheet off rather than clinging, real UV protection to slow oxidation and fade, and resistance to bird lime and tree sap etching the paint while you are at work. What it does not buy you is armour: a coating is microns thick and will not stop a stone chip or a key. That is what PPF is for, and the two layer together — film on the impact zones, coating over the whole car, which is the combination we would put on our own cars. Coating goes on properly corrected paint only. Sealing swirl marks under a three-year coating is money set on fire, so a correction stage is quoted with it as standard rather than as an upsell at the door.
Estimate only — the final price is confirmed once we have seen the car. Nothing is charged online.
Price it properly first
The build tool gives you a figure for your exact car, and you can stack this with anything else.
Common questions
How long does a ceramic coating last?+
Depending on the coating and how the car lives, typically three to five years, and longer on a garaged car that is washed properly. Anyone quoting you a nine-year coating on a daily driver is selling the bottle, not the result.
Does it stop scratches and stone chips?+
No. It is a few microns of hard coating — it will shrug off wash marring and makes light swirling less likely, but a stone at 70mph goes straight through it. If chip protection is what you are after, that is paint protection film. Most people who care about both have PPF on the front end and coating over everything.
Do I still have to wash the car?+
Yes — it makes washing easier, not optional. Dirt has far less to grip so a rinse does most of the work, but a coated car left filthy for months will still get contamination bonded to it. No automatic car washes, ever: the brushes will scour the coating exactly like they scour paint.
Why do I need polishing done first?+
Because the coating is optically clear and locks in whatever is under it. Every swirl and scratch you can see now, you will still see in three years, only sealed. We quote correction and coating together for that reason.
Can you coat a wrap, PPF or the wheels?+
Yes to all three — there are coatings formulated for vinyl, for film and for wheels, and coated wheels are noticeably easier to get brake dust off. Coating the calipers after they are painted keeps them looking fresh far longer too.