The Difference Between Paint Protection Films and Ceramic Coatings

A majority of car lovers are willing to spend significant time and money into protecting their vehicle’s paint job. The reason is simple: maintaining that pristine appearance in your car is not solely about looks as well as preserving its resale value.

However, you can wash your car every couple of days, apply wax every couple of months, as well as do everything else in your power to keep its new appearance, and still wind getting scratches, chips, scratches, fading, and stains in the course of time even if you’re not investing in some kind of external protection product.

The use of paint protection films or ceramic coated paints provide two effective ways of keeping the exterior of your car in top condition and to keep the resale value high.

The two methods for protecting your vehicle’s exterior require applying a protective coating over the paint job. This can endure a wide range of impacts, scuffs, and environmental hazards that afflict the paint every day, so you can rest easy. However, the two are different, and the one best suited for your needs will depend on what you’re looking at in your paint protection.

If you’re interested to learn the ways paint protection films or ceramic coatings can protect the exterior of your vehicle, and also how they differ from one another, then read on for everything you should be aware of.

What Is a Paint Protection Film?

A paint protection film will be a transparent, lightweight film made of urethane that will be applied on the exterior of your vehicle to safeguard its paint job from scratch marks, scratches, chips, or chemical damages.

It is often referred to“color protection film“ or paint protection film and Clear Bra but there are many other names including a clear wrap, clear mask car scratch protective film, invisible shield, and more.

Your vehicle may be as durable and strong as you can get, but the paint job is not. Something as simple as a branch or tree that juts out from the driveway’s edge could give your car an unmistakable scratch that is impossible to look away from every time your vehicle comes into range.

Then there are things like road debris and stones that can harm your car’s exterior even before you are aware they’re there. Perhaps you are able to stay clear of those branches and bushes, however keeping your vehicle away from every paint job-threatening pebble on the road is nearly impossible. That’s why paint protection film comes in.

It is a paint protection film is designed to resist high-impact and can therefore take on bushes, branches or rocks as well as road debris in a breeze so that you can leave your car looking better than the wear and tear following the event.

It will also help protect your vehicle from chemical damage from mineral deposits, bird droppings as well as insects, which means you don’t need to pull out the hose and sponge many times each week to keep your paint job looking great.

What Is a Ceramic Coating?

Ceramic coating is another way to add a protective layer on the exterior of your vehicle, however, it’s a bit different from paint protection film. It’s an oil-based polymer that you apply to the body of your vehicle using your hands, creating a chemical bond with the car’s paint job , giving it an extra layer of protection as well as a stunning glossy finish.

In the event that your vehicle receives greater exposure to elements the paint job will begin to fade. This can be due to UV raysthat cause the oxidation of the paint.

Ceramic coating can protect your vehicle’s exterior from UV rays, and the resulting oxidation could threaten its beautiful appearance. The added protective layer can protect you car and truck against chemical destruction caused from bird’s droppings and mineral deposits.

Another major benefit of one of the most important benefits of a ceramic coating will be the way it blocks water. So it doesn’t only shield your vehicle’s paint job; it’ll stop the exterior from getting dirty or muddy and will make washing your car an easier task.

Furthermore The ceramic coating can also give your vehicle a an attractive appearance that makes it appear as if that it was waxed last week, all day.

Differences Between PPF & Ceramic Coatings

As we’ve said before, the similarities between paint protection film and ceramic coatings are based on the fact that they’re each designed to protect the appearance of your vehicle. But, the differences are bigger and more varied.

The paint protection film’s main draw is the fact that it shields your car from scratches, chips and scratches. Ceramic coating can’t do that, and the added liquid polymer layer is not able to shield your car from road debris and rocks while driving.

Another distinction is that ceramic coatings offer a shiny appearance and have water-repellent properties. Paint protection film can have shiny sheen, however, it’s typically clear and does not impact your vehicle’s finish, nor can it stop water from entering your vehicle.

Ceramic coatings also make your vehicle a lot easier to clean. Water repellent properties keep debris, grime, and dirt from adhering to your car’s surface. Unfortunately, a paint protection film cannot repel water. Cleaning it is similar to cleaning a vehicle that is not protected.

Which is better, PPF or Ceramic Coating?

The paint protection solution most suitable for you will depend on your personal preferences. Start by asking yourself what you’re hoping to shield your car from.

You must think about paint protection film If it’s damaged by scratches and scuffs from roads, rocks, branches, or whatever else. However it is advisable for your car sparkling and keep dirt and other debris from adhering to it, think about using a ceramic coating.

Sometimes, the best choice is to utilize a car paint protection film as well as a ceramic coating. Both work very well, giving you the greatest of both worlds while getting rid of some of the drawbacks of both.

Of course, that decision is going to require a larger amount of money as well, which is perhaps the most significant factor to take into account when it comes to applying painting protection solutions.

If you’re trying to protect the exterior of your car and are willing to put it into it, you won’t pick a better option than either.