How to Remove Ceramic Coating – Step By Step Guide
Ceramic coating is a liquid polymer that eventually reacts with the paint of the surface of your vehicle ending up forming a bond with the paint of your vehicle.
This bond makes an extra layer that acts as a shield in order to protect your vehicle from rust, dirt, different natural or chemical pollutants.
It also makes sure that the glossiness of the surface remains for a longer time. It takes you to go through a lot of steps to coat your car’s surface with ceramic. At the same time, all these hard work result in a semi-permanent or permanent coating.
But sometimes in the necessity, you find it necessary to remove the coating. The removing process also takes a lot of time and dedication. To remove a ceramic coating you need to go through some steps that will be discussed later in the article.
Why You Need to Remove Ceramic Coating
For different reasons, you may find it necessary to remove the coating. A ceramic coating offers 2 to 3 years of protection from the pollutants and natural harms.
But after a while of exposure, the coating will definitely get too weak. This will make you decide to replace the ceramic with a new one. Some realistic reasons that will make remove the coating :
1. Removing or Repairing a Body Part:
When you need to upgrade your vehicle or somehow your vehicle is damaged because of some unwanted accidents. You need to alter the body parts.
As you need to change or repair the body part you defiantly need to remove the coating first. Because new body parts need a new painting and for that, it will also need a new ceramic coating.
2. Altering the Ceramic Coating:
Sometimes you think of changing the ceramic coating for various reasons like changing the brand or applying a new type of ceramic coating. These kinds of thoughts also lead you to change the ceramic coating.
3. Obviously New Paint Job :
Sometimes your car needs a new and fresh paint job. But as the ceramic coating is nothing but chemically formed layer on your paint of the car so the first thing you will need to remove before giving your car a new paint job is the ceramic coating.
A Complete Guide to Removing Ceramic Coating from Your Car
To remove your coating over your vehicle or car you need to follow there three or four methods that very common and popular. In this article, the methods are giving with a step by step removal of a ceramic coating.
1. Text Bookish Removal Process
It is always safe playing when you surrender any work to the professionals. It is safe because the professionals are always best in their fields of expertise and that’s why they’re called the professionals.
And now if you want to remove the ceramic coating from the car there is no better and safe option than contacting the manufacturer. They will give you a better view of removing it.
Because sometimes the reason and quality of ingredients of the coating affects the way of removing and none but who can help you better the manufacturing team.
In reality, there is the maximum time a helpline or help team for the customers of the products, and for removing ceramic coating you should contact them for help.
2. Chemically Removing the Ceramic Coating
One of the major works of ceramic coating for your car’s surface is to protect your car’s surface from different chemical pollutants. Here one thing should keep in mind that is the ceramic coating works as a chemical repellent but the coating itself isn’t chemical proof.
As a result, if you are smart enough you can remove the chemical coating easily using any chemical compound. For this reason, chemicals are one of the instruments or popular methods regarding removing the ceramic coating.
The next question in your mind is probably the type of chemical that should be used in the removal of ceramic coating. The worldwide type of chemical removal of ceramic coating is alkaline.
Alkalines are very effective in breaking the bond of ceramic coating with the car surface. But there are some drawbacks too in the case of using alkaline. The reaction that the alkaline gives is very powerful and this also ends harming the surface as well.
As having these side-effects of using the chemical composition as the ceramic coating remover you should care about certain topics :
- Always check the effects of the component that you will use. By checking this you can easily find out the damage that may be caused by it. And this will also help you in getting ready to collect tools that will need after the work.
- If you have any doubts regarding this method you should definitely contact the manufacturers. Because the manufacturers always have something to say. Their opinion is always a safe game for you. If you contact them will give you the name of the correct chemicals for this process and also give you gave a plan for it. The most important help you will get is they will give you the complete forecast of what may or may not happen after the use.
- Before applying in the whole area you should first try on a little part of the surface. This tactic also a part of your safe play. By doing this you will be able to keep a check on the fact in case anything goes wrong. As firstly mentioned in the article there is a huge chance that the chemical you will be using may end up harming the surface as well. It is because the reaction that the chemical gives against the surface is very strong and there is a good possibility that the clear coating or even the paint job gets ruined. As a result, following this trying part is very helpful.
3. Using Clay for Removing the Ceramic Coating
The next method that we will be using clay for removing the ceramic coating. Again if we look backward in services that a ceramic coating gives, we will find its role as a dirt or mud repellent but still, it is not full proof of these components.
So using a clay bar is very helpful regarding removing the ceramic coating. During using the clay bar friction is the main key too success. As a result, proper friction should be achieved by using any kind of lubricant.
As there are advantages there are also some disadvantages to this method. As we know the bond that the ceramic coating forms with the surface is more of a chemical one.
That is why sometimes the clay effect is not very successful in breaking contaminants like iron or other metals. But still, the clay method is considered to one of the most well-used methods regarding removing ceramic coating.
During the use of the clay bar you have to care about certain things :
- The regular type of clay bar should be used. And you have to be careful about the friction it produces. Because here friction is very important. The more friction it will produce the more contaminants will be removed from the surface. The friction can be used by using any kind of lubricant. And by this, you should also careful that by rubbing the bar you don’t end up scratching the surface and that’s lubricant is also important.
- During the process of rubbing there always two popular away of rubbing. One is the circular motion and the other one is the side to side motion. But in this case, the side to side way of rubbing is the most effective one. The way of motion helps in generating friction as well as keeps the consistency of motion.
- In this method, the lubricant is as important as the clay bar. And most of the clay bars in the shops come with a lubricant. But if you are that unlucky fellow not finding the lubricant here is a hack for you. You can make your own lubricant at home very easily. Use shampoo and water for making your lubricant. This will give you the exact service that any lubricant from the market gives.
4. Polishing Method for Removing the Ceramic Coating
If you try to think of the most popular method of removing the ceramic coating then it should be said that polishing. Even if you say from these three methods which one should be followed. I will suggest all three has potential but the polishing method is a bit more successful.
The main reason behind its success rate is the determination it asks. It takes a little more labor and hard work than other methods. And also you should be kept in mind that this method also requires a little knowledge and experience in the sector of polishing. This method is definitely not for any beginner.
Now it is time to discuss the works process of this method. To apply this method you need different types of cutting compounds or contaminants. These contaminants will help to remove the coating from the painting of the car.
The steps that are to be followed in this method are :
Rinsing the Car: First, you have started preparations for applying the compounds. For these, the first step should be none other than rinsing the car. If you have to wash the car properly.
At least two hours of Waiting: After you wash the car you need to take some time to soak the car. For further soaking, you will need a shade for this step. You can use the garage for the shade and keep your car there and wait for two hours at least.
Preparation and Collecting the Tools and Supplies: This part goes with the collecting of the products and the supplies you will need for further use.
Three grades of polishing compounds or cutting compounds should be collected. Firstly a high-grade polishing compound, secondly a medium grade polishing compound and thirdly a thin or light grade of cutting compound should be collected and in the time of collecting you should be aware that all three grades of cutting compound should be from one manufacturer.
Both hand and machine type polishing pads should be needed. And make sure that you have enough supply of the applicant pads. Lastly an electronic polisher and some microfiber cloths or towels.
The Main Process: After collecting the supplies you should straight go for the main process which is to apply the cutting component. But before using make sure the car surface is enough wet and for this you will use clean water and you will start off with the high grade polishing factor.
For start-up hand used polishing is the best but you can also use the electric one but be careful you don’t make the setting too fast. Be very steady but determined with the pressure you’re using one the surface.
The polishing motion here also should side to side for a better effect. And you have to keep in mind that during this process rinsing is very important.
Going for Other Grades of Components: Yes, you need to start the polishing process with the high grade cutting compound but with the time you need to change the grades into leveling down.
In this process, it is very hard to detect when it is done. As a result, you have to very careful with the polishing factors. But when you find the surface very sticky on contrary with the smooth surface you should be happy that the coating is removed.
Wrap Up
Both the process coating the ceramic and also removing is a tiring job. You need to very dedicated and visionary for this process. As we know ceramic coating is a polymer that forms a bond with the surface of your vehicle and works as a shield of your vehicle. And now remove that coating you will have to work on the surface. A chemical compound, Clay process, or polishing are some methods by which you can remove the semi-permanent layer.
