Beading and Sheeting water?

M

mauritiusblue

New member
n00b question here...



I hear about water beading and sheeting off a cars paint...



I am currently using BF2 on my car and it forms tight water beads after rain. Its been about 2 months since the application and it still does it.



My question is; Do I want the water to bead or sheet off?

Wouldn't sheeting be better since the water comes off right away?...



TIA...
 
Either way is acceptable for most people. Its the oils that make the water bead. Oil and water don't mix well, remember? The fact that something sheets water instead of beading it just signifies that there is a lower oil content on the surface of your car. That is good if you don't like dust collection. The good news about sheeting is that you'll get fewer waterspots I guess. I like the beads myself.
 
One more question then...



I remember watching an infomercial for some wax type product that said that beading was bad because it magnifies the suns harmful rays and beats on the paint. They said their products sheets water away so that the suns rays are not effecting the paint as much as through a bead of water. Is this true?



Jngrbrdman : Could I also ask you why you prefer the beading over the sheeting?
 
HuKaShI said:
My question is; Do I want the water to bead or sheet off?

Wouldn't sheeting be better since the water comes off right away?...



TIA...
Click to expand...



You mentioned that you get nice tight beading when it rains right? How about when you're rinsing your car? One thing you should keep in mind is that unless you are talking about a torrential downpour, pretty much all products will bead water on the surface of your car. In fact, even unprotected paint beads water when it rains.



Although I agree that the oil content in a product causes beading, other ingredients also play a major factor....with or without the presence of oils.
 
HuKaShI said:
One more question then...



I remember watching an infomercial for some wax type product that said that beading was bad because it magnifies the suns harmful rays and beats on the paint. They said their products sheets water away so that the suns rays are not effecting the paint as much as through a bead of water. Is this true?



Jngrbrdman : Could I also ask you why you prefer the beading over the sheeting?
Click to expand...



Well, for one thing, if you are using a sealant with UV blocking properties (like Blackfire does) then you don't need to worry about that hype. Think about it... Why are there water spots on your paint? Could it beeeeeeeeeee... ITS RAINING AND THERE IS NO SUN?? :p lol The things people will say to sell a product.



I like the beads probably because I've been programmed to believe that beads = freshly waxed surface. I know better now, but I grew up believing that when the water stopped beading then the wax had worn off. Its just an asthetic thing that I personally like. I like watching the water beads zip off my hood while I drive. I also like the fact that a large portion of the population also believes that if there are beads then the car is freshly waxed. When my car is the only one in the parking lot with beads on it then I like what it tells people. :)
 
HuKaShI said:
One more question then...



I remember watching an infomercial for some wax type product that said that beading was bad because it magnifies the suns harmful rays and beats on the paint.
Click to expand...
Infomercials also tell us that a blue or red crayon will remove all scratches, and the ultimate test of car wax endurance is the laser beam.:rolleyes:
 
HuKaShI said:
So how tight do I want the beads to be...



I mean, does anyone have pics of beads to show what is good and what is bad?
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Different products will bead to different degrees. Some products bead water in really tight, small beads, while others don't do this at all and sheet, but they all protect the paint as they should.



What you really have to watch for is when the water sticks to the paint in a very thin, clingly, irregularly shaped sheet. This usually means there is no wax or protection left for sure.
 
Jngrbrdman said:
Why are there water spots on your paint? Could it beeeeeeeeeee... ITS RAINING AND THERE IS NO SUN?? :p lol
Click to expand...

Ever spend time in Palm Springs? It can be bright, sunny, and 80 degrees (100 in the summer) and you can be standing in a FULL DOWNPOUR that the wind is blowing in from some cloud 20 miles away over a mountain :)

It really plays hell with visibility when it's that bright and raining hard... the air itself almost becomes reflective.
 
I use Zaino on all my windows. Not only do they come out perfect after each carwash with a little Z6 spray, but they stay cleaner, and look reflective, which really adds to the detailed look of the car........
 
I like sheeting for help with drying. Got to sheet water off!



I do like beading though. MMMM Klasse Beads!



725-1008-22791.jpg
 
DETAILKING said:
Yup, I zaino it all.......
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Which Zaino are you using on the glass, the Z2/Z5 or the Zaino glass polish? By the way you mentioned it, it sounds like Z2/Z5 as you are QDing it with Z6. Are you also using Z2 for the headlights? How does the rain react to the windshield during driving and does it smear/streak when you use the wipers like that Rain-X crap?
 
iceman said:
does it smear/streak when you use the wipers like that Rain-X crap?
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I've been using Rain-X for 10 years and the only time I've had problems with smearing or streaking under the wipers is when I didn't completely buff it out.
 
The only time I've ever seen RainX streak is when its applied wrong. If you apply it before you wash your car and then just wash down your windshield as part of the process, then there isn't any glare problem or streak problem or anything. Its not Aquapel by any means, but it works just like it says it works and lasts for a month or two between applications.
 
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