is it better for water to bead or sheet from wax/sealant??

D

Dairyman

New member
which is a sign of better coverage





I have been using collinite 476 for years and it has always caused water to bead on any car that I have put it on.



Just tried opti seal for the first time and it is causing the water to sheet off for the most part



has anyone else noticed this?



is sheeting better than beading?
 
Dairyman said:
which is a sign of better coverage





I have been using collinite 476 for years and it has always caused water to bead on any car that I have put it on.



Just tried opti seal for the first time and it is causing the water to sheet off for the most part



has anyone else noticed this?



is sheeting better than beading?
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Most sealants tend to sheet water off instead of bead. OS does sheet the water.



Most waxes tend to have the water bead.



As far as which is better, I would think that having the water sheet off would be better than having water remain on the surface, which could etch the paint when it dries. :nixweiss
 
the way i see it, water spots are in the shape of beads of water. the wax that beads allows water to sit on the finnish, and let whatever minerals that are in it etch or atleast leave residue behind (waterspots).. i have yet to see sheeting marks, so i would imagine sheeting is better.. i however like seeing tight little beads on my car. reassures me that somethings there. some waxes do a better job than others at preventing waterspots though.
 
From what I have read Swissvax wax will sheet off the water.

I think you can see it in action on YouTube. I am looking into getting some to try.
 
Never understood the attraction with water beading??? :nixweiss



I want a wax/sealant that will sheet the water away....and I'm not talking about using the sheeting method with the garden hose either. It should sheet away rain water too.
 
for me i think it was, in my pre autopian days, i thought if it beads, there was protection there.. even though i've learned so much here, i still feel weird when i see water just laying on or lazily sheeting off my paint.

whats your favorite sheeting sealant?
 
Dairyman said:
which is a sign of better coverage





I have been using collinite 476 for years and it has always caused water to bead on any car that I have put it on.



Just tried opti seal for the first time and it is causing the water to sheet off for the most part



has anyone else noticed this?



is sheeting better than beading?
Click to expand...



Its personal preference.
 
I think sheeting is better than beading for everything except looks. That said, any wax is going to start sheeting when the protection is gone so there souldn't be any water droplet based deposits. Some sealants on the other hand keep beading when they aren't protecting anymore and you get nice hard water spots.
 
RaskyR1 said:
Never understood the attraction with water beading??? :nixweiss



I want a wax/sealant that will sheet the water away....and I'm not talking about using the sheeting method with the garden hose either. It should sheet away rain water too.
Click to expand...



I agree, but I have yet to see any product that will sheet off water in the rain.
 
What would the sign to show that the protection is no longer protecting the paint for sealant? Even if it still beads fairly well. How would i know when to reapply sealant again?



My guess is to have the protection one wants, apply sealant regularly should be the best method right unless we can determine if the sealant is still protecting or not.
 
dcrc said:
What would the sign to show that the protection is no longer protecting the paint for sealant? Even if it still beads fairly well. How would i know when to reapply sealant again?
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*IMO* the beading changes pretty early in the game, if you reapply then you're probably ahead of the curve. Other than that, if the slickness and/or dirt shedding drops off, I'd redo it as soon as you notice a change.



My guess is to have the protection one wants, apply sealant regularly should be the best method right unless we can determine if the sealant is still protecting or not.
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Yeah, if in doubt reapply. But I always find that something I value (beading, slickness, dirt shedding) starts to drop off long before the LSP is really *dead* so it's pretty easy to stay on top of things.



As soon as it quits acting "just waxed", I'd redo it. And it'll almost certaing quit *acting* that way long before it quits *looking* that way.
 
I think the answer lies with each individual companies products. I get the impression that some companies use ingredients that bead for their protective qualities. Others may use an ingredient that sheets due to a desired charactaristic. What is most important is that what it does immediately after curing stays consistant. I used one product that sheeted incredibly well for 2 washes. When there is a change in water behavior there is a change in surface tension due to some surface change.
 
What is your main objective to put up a LSP?



My objective of applying LSP (sealant) is to prevent etching from acid rain and bird poos (paint protection). Secondary is for ease of washing. Thirdly, is to have that slick feel on the paint work.
 
dcrc said:
What is your main objective to put up a LSP?



My objective of applying LSP (sealant) is to prevent etching from acid rain and bird poos (paint protection). Secondary is for ease of washing. Thirdly, is to have that slick feel on the paint work.
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Yep, all good. But, given these, what is your answer to the question? I.e., is it better to sheet or bead?
 
Rob Tomlin said:
Yep, all good. But, given these, what is your answer to the question? I.e., is it better to sheet or bead?
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I would go for sheet rather than bead if the vehicle is stationary. Less water on the surface under hot sun has lesser chance of developing water etching especially after rain during day time.
 
dcrc said:
I would go for sheet rather than bead if the vehicle is stationary. Less water on the surface under hot sun has lesser chance of developing water etching especially after rain during day time.
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:up



.......
 
From my military experience dealing with chemicals and rust prevention, a sheeting action is caused by a uniform layer on the paint, which is more protective. A beading action is an encapsulating layer, meaning that there is minute bumps and edges to seperate the water into droplets. The bumps and edges are from the wax/sealant itself, not the clearcoat, which is most likely smooth and sheeting at this point from polishing. the imperfections in the wax or sealant itself are invisible because they are at the molecular level, but readily adhere to the water.

You can also factor in the sealant's ability to break the surface tension of the water, similar to what soap does. some sealants may have those tiny molecular imperfections that the beading sealants have, but they have a chemical in them that breaks the surface tension of the water.
 
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