This might be stupid question, but wanting to detail part time for now and maybe wanting to own my own business, what exactly is the paint sealer I sometimes see as extras on some detail businesses websites or price sheets. Is it just a type of wax or is it more detailed than that. I just made up a price sheet of services I will do but left out carpet extracting(don't have one yet ) and paint sealing(don't really know what it is), but would like to add these services. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Stupid Question About Paint Sealers?
- Thread starter madtremor
- Start date
John Sharp
Jayhawk fan.
Although I am not a master chemist I have a general idea of the difference between wax and sealant.
From what I have learned most all products (wax or sealant) seem to include different kinds of silicones. My favorite Blitz wax even has silicones in it even though it is labeled a carnauba wax. The carnauba content is there but there are silicones mixed in to make it durable and soft to apply.
What the sealants have is a more durable kind of silicone called amino-fuctional silicone. At least this is what I have learned about many sealants on the market. The amino-functional silicones actually grab onto the surface of the paint and are more resistant to air and chemicals. The nature of these sealants is not be a carnauba but be a total synthetic and the result is often times a difference in durability and appearance.
Most pro's generally agree that even the best sealants in perfect conditions dont last more than 6 months. The idea of a magic potion that end all waxing is bogus. What you can expect with a sealant is more resistance to water spotting and a kind of sheeting action when wet and even some uv protection depending on what sealant you buy.
I have tried a few different sealants and several high end waxes and it seems to me that carnauba waxes look nicer on dark colors compared to sealants. This is just my preference, I like Blitz wax on dark colors. It leaves no smears or streaks and is like rubbing butter onto the paint. It goes on and off so easy and looks deep and wet. The sealants sometimes dont create the same depth and look EXCEPT the Platinum sealant I have been experimenting with recently. It gives a darker look to my paint that only a carnauba would have done before. This is the best looking sealant I have tried. I recently bought some High-Temp sealant but the experimenting is just begining and I dont know about the durability yet. The High-Temp was easy to work with and looked awesome. Im excited about using it on a few more cars to see if it will become my prefered sealant for customers.
One other thing about sealants is that sometimes surface prep is a problem for those who are learning to use it. I used to polish the paint and then apply sealant. What I discovered after some good advice is that the sealant needs clean paint to bond to or it wont work. The stuff just doesnt work without the right surface to bond to. Some guys wash the car down with a prep solution after polishing and prior to sealing and other guys wipe the finish wipe an alcohol and water mixture to clean the surface for the sealant to bond properly.
Sealant has been treated by dealerships and some detail shops like its some "elite" service that is worth insane prices but in the end sealant is just like a really good, long lasting wax job. If you want to play with some order the UPP sampler kit from this site and try it. You will like it.
Best regards,
John
From what I have learned most all products (wax or sealant) seem to include different kinds of silicones. My favorite Blitz wax even has silicones in it even though it is labeled a carnauba wax. The carnauba content is there but there are silicones mixed in to make it durable and soft to apply.
What the sealants have is a more durable kind of silicone called amino-fuctional silicone. At least this is what I have learned about many sealants on the market. The amino-functional silicones actually grab onto the surface of the paint and are more resistant to air and chemicals. The nature of these sealants is not be a carnauba but be a total synthetic and the result is often times a difference in durability and appearance.
Most pro's generally agree that even the best sealants in perfect conditions dont last more than 6 months. The idea of a magic potion that end all waxing is bogus. What you can expect with a sealant is more resistance to water spotting and a kind of sheeting action when wet and even some uv protection depending on what sealant you buy.
I have tried a few different sealants and several high end waxes and it seems to me that carnauba waxes look nicer on dark colors compared to sealants. This is just my preference, I like Blitz wax on dark colors. It leaves no smears or streaks and is like rubbing butter onto the paint. It goes on and off so easy and looks deep and wet. The sealants sometimes dont create the same depth and look EXCEPT the Platinum sealant I have been experimenting with recently. It gives a darker look to my paint that only a carnauba would have done before. This is the best looking sealant I have tried. I recently bought some High-Temp sealant but the experimenting is just begining and I dont know about the durability yet. The High-Temp was easy to work with and looked awesome. Im excited about using it on a few more cars to see if it will become my prefered sealant for customers.
One other thing about sealants is that sometimes surface prep is a problem for those who are learning to use it. I used to polish the paint and then apply sealant. What I discovered after some good advice is that the sealant needs clean paint to bond to or it wont work. The stuff just doesnt work without the right surface to bond to. Some guys wash the car down with a prep solution after polishing and prior to sealing and other guys wipe the finish wipe an alcohol and water mixture to clean the surface for the sealant to bond properly.
Sealant has been treated by dealerships and some detail shops like its some "elite" service that is worth insane prices but in the end sealant is just like a really good, long lasting wax job. If you want to play with some order the UPP sampler kit from this site and try it. You will like it.
Best regards,
John