NANOPRO CERTIFIED EXPERT | STEVE CALAFATO | PINELLAS COUNTY AND TAMPA BAY
THE CERAMIC COATING PROCESS
The Entire Ceramic Process Requires Three Days
Paint correction, machine polishing, then NanoPro Borograph for Permanent Status. The complete ceramic coating process requires three days to properly install.
NanoPro Certified Expert | Two-Step Paint Correction | 10-Year Warranty | CARFAX Registered | I Come to You
THE HONEST ANSWER
Why a $400 Ceramic Coating and a 10-Year NanoPro® Warranty Are Not the Same At All
A $400 ceramic coating job takes about an hour. Wash the car, wipe it down, apply the coating. Done. Every swirl mark, water spot, and paint blemish are common paint defects. These have to be removed before the ceramic is applied. If these paint defects are not removed, the ceramic coating will make them permanent. The ceramic will magnify these paint imperfections.
A NanoPro Borograph application is a different process entirely. The majority of the time is not the ceramic coating. It is paint correction, machine polishing, and the ceramic coating comes after that.
It is a time consuming process, but that is the difference between a quick coating job and a result worth putting on a prized vehicle.
BEFORE ANYTHING IS OPENED
What I Inspect Before Any Application Begins
Every vehicle I work on goes through the same assessment before correction starts.
Paint thickness is measured across every panel. I am looking for previous resprayed paint work. Some panels may have thinner clear coated areas. On a classic, collector or restomod vehicle this is paramount. Original paint and resprayed paint respond differently to paint correction. This paint evaluation is what I need to know, see, and touch.
Then, I identify what paint system is used. Single-stage lacquer or enamel paint systems respond differently than modern base coat and clear coat paint systems. The different compounds, polishes, and the high speed machine buffing process, all play a role in this. Most ceramic coating installers have only worked on modern clear coats. I have worked on both systems extensively.
Paint assessment determines the overall condition of the paint. Scratches, scuffs, blemishes, and paint oxidation are the issues I'm looking for. Degrading paint is the definition of all these defects. What is paint correctable or not, will be seen.
Here is what disqualifies a ceramic coating. Peeling clear coat, deep paint scratches, and active rust, all indicate that ceramic coating cannot be applied. I will tell you that before anything is scheduled. Some vehicles are not candidates for this service. I would rather say that upfront than start a job that should not have been started.
THE WORK ITSELF
The Two-Step Preparation Process: Step by Step
Paint Correction: 5 to 7 Hours
I utilize a professional, high-speed, dual-action machine buffer. Coupled with a cutting compound and a correction pad, this removes oxidation, swirl marks, spider webbing, water spots, and surface defects from the paint. The exact compound, pad, machine speed, and level of aggressiveness change depending on the paint system, the thickness of the paint, and what the vehicle can safely tolerate.
On modern clear coat, the defects are being removed from the clear layer above the color. On single-stage paint, lacquer, or enamel, there is no separate clear coat. The correction is being performed directly on the paint carrying the pigment. That requires a different approach, different pressure, and more control.
Previous respray work changes the process too. Factory paint, older lacquer, and repainted panels all respond differently. That is why paint thickness is measured before correction begins.
Machine Polishing: 4 to 6 Hours
After paint correction, the paint is refined with a finishing polish and softer polishing pad. This removes any remaining micro-marring or haze left behind from the paint correction stage. The result is clarity, depth, and reflection of the finish before the ceramic coating is applied. The machine polishing step allows the ceramic coating to flex with the paint in all temperature extremes.
On a classic, collector, or restomod vehicle with original lacquer or single-stage paint, this stage often reveals gloss and depth the owner has not seen in decades.
NanoPro Borograph Application: 4 to 7 Hours
NanoPro Borograph is applied over the entire vehicle. The ceramic coating chemically bonds to the paint and then cures. Paint, glass, headlights, tail lights, and wheels are the areas where I apply the ceramic coating.
WHAT I WILL NOT DO
What I Will Not Do
Before anything is scheduled, these are the standards every vehicle is held to.
I will not apply ceramic coating over uncorrected paint. If the paint has not been properly corrected first, the coating seals the damage in permanently. That is not a service. That is a problem.
I will not rush the paint correction stage process. Furthermore, I will not do a one-step paint correction process either. A two-step paint correction is mandatory with every ceramic coating application. Vehicle size and paint condition affect completion times. The timeline is determined by the vehicle's appearance and paint condition. Classic cars, restomods, performance, and even new vehicles all have their own paint issues.
If the paint is not properly paint corrected, the ceramic application will not begin. If the vehicle needs bodywork, needs to be resprayed, has paint oxidation or active surface rust, I will indicate that before we start.
All vehicles must be seen before quoted service price is disclosed. No blind quotes will be issued over the phone. The labor time required will reflect the quoted price.
THE DIFFERENCE
What a One-Hour Ceramic Coating Job Doesn't Produce
Paint that is properly corrected before ceramic coating will have depth, clarity, and reflection. Uncorrected paint will have no depth, no clarity and will appear dull. The ceramic coating bonds to a surface that is level, clean, and optically clear. The result is not just protected paint; now the paint has maximum shine, durability and resiliency.
On a classic vehicle with original lacquer or single-stage enamel, proper paint correction can reveal a deeper gloss and depth. Proper paint correction before the ceramic coating will remove paint imperfections from the past. Owners always mention, "How did you get that paint imperfection removed? You got it out!" That is what happens when the paint is corrected properly.
And when the ceramic coating is finally applied, everything before it is what makes the result worth doing.
THE PRODUCTS
Why NanoPro Borograph and Not Something Else
I chose NanoPro because I tested many ceramic coatings in Florida. Engineered for Florida heat, humidity, UV exposure, and salt air, NanoPro outperformed every other professional coating I tested. It is manufactured in Boynton Beach, four hours southeast of Tampa. It is not adapted from a product built for a different climate.
It is professional-grade. It is not available at retail. It is applied by certified installers. Proper paint correction is required by NanoPro. I am a NanoPro Certified Expert. I apply it to every vehicle according to the standards of NanoPro.
When NanoPro Borograph is applied over properly cured NanoPro LPF, the installation achieves Permanent Status. It is registered on the vehicle's CARFAX report as part of its permanent history. Once the ceramic coating is applied to the NanoPro LPF surface, a 10-year manufacturer warranty becomes valid.
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Steve Calafato | NanoPro Certified Expert | Pinellas County & Tampa Bay
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