Our Process
Every Ceramic Pro coating or KAVACA PPF installation job we undertake at Ceramic Pro Elite West Kansas City starts with prep work. From decontamination washing to expert paint correction services in Kansas City, our team prescribes to a dedicated process that produces exceptional results.
the devil is in the details
Our Preparation & Installation Process
Did you know that ceramic coatings and paint protection film amplify the materials they are protecting? This means, if the painted surface is surgery grade clean and free of any imperfections, the vehicle will pop and shine. However, if the surface has etching – caused by bug splatters, bird droppings, and other natural toxins, or swirl marks – those imperfections will stand out.
To avoid this embarrassing situation, the team at Ceramic Pro Elite West Kansas City recommends a detailed vehicle preparation process. This involves multiple, independent jobs – some of them are included in our normal pre-coating or PPF installation package, and others are an additional cost – but well worth the expense.
In the information below, we’ll explain our coating and paint protection film installation preparation process, which is designed to leave a surgically clean surface. This permits the coatings and film to correctly bond to the substrate, resulting in long-lasting protection.
Step 1 – Surface Decontamination
Believe it or not, there are several contaminants that bond to your vehicle’s paint that are invisible to the human-eye. From pollen to brake dust, to tiny pieces of road tar, daily exposure can contaminate your vehicle. If these items are not removed, the coating and PPF will not bond directly to the substrate.
Our decontamination process begins by spraying down your vehicle with fresh water, to remove any standing debris. Next, we’ll use a specially formulated detailing chemical known as an Iron Remover.
This pH neutral chemical has an ingredient that helps to break down and dissolve Iron and Steel particles. It’s designed to remove brake dust, industrial fallout (which is essentially dust produced by railways and trains), and other ferrous-based contaminants.
This dust is magnetized – which causes it to bond to your vehicle’s clearcoat. By using the iron remover first, we’re able to remove about 85% of the debris on your car’s paintjob.
But, at Ceramic Pro Elite West Kansas City, we believe your car deserves 100%.
After using the Iron Remover, we’ll complete this first phase of hard debris removal by using a clay bar treatment.
The clay bar treatment is a process that uses concentrated car shampoo to glide a bar of clay over the surface of paint. As the bar moves over the surface, the iron deposits stick to the clay, and pull them from your clear coat. Clay bars also remove other sticky contaminants like pollen, tar, and animal waste.
After clay bar treatment is completed, your surface is slick and free of most debris. We’ll rinse the surface areas with high pressure water to remove some of the standing debris left behind. But the prep process is far from complete.
step 2 - Vehicle Washing
Once the iron removal and clay bar treatment are finished, you’d assume that the car is completely clean and ready for the coating or PPF. However, that would be a bad assumption.
Both iron remover and clay bar lubricant leave behind residue. With the concentrated car lubricant, high levels of surfactants can dry on the surface – as this is an ingredient in most automotive shampoos. The surfactants include sodium alkylbenzene sulfonates, sodium stearate, and potassium alcohol sulfates.
Before we continue with the prep process, we want to make sure that your vehicle is truly clean. To accomplish this, we activate a four-step washing process.
- Foam Bath: Using a highly concentrated decontamination car shampoo along with a high-pressure washer and a foam cannon, we apply a liberal amount of car shampoo and let it dwell on the surface. This helps to break down those tiny particles left behind from the iron removal and clay bar process.
- Contact Wash: The next step is to agitate the soap, allowing it to break up stubborn debris. This is accomplished by completing a hand or contact wash. We use multiple dedicated microfiber wash mitts that are combined with a pH neutral car shampoo to remove debris on each panel or section of the vehicle. This helps to reduce cross contamination, and potentially scratching the vehicle further.
- Final Rinse: Once the entire vehicle has been washed, we move to the final rinse. This permits us to remove all debris, even from hard-to-reach spots on your vehicle.
- Drying: Using dedicated microfiber drying towels, we remove all water and moisture from the vehicle.
Step 3 – Panel Prep
The final step in our normal vehicle preparation process for coatings and PPF installation is to complete a final panel wipe. We use Americana Global Surface Prep spray, which is a proprietary blend of isopropyl alcohol, and other solvents. This liquid is sprayed onto the vehicle surface, then removed with a clean and dry microfiber towel.
It helps to remove everything from the surface, which leaves the vehicle surgically clean and ready for the coating or paint protection film.
Paint Correction
As we mentioned above, every ceramic coating or paint protection film product we use will amplify the condition of the surface where it has been installed. To give the coating and PPF the best opportunity to shine, paint correction is required.
For those who may not be aware, paint correction is a process that involves removing imperfections found in vehicle paint.
All vehicles – including those that you just picked up from a car dealership, have imperfections in the paint. This includes small scratches, high spots, paint etching, or overspray of clear coating.
At Ceramic Pro Elite West Kansas City, we always inspect a vehicle before we recommend a paint correction package. With our paint correction packages, we strive to accomplish two specific tasks.
Compounding: This is the first step in correction – and involves removing most scratches and imperfections found on the painted surface.
Polishing: The second step – which in some cases can be completed during compounding, is to polish the surface. This will remove microscopic marring that is remaining after correction.
Our Paint Correction Packages are always customized to fit the needs of each of our clients. To set up your FREE vehicle inspection to learn how affordable our paint correction services can be, please click the button below.
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The Ceramic Coating & PPF Installation Process
When you book an appointment for a free inspection for ceramic coating or paint protection film installation packages, we’ll fully explain the prep, installation, and aftercare process. Each package requires different levels of installation services.
For example, a Sport Package is a single-stage ceramic coating application – and can be completed in less than 24 hours. However, an Elite Gold Plus package is a multiple stage coating application, requiring longer initial curing time, and a more complex aftercare schedule.
However, our general process follows these steps.
- Initial Prep Work: We’ve listed this above, but before we install any coating or PPF, we’ll complete a final panel wipe. For paint protection film, the prep process will also include removing any badging or vehicle components that will permit a seamless installation.
- Ceramic Coating Application or PPF Installation: The next step is where our talented technicians take over. Ceramic coatings and PPF installations are completed inside our environmentally controlled clean rooms. This helps to control the variables that impact the initial flash time for coatings and permits the PPF adhesive to tack and bond to the surfaces.
- Ancillary Coating Installation: Once the initial or base coat of a coating has been installed, we’ll move on to wheels & calipers, glass, plastics, trim, and other materials.
- Final Coating Installations: In most cases, the base coating will cure overnight inside our clean room. We will then complete the coating application. Again – the cure time will vary based on the package selected.
- Final Installation of OEM components: As a final step – and typically completed during the final curing time, our team will carefully reinstall your OEM parts that needed to be removed for the installation. This mainly occurs during PPF installs.
- Customer Delivery: The final phase is when you schedule an appointment for delivery. It is important to get this time scheduled, as we’ll need to take time to walk you around the vehicle, and answer any questions about service, maintenance, and warranties.
Aftercare Instructions
At Ceramic Pro Elite West Kansas City, we want you to have an amazing customer experience. As we’re walking you through the pick-up process, we’ll also make sure to register your warranty with Ceramic Pro Americas.
This warranty is attached to your vehicle’s VIN and documented in the Carfax Vehicle History report.
However, we want you to have the right resources for taking care of your Ceramic Pro package.
Here are a few direct links to Ceramic Pro Americas website to outline the aftercare instructions for our coatings, PPF, and window film.
Ceramic Coating Aftercare Instructions
Paint Protection Film Aftercare Instructions
Ceramic Window Tint Aftercare Instructions
Ultimate Armor Package Aftercare Instructions