Ceramic Coating High Spots & Streaks — How to Deal with Them

Ceramic coating is an excellent substance that you should put on your vehicle.

Improved water beading, UV protection, and higher shine are just a few of the advantages of using ceramic coating on your automobile.

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Despite the fact that it is a fantastic product, there are two major obstacles to look out for. The first is the price. The second factor is the ease of usage. Or perhaps we should be saying 'difficulty of usage' instead!

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In his article, we'll go through what may go wrong while applying a ceramic coating. We'll also explain how to avoid errors and how to remedy any flaws, such as ceramic coating high spots, that may arise. Here you'll also learn how to remove ceramic coating streaks.

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Contents:

1. How Can Ceramic Coating Installation Go Wrong?

2. Ceramic Coating High Spots - How To Prevent Them?

3. Ceramic Coating High Spots - How To Remove Them?

4. Ceramic Coating Streaks - How To Prevent Them?

5. Ceramic Coating Streaks - How To Remove Them?

6. FAQ

7. Beginners Advice

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We are confident that after reading this post, we will have either solved your problem and improved the appearance of your automobile, or encouraged you to apply a ceramic coating yourself.

After all, it's a costly item, and there are several horror stories online. If you're not sure you can rectify your blunders on your own, you might wish to go to an expert instead.

How Can Ceramic Coating Installation Go Wrong?

There are a number of things that may go wrong when it comes to ceramic coating.

Virtually every time anything goes wrong, it's almost always due to a lack of preparation or application.

If you would like to learn more about how to best prepare a car for Ceramic Coating you can check out this article here.

You should be alright if you do a comprehensive detail on your car prior and follow the product instructions.

Are you too lazy to prepare and study the product? You can be left with a murky or hazy vehicle. This usually happens when you forget to rub the product after it's been applied.

'Ceramic frosting' is another typical outcome or flaw. When the ceramic coating on the automobile dries and turns frosty, this is what it looks like. The icing effect will result in elevated areas and patches that are visible and feelable.

Finally, the coating may only be useful in particular regions or be entirely useless. This happens most of the time because you apply it unevenly. However, it might be the result of purchasing a subpar product or someone else making fraudulent promises in some circumstances.

You can learn how to remove the ceramic coating (part of it or fully) because the product lifetime is near its end, or if you've messed up the application.

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Ceramic Coating High Spots - How To Prevent Them?

High spots in your ceramic coating may be avoided with a variety of methods.

The first step is to properly prepare the vehicle. Before applying the coating, you should thoroughly clean the automobile and make paint corrections. You're wasting your time if you don't.

Before applying the coating, make sure the automobile is as clean as possible. This ensures that it adheres effectively to the paintwork and does not trap dirt, tar, or other impurities on the vehicle.

Second, you should work in tiny regions at all times. This allows you to apply the product fast and evenly without having to wait for it to dry. This also ensures you have time to remedy any errors or flaws before it's too late.

When applying, be careful to overlap each wipe so that you don't end up with any distinct "edges." This also reduces the likelihood of high peaks and regions being overlooked.

Finally, and maybe most crucially, work at a location where you can see everything. You must first be able to perceive faults in order to prevent them from occurring.

You can identify spots that you've overlooked by using an examination light or torch. It will also aid in the identification of high points and places with extra amounts of ceramic coating.

You should be alright as long as you give yourself enough time to apply the coating, ideally one or two hours. Work in tiny areas, use modest amounts of ceramic coating and double-check your work frequently.

But sometimes, prevention is not an option since they are already there!

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Ceramic Coating High Spots - How To Remove Them?

There are several methods for leveling high spots in your ceramic coating.

Starting with the least extreme and working your way up is ideal. You may need to apply more harsh procedures depending on how long the ceramic coating has been allowed to cure.

Unfortunately, not everything can be fixed when it comes to ceramic coatings. Sure, you can make it appear better, but depending on the circumstances, you'll have to remove the coating and reapply it to make it look perfect.

You can achieve this by following these steps:

Level the Coating Using a Microfiber Towel

Buffing your ceramic finish with a microfiber towel is the first step in reducing high spots. If the coating hasn't yet hardened, this will remedy the problem 99 percent of the time.

Unfortunately, once the coating has dried, it becomes very hard to level with a microfiber cloth.

As previously said, double-check your work as you go. When you're working, have a clean microfiber towel nearby and utilize an LED inspection light to ensure that your paint doesn't have any high spots or extra coating.

Reapply Ceramic Coating on the Area

It's doubtful that this will work if you have a very obvious high area where a significant volume of extra product has accumulated.

If you've been applying the coating as directed with a small quantity of product, it should be able to disguise the high place at the very least.

Adding a second "coat" or "layer" of ceramic coating to the region can help level it off and hide the high place. It'll also ensure that you don't miss out on the area's attractions. This might explain why it feels or appears to be high in the first place.

Buff the area using a microfiber towel after the second layer has been applied. This will ensure that the coat is even and will also keep it from streaking.

Do Some Good Ol' Hand Polishing

When you come across a paint flaw, the easiest technique to fix it is to use polish or rubbing compound. Paint defects produced by wax, sealants, and ceramic coatings are no exception.

Meguiars Ultimate Compound, for example, is meant to cut and eliminate paint flaws. This will help with the high areas that your ceramic coating has generated.

Meguiars Ultimate Compound is an abrasive compound that can easily cut stubborn obstacles that we may encounter in car detailing. As you rub, make sure to keep an eye on the region. Rubbing too hard or too quickly may result in the ceramic coating being totally removed.

If you're worried about rubbing through the ceramic coating, a solution like Meguiars Ultimate Polish can help you break it down without fully removing it. It isn't as rough as a rubbing compound.

Machine Polishing

Using your hand to polish increases your margin of safety greatly. It's difficult to rub through a coating or painting with your hands, yet everyone can polish with their hands.

However, hand polishing isn't always sufficient. You'd need a Dual Action Polisher or a Rotary Polishing machine at this point.

No matter how experienced or strong human hands can't match the speed and motion of dual-action polishers. Professional automobile refinishers frequently utilize the devices to remove scratches, swirls, and other paint flaws.

This is the final stage since it may result in the coating being totally removed. It's not a big problem if you thoroughly remove the covering. Simply reapply the coating to the area that you just polished.

Another difficulty is that not everyone has access to a polishing machine, and they are not inexpensive.

We've produced a handful of blog posts that will assist you in getting started with a polisher. You can also learn about all the tools we use every day to work with ceramic coatings, from a machine polisher, to a pressure washer.

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Ceramic Coating Streaks - How To Prevent Them?

When putting a ceramic coating onto your automobile, streaks might emerge for a variety of reasons.

The first and most obvious reason is that it is being used on a filthy vehicle.

Second, streaking can occur when ceramic coatings are applied in direct sunshine or during hot weather. In ideal conditions, you'd be in the shade and applying it in temperatures below 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

The ideal scenario is to have an enclosed garage. But if you are forced to do it outside, at least try to avoid windy conditions or parking below trees to avoid any debris falling onto your car while you are in the process of application and the coating hasn't had time to fully cure yet. This will keep it from drying too rapidly and allow you to buff it free of streaks.

Finally, use a clean microfiber cloth to buff the surface. Excess ceramic coating, high areas, and possible streaking may all be removed by buffing the area.

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Ceramic Coating Streaks - How To Remove Them?

Eliminating streaks from a ceramic coating should be approached in the same way as removing high spots. For the best results, follow the steps we've mentioned above.

However, if you want to remove ceramic coating streaks, you can perform another step.

Using a product like Adams Brilliant Glaze on top of your ceramic coating will assist to erase the stains. Applying more ceramic coating to the streaky areas is a similar method.

Adam's Brilliant Glaze will give your paintwork incredible depth, gloss, and clarity. It's the perfect final touch.

It's really simple to use and may be used on painted surfaces, chrome, and even glass. It's as simple as wiping it on and wiping it off!

This is a great quick-acting product that you can't go wrong with.

If it doesn't repair the streaking and you've tried all of the other solutions in this post, you're out of luck. It's time to polish the panel to thoroughly remove the coating and correctly reapply it.

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FAQ

How do you fix high spots on ceramic coating?

To fix high spots on ceramic coating, lightly dampen a microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution (approximately 15-20% IPA in water) and gently wipe the area. If the coating has not fully cured, this method can help level out the high spots. For coatings that have cured, you may need to use a mild polish and a soft polishing pad to gently correct the area before reapplying the coating if necessary.

Will ceramic coating high spots go away?

High spots from ceramic coating will not go away on their own. They require manual correction, either by using an IPA solution to level them out before the coating fully cures or by polishing the area if the coating has already cured.

How can you tell if ceramic coating is bad?

A bad ceramic coating can be identified by a lack of hydrophobic properties (water doesn't bead or sheet off), diminished gloss, and the overall failure to protect the paint from contaminants. If the coating was improperly applied, you might also see streaking, cloudiness, or high spots.

How do you fix streaky ceramic coating?

To fix streaky ceramic coating, wait for it to fully cure, then use a fine polish on a soft foam pad to gently polish the streaky area. Clean the surface with an IPA solution afterward to remove any polishing residue, then reapply the ceramic coating carefully, ensuring even coverage to avoid new streaks.

How do you remove ceramic coating marks?

To remove ceramic coating marks, such as high spots or streaks, you can use a mild automotive polish and a soft foam pad to gently polish the affected area. After polishing, clean the surface with an IPA solution to remove any residue. If the entire coating is to be removed, a more aggressive approach with a stronger polish or compound may be necessary, followed by thorough cleaning before reapplication of the coating.

Beginners Advice

Since Ceramic Coatings aren't beginner-friendly, we often suggest starting off with Ceramic Spray Coating since they are much easier to apply and have a much higher margin of error when doing so. They will not be as effective as traditional Ceramic Coating, but they will still do a decent job.

They will also give you training of sorts in how you should prepare a car for the application of a Ceramic Coating and, of course, an idea of how to apply one. Here you can check out our top pick for the best Ceramic Spray Coatings and their respective reviews after testing.

Cheers!