Sealant vs Coating

[DanielM]

Besides longevity is there really a difference between coatings and sealants?

From my readings, I see many statements lowering the hype about coating such as "Hardness can help aid in some levels of protection, but on the scale of 1-3 microns which is the average thickness of a coating, it doesn't directly do much. There is little to no evidence that coating hardness plays a role in scratch resistance. " https://itsbetterwaxed.com/blogs/det...prevent-swirls.


I know coatings help washed induced marring due to less surface tension but doesn't a sealant do the same?


So my question is, if I don't mind applying a sealant every 4 months, does a coating provide any other benefits?

[The Guz]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

Yes it does. Coatings also protect better against chemicals, bird droppings. A car stays cleaner longer in between washes. Not to mention that a vehicle that is coated is easier to wash.

If the sealant is working out for you and you enjoy polishing more frequently, then stick to that.

[DanielM]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

Yes it does. Coatings also protect better against chemicals, bird droppings. A car stays cleaner longer in between washes. Not to mention that a vehicle that is coated is easier to wash.

If the sealant is working out for you and you enjoy polishing more frequently, then stick to that.

Doesn't that fall into the if I don't mind doing it more frequently it is the same? Like my sealant is known hold up for 8 months. If I reapply every 4 months, would it not do everything above equally as well?

My main concern is my car is street parked. So I am worried about people rubbing up on the car, tree branches, flying debris from moving cars etc. Will a coating offer better protection for those scenarios?

[The Guz]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

Doesn't that fall into the if I don't mind doing it more frequently it is the same? Like my sealant is known hold up for 8 months. If I reapply every 4 months, would it not do everything above equally as well?

To quote Mike Phillips find what you like and use it often. Coatings are not for everyone. Coatings are semi permanent and offer a longevity of about 2-5 years. Professional coatings can last up to 7-10 years. Another added benefit to a coating, is that one does not have to wax or spray wax it. Some coating manufacturers include sealants that have the same chemical make up as their coating to maintain it. For example cquartz and reload. Coatings still require some maintenance.

My main concern is my car is street parked. So I am worried about people rubbing up on the car, tree branches, flying debris from moving cars etc. Will a coating offer better protection for those scenarios?

Coatings will not protect from tree branches or flying debris. If you want to protect against that then consider paint protection film like xpel. Coatings are not miracle products and are not the end all be all.

[DanielM]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

To quote Mike Phillips find what you like and use it often. Coatings are not for everyone. Coatings are semi permanent and offer a longevity of about 2-5 years. Professional coatings can last up to 7-10 years. Another added benefit to a coating, is that one does not have to wax or spray wax it. Some coating manufacturers include sealants that have the same chemical make up as their coating to maintain it. For example cquartz and reload. Coatings still require some maintenance.

Coatings will not protect from tree branches or flying debris. If you want to protect against that then consider paint protection film like xpel. Coatings are not miracle products and are not the end all be all.

Thank you for the prompt response. The problem with "find what you like and use it often", is I like the best =) but I don't like to unnecessarily waste product.

manufacturers include sealants that have the same chemical make up as their coating to maintain it.

So that kind of takes away from the ease of coating no? I see many debates on the need for layering.

Last two question if you would be so kind:

1. Does a coating like opti-gloss stand up to a light abrasive polish? It would be great if it captures minor swirls and can be buffed while leaving my clear untouched.

2.Do you find coating live up to the hype of a mirror finish? The problem with many coatings is the paint must be stripped of all oils. Sealants allow and also have glazes that can be sealed in. I would think that would give a better shine no?

[Top Gear]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

IMO, so-called "sealants" (waxes by a synthetic name) and coatings are way over-hyped. 100% marketing claims can be powerful, but if a daily driver, your car will still get dirty, and you will still need to wash it and care for it. A coating does not magically keep it clean, and a sealant will not outlast any given wax when it comes to daily/weekly maintenance that must be done. Use a sealant happily if that's the "look" you want (bright gloss), but do not be fooled for a moment into thinking the paint has literally been "sealed". Any wax on the shelf will last just as long under the same conditions and with the right care. Coatings may "seal" the actual finish, sure, but that coating still gets filthy, looks dull, and needs to be cared for, just as much as the paint does. It's all pretty much hype, in my view. A great Meguiar's carnauba wax is all you need, and the finish will look so much better and natural (dark, wet gloss). The maintenance is still the same no matter what: Regular use of the duster, waterless wash, detailer, spray wax, and careful washing when you need it. I can and do go many months on end without having to break out the DA and re-wax, and in the meantime, the finish always has that Car Crazy Meguiar's carnauba look

[The Guz]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

Thank you for the prompt response. The problem with "find what you like and use it often", is I like the best =) but I don't like to unnecessarily waste product.

You may not like this answer but there is no best. If you are looking for a product that offers longer protection, more durability and better chemical resistance then go with a coating. If you like to polish often then a coating is a waste of time, product and money. This is where you stick with a carnauba or sealant.

So that kind of takes away from the ease of coating no? I see many debates on the need for layering.

I don't think so. A coating still needs to be washed. It's not a apply, set it and forget it type product. The idea behind is that surface contaminants are still going to get on the surface. Contaminants will hinder the sheeting and beading properties of the coating. A sealant made of the same chemical make up restores that beading and sheeting as people like to see that. Just because the beading and sheeting has been altered a bit, it does not mean it is not on the paint protecting it.

There are many folks who believe that a wax, sealant or spray wax applied to the top of a coating will protect the coating so it lasts even longer. That is an ongoing debate. But also note that a sealant or wax applied over the coating will alter the beading and sheeting to the properties of the topper.

1. Does a coating like opti-gloss stand up to a light abrasive polish? It would be great if it captures minor swirls and can be buffed while leaving my clear untouched.

The answer would be no. An abrasive polish will remove gloss coat. Defects (marring, swirls) will be in the coating. A polish will remove the coating.

Do you find coating live up to the hype of a mirror finish? The problem with many coatings is the paint must be stripped of all oils. Sealants allow and also have glazes that can be sealed in. I would think that would give a better shine no?

I am going to say yes. I have used gloss coat on 3 vehicles. It not only looks great. But with proper maintenance (washing) the vehicle will look great for a long time. There is a video on the rag company youtube channel which goes into detail on how to clay gloss coat without affecting it on the surface. I recommend you watch those videos.

You are correct. A coating needs to have the paint removed of all polishing oils from the surface for it to bond properly to the paint. If not, it will compromise the coating. Gloss comes from properly prepping the paint aka polishing. Glazes fill in minor imperfections but a glaze does not last long even if it is sealed by a sealant.

I have polished and coated all of these and they sure do look great. Their glossy appearance lasts much longer than a wax and sealant.

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?64943-2015-Impala-LTZ-Paint-Correction-and-Coated-with-Optimum-Gloss-Coat#blC70IhsAvAuQaG3.97

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?64038-2010-Camaro#EIoiPHzEjq4I4I01.97

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?63932-2003-Pontiac-Grand-Prix-(Coated)#1AbY6saS3R6USfuZ.97

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?63210-2002-Camaro-Z28-Now-Coated#ofYtArOjdoCjxZ6L.97

http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?63644-2002-Camaro-SS-Coated#VfeVXQe34JhpCdbi.97

I just completed a black 2002 Corvette that I coated with gloss coat. Write up coming soon but it looks amazing and has amazing gloss.

If you are looking for a coating to venture into, I would recommend gloss coat. It's is very easy to use and it is a great product. Check out episode 6 of the optimum synergy podcast.

IMO, so-called "sealants" (waxes by a synthetic name) and coatings are way over-hyped. 100% marketing claims can be powerful, but if a daily driver, your car will still get dirty, and you will still need to wash it and care for it. A coating does not magically keep it clean, and a sealant will not outlast any given wax when it comes to daily/weekly maintenance that must be done. Use a sealant happily if that's the "look" you want (bright gloss), but do not be fooled for a moment into thinking the paint has literally been "sealed". Any wax on the shelf will last just as long under the same conditions and with the right care. Coatings may "seal" the actual finish, sure, but that coating still gets filthy, looks dull, and needs to be cared for, just as much as the paint does. It's all pretty much hype, in my view. A great Meguiar's carnauba wax is all you need, and the finish will look so much better and natural (dark, wet gloss). The maintenance is still the same no matter what: Regular use of the duster, waterless wash, detailer, spray wax, and careful washing when you need it. I can and do go many months on end without having to break out the DA and re-wax, and in the meantime, the finish always has that Car Crazy Meguiar's carnauba look

They are not hype at all. Waxes, sealants and coatings all do what they are intended to do. Science has proved the longevity and durability of each product.

[The Guz]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

You may like this video as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdEPP-OnV9A

[DanielM]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

The answer would be no. An abrasive polish will remove gloss coat. Defects (marring, swirls) will be in the coating. A polish will remove the coating.

The Guz, I know I said one last question but this above quote intrigued me. So if I use a very light abrasive polish like swirlx, I could basically remove the swirled up coating and apply another coat without ever touching my clear?


I guess I thought it was hype when I see people who claim to paint correct 4x per year saying they will never need to correct again. Correct me if I am wrong but If you swirl clearcoat that bad, wouldn't you would swirl coating no?


Wow, those pictures look great. Are you able to use a DA buffer with coating or only hand application?

You are winning me over. Damn you!!! I just bought GG AIO sealant, so it would be useless since it has polish in it if I buy glosscoat.


I just wish it was cheaper like sealant because I am still new at this.

I really appreciate the replies to all my threads. I am new at this.

[The Guz]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

Gloss coat does cost more but in my opinion it's worth it considering it is now an up to 3 year coating. There are a few other coatings that are cost effective. Head over to autogeek and look at McKee's 37 paint coating or Duragloss. Both are easy to use. McKee's 37 is a forum favorite. I have also used Pinnacle Black Label paint coating which is very easy to use. There are quite a few.

I'm a pro gloss coat guy as it's so easy to use and it looks great with the proper prep. The fact that it is a flexible coating meaning it expands and contracts with the paint is another reason it won me over.

Most coatings are applied by hand. For example see this video on how easy it is to apply gloss coat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctFtza_jGxs

Pinnacle Black Label and McKee's 37 are sprayable coatings which are just as easily applied.

Say you need to touch up an area, you could simply polish that area and recoat it. For example if there was some sort of defect on a door, I would polish the entire door and recoat it. If you had a small polisher like the Rupes nano then I would just hit the small area that was touched up.

If you properly wash the car and maintain it properly you will not have to take a polisher to the paint. In theory the coating is the part that will get swirled.

You are correct any cleaner wax, compound or polish should not be used on a coating. Even clay could cause a problem as it is abrading the surface. This is different between all coatings.

I also like the optimum synergy with their products. Check out McKee's 37. It's quite affordable.

This video is for Pinnacle Black Label but the McKee's 37 uses the same application. Pinnacle Black Label is an up to 3 year coating and McKee's 37 is an up to 2 year coating. Both are similar in their chemical make up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flwBh6zz_5M

As much as I like sealants, I am pro coatings. I don't even use carnauba waxes anymore.

[Top Gear]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

...A coating still needs to be washed. It's not a apply, set it and forget it type product. The idea behind is that surface contaminants are still going to get on the surface. Contaminants will hinder the sheeting and beading properties of the coating.

That is an understatement. If you notice that in weatherless Los Angeles, imagine how pointless a coating is in the Southeast - not because it won't work as advertised, but because it must be cleaned just as vigilantly as a waxed paint, and that is its downfall. I think a coating would be great for a race car or show car that is not driven in the real world.

They are not hype at all. Waxes, sealants and coatings all do what they are intended to do. Science has proved the longevity and durability of each product.

Durability is not the important factor, though. If people use coatings in order to fool themselves into thinking they don't have to keep the car up, then yes, they will experience a long-lasting coat, but it will be dirty, grimy, dull-looking, etc. Since we're usually promoting constant maintenance, such as dusting, spray waxes, etc, and since that is required where there is lots of different weather, then the coating is just moving the problem of maintenance, not solving it. I'd also be seriously concerned about the breathability of the paint I'm trying to protect under that "seal" of a coating.

So, I think we're saying different things for different reasons. That a coating might last years on my car in pure theory is of no interest to me whatsoever, because I need the paint to breathe, and I need to keep the surface as clean as possible, which means that over time with regular maintenance, that expensive coating will be compromised, probably in months. If I lived where it's 70 degrees every day of the year and rarely rains, I might see this differently, but I don't. I have to deal with lots and lots of rain, pollen, dirt and grime, wild temp and humidity swings, and so on. This is why coatings are hype to me, which goes double for so-called sealants. I think if you spent a month or two trying to keep a car reasonably clean in the Southeast's weather, you'd see these products and strategies differently as well.

[The Guz]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

That is an understatement. If you notice that in weatherless Los Angeles, imagine how pointless a coating is in the Southeast - not because it won't work as advertised, but because it must be cleaned just as vigilantly as a waxed paint, and that is its downfall. I think a coating would be great for a race car or show car that is not driven in the real world.


Durability is not the important factor, though. If people use coatings in order to fool themselves into thinking they don't have to keep the car up, then yes, they will experience a long-lasting coat, but it will be dirty, grimy, dull-looking, etc. Since we're usually promoting constant maintenance, such as dusting, spray waxes, etc, and since that is required where there is lots of different weather, then the coating is just moving the problem of maintenance, not solving it. I'd also be seriously concerned about the breathability of the paint I'm trying to protect under that "seal" of a coating.

So, I think we're saying different things for different reasons. That a coating might last years on my car in pure theory is of no interest to me whatsoever, because I need the paint to breathe, and I need to keep the surface as clean as possible, which means that over time with regular maintenance, that expensive coating will be compromised, probably in months. If I lived where it's 70 degrees every day of the year and rarely rains, I might see this differently, but I don't. I have to deal with lots and lots of rain, pollen, dirt and grime, wild temp and humidity swings, and so on. This is why coatings are hype to me, which goes double for so-called sealants. I think if you spent a month or two trying to keep a car reasonably clean in the Southeast's weather, you'd see these products and strategies differently as well.

I don't have the patience to continue discussing your outlook on things. I will say this. If you enjoy using your carnauba wax then by all means continue using it. Michael Stoops has already made his comments clear to you a few times about sealants and waxes as well as some other forum members. I am not going there with you anymore.

To the op, coatings are great and have their place. Feel free to PM me with any other questions with regards to coatings.

[Top Gear]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

I don't have the patience to continue discussing your outlook on things.

Guz, please read what I actually wrote a bit more carefully. Just because something works for you in a relatively weatherless area, doesn't mean it works for everyone in the world. Are you trying to tell me that everywhere in the world has the same weather as SoCal? You'd be wrong. Are you trying to say weather doesn't matter regarding corrections, detailing and product selection? You'd be wrong again. As I've tried to explain to you many times, most of your advice is very SoCal, not universal or even helpful to those of us who do not live in year-round fair weather - that's a vast majority of Meguiar's customers, by the way. I'm not sure why you are so hostile to the facts of weather. I guarantee you it is not the position of Meguiar's to ignore weather factors, and Mr. Stoops has many times agreed that weather throws nearly every detailing theory out the window. Just because many SoCal methods and assumptions do not apply to Southeastern, Midwestern, Northern, Northwestern, Canadian, Latin American, European, Asian, South African weather, humidity, and heat and cold swings (in short, nearly all the inhabited world) is no reason to take it out on me over and over.

[Nick Winn]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

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[DanielM]

Re: Sealant vs Coating

That is an understatement. If you notice that in weatherless Los Angeles, imagine how pointless a coating is in the Southeast - not because it won't work as advertised, but because it must be cleaned just as vigilantly as a waxed paint, and that is its downfall. I think a coating would be great for a race car or show car that is not driven in the real world.


Durability is not the important factor, though. If people use coatings in order to fool themselves into thinking they don't have to keep the car up, then yes, they will experience a long-lasting coat, but it will be dirty, grimy, dull-looking, etc. Since we're usually promoting constant maintenance, such as dusting, spray waxes, etc, and since that is required where there is lots of different weather, then the coating is just moving the problem of maintenance, not solving it. I'd also be seriously concerned about the breathability of the paint I'm trying to protect under that "seal" of a coating.

So, I think we're saying different things for different reasons. That a coating might last years on my car in pure theory is of no interest to me whatsoever, because I need the paint to breathe, and I need to keep the surface as clean as possible, which means that over time with regular maintenance, that expensive coating will be compromised, probably in months. If I lived where it's 70 degrees every day of the year and rarely rains, I might see this differently, but I don't. I have to deal with lots and lots of rain, pollen, dirt and grime, wild temp and humidity swings, and so on. This is why coatings are hype to me, which goes double for so-called sealants. I think if you spent a month or two trying to keep a car reasonably clean in the Southeast's weather, you'd see these products and strategies differently as well.

This was one reason I was hesitant to buy coating over my sealant. I would just be moving the problem. Instead of maintaining my clear, I would be maintaining my Coat with the same vigilance.

Both of you make great points. Head spinning.