Ceramic Coating in Great Tey

Previously detailed? Here’s what changes

If your car has been detailed before — polished, waxed, sealed, even coated — here’s how we handle the history. First, we assess the paint as it is now, under proper lighting, without assumptions. Previous machine work becomes part of what the inspection reveals: sometimes it’s excellent and the paint needs little; sometimes it’s left holograms that need correcting properly. Old protection — waxes, sealants, tired coatings — gets stripped in decontamination, because a new coating must bond to clean clear coat, not to the remains of the last treatment. Mention the history when you enquire: what was done, when, by whom, if you know. It helps us plan, and it helps us interpret what the lights show us. A previously detailed car isn’t a problem — it’s just a car with a story, and we’d rather hear the story than discover it mid-job.

The “do I still need to wash it” question

Let’s settle this one permanently, because it causes more confusion than anything else in the coating world. Yes, you still need to wash the car. A coating doesn’t repel dirt magically; it changes how dirt interacts with the paint — bonding weakly instead of strongly, releasing easily instead of stubbornly. What that means in practice: washes are quicker, gentler, and more effective, and the car stays presentable longer between them. But “longer between washes” isn’t “never,” and anyone implying otherwise is selling fantasy. The honest pitch is a better ratio of effort to result, not the elimination of effort. Think of it like non-stick cookware: you still wash the pan, but nothing like as hard. That analogy is about as close as it gets — and it’s a good deal, as long as nobody pretends the pan cleans itself.

Mobile practicalities, plainly stated

If you’re leaning toward mobile, here’s what we need for it to work well. Reasonable access to the car — not squeezed between others in a tight space. Conditions that suit the work: the preparation and application stages need to be doable properly, which means shelter from the worst of the weather and enough light to work to our standard. We’ll discuss your specific situation when you book — drive layout, access, what’s around — and give you an honest assessment. If it suits, we’ll arrange it; if it doesn’t, we’ll say so and suggest the studio, where the environment is controlled and ideal. There’s no judgement in that call, only practicality. A mobile job done in the wrong conditions helps nobody, and we’d rather rearrange than compromise. The diary is flexible. Your paintwork’s finish isn’t.

The second car in the household

Here’s a thought for multi-car households: once you’ve lived with one coated car, the uncoated one starts to feel like hard work. The coated car’s washes are quick; the other’s are a chore. The coated one’s paint holds its gloss; the other’s dulls. We mention this because a surprising number of our enquiries are second cars — the partner’s car, the runabout — booked after the first one converted its owner. There’s no package deal to announce (we quote each car exactly, on its own paint), but there’s a pattern worth noting: coating tends to spread through households by demonstration, not persuasion. If you’re considering it for one car, drive the coated one for a month first. The comparison will make the decision for the second one for you — and we’ll be here when it does, with the same honest assessment and exact quote.