Since Permagard’s founding in 1998, we have received numerous inquiries asking very similar questions such as, “What is Permagard?”, or “Is it a wax?”.
But one of these questions has become more common in the past decade: “Is it a ceramic coating?”
No, Permagard is not a ceramic coating.
This article will explain the true differences between Permagard and ceramic coatings, how their benefits are similar to each other, and how they both translate to the automotive industry.
Beauty In The Differences
For nearly 30 years, Permagard has maintained a reputation as a highly-durable, aviation-grade paint protection system. With the aid of our high-quality proprietary formulas and ISO 9001 quality management system, it has allowed us to garner the respect and trust of the aviation industry’s largest, most prestigious OEMs. Throughout Permagard’s history, it has also allowed us to receive full formal approvals from these aircraft OEMs, including Bombardier Aviation, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Gulfstream Aerospace, and Textron Aviation.
With the ease of application to apply with a dual-action polisher, no strict requirement for a temperature-controlled or dust-free environment, and no requirement of paint correction before being applied, the application versatility that Permagard offers is simply unmatched when compared to ceramic coatings.
But what makes ceramic coatings different from Permagard? Well, ceramic coatings operate like a protective layer much like Permagard does. In the 1970s, they were marketed in the automotive industry in Asia as “glass coatings”. Once the 2010s rolled around, they made their way to the United States and were rebranded as “ceramic coatings”, sold as a liquified ceramic layer that’s harder than steel and can withstand a blowtorch when it’s applied to your vehicle. Jokes aside, that is the reality of the marketing that ceramic coating manufacturers have imposed on the automotive detailing market. After all, there isn’t actually any “ceramic” in ceramic coatings. They are still the same glass coatings that were offered in the 1970s, just rebranded as “ceramic coatings” for a marketing term switch.
With that being said, ceramic coatings simply do not have the reputation that Permagard has spent nearly 30 years building upon. Ceramic coatings are automotive-grade products that have been repurposed for aviation use. Permagard was founded on aviation-grade proprietary technology, and our products were engineered specifically for aircraft painted surfaces, where we are now offering Permagard Automotive as an option for vehicle owners.
Strength In Similarity
We’ve discussed how Permagard and ceramic coatings are different from each other. But how are they similar? Permagard provides a signature “wet-look” effect that simply cannot be replicated by ceramic coatings. This is due in large part to the fact that all ceramic coatings require paint correction beforehand in order for them to be applied to the painted surfaces. When you paint correct a painted finish, you thin down the paint’s maximum thickness, which then affects the integrity of the clear coat, its depth of shine and gloss, and the overall appearance of the vehicle.
Permagard was designed to protect your vehicle’s maximum paint thickness because paint correction isn’t required in order for it to be applied. With Permagard, you receive unrivalled gloss and shine, excellent durability from the elements and environmental hazards, and a smooth, satin-like slickness that is pleasing to the touch and makes cleaning maintenance much easier.
While ceramic coatings do provide great gloss and shine, solid durability from elements and environmental hazards, and conditional slickness if a secondary product is applied (such as Permagard), it’s important to keep expectations realistic when comparing ceramic coatings among each other. After all, all ceramic coatings require a paint correction (even if it’s only one-step process) in order to apply them to a vehicle’s painted surfaces.
The problem with this is it’s counterintuitive to actually protecting the paint. You have to thin down (or in essence, damage) the paint in order to apply the ceramic coating and protect it. However, when applied, you can still achieve great results with ceramic coatings, despite their drawbacks.
Translation To The
Automotive Industry
Permagard and ceramic coatings are both effective forms of protection in the automotive industry. While ceramic coatings are not approved for use in the aviation industry, they have still developed a reputation to be a great option for vehicle owners. In fact, it is why we even recommend using Permagard in a “sandwiched” method with a ceramic coating. This way, you have the Permagard coating protecting the vehicle’s original factory paint thickness, the ceramic coating protecting the base Permagard coating, and then another layer of the Permagard coating on top of the ceramic coating once surface imperfections arise.
Treating Permagard as the secondary layer to a ceramic coating is a much better alternative than applying a ceramic topcoat. This is primarily due to ceramic coatings’ inability to effectively defend against micro-scratches and water spots. The Permagard coating replaces the ceramic topcoat by filling in the micro-scratches that have appeared on the ceramic coating and removing any water spots during the application process. And if more issues arise in the future, it is much easier to repair the Permagard coating than applying a new layer of the ceramic coating.
Contact
Permagard Automotive
Headquarters Today
Permagard Automotive is the only aviation-grade, proprietary-formulated product that can protect up to 100% of your vehicle’s clear coat and overall paint thickness. When working in synergy with ceramic coatings, Permagard Automotive provides an incredibly effective and durable paint protection solution for your vehicle’s painted surfaces. If you are interested in learning more about the differences between Permagard and ceramic coatings, contact our Permagard Automotive Headquarters office today at (305) 662-5070 or email us at info@permagard.com for more information.
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