CERAMIC COATINGS
Protection
Professional grade, marine-formulated ceramic coatings are the highest level of protection that you can apply to your gelcoat. The active compound in ceramic is SiO2, or silicon dioxide. It is the compound that gives glass its rigid, smooth properties and it works the same way on your gelcoat. When properly applied, a ceramic coating covers and chemically bonds to your gelcoat, becoming the new functional surface. Instead of being soft and porous, ceramic levels out to fill and cover those pores. This surface protects your gelcoat from harmful UV rays and environmental contaminants like bird and bug droppings. It increases the hydrophobicity of your gelcoat so that water and the contaminants that it contains slides right off.
Maintenance
A properly applied ceramic coating also reduces the amount of time spent maintaining your boat. Unlike a wax or polymer sealant, which sits on top of your gelcoat, a professional grade ceramic coating seeps into the pores of your gelcoat and chemically bonds with the surface. It is extremely resilient and resistant to contaminants and chemicals, unlike wax or sealants. When a bird leaves droppings on your boat, instead of having to scrub or buff the stain out of your porous gelcoat, you simply have to rinse it off the ceramic. A ceramic coating also cuts down on time spent waxing and rewaxing your boat because it lasts significantly longer.
Longevity
A properly applied, professional grade ceramic coating lasts significantly longer than traditional waxes or polymer based sealants. Contaminants sit too long on the wax or sealant and break it down. High friction points like the front of the hull wear down quickly, as well as areas of the boat that experience direct sunlight for most of the day. Even mild soaps like Dawn dish soap will completely remove your wax, and weaken even the highest quality polymer sealants.
