Such a good shop it's insane, they are quick, nice and do it right. Got ppf on my headlights here and their turn around time was so quick. I will be going here for everything!
Restyling & Protection
Ceramic coating, applied after the paint is actually corrected
Correction first, then a professional coating on paint, PPF or Peel Clear — so what gets sealed in is a flawless surface, not swirls.
Mon–Fri 9 AM–4 PM · Sat 9 AM–1 PM · 446 W Orange Show Ln, San Bernardino
What it is
What is a ceramic coating?
A ceramic coating is a liquid silica-based polymer applied by hand to corrected paint that cures into a hard, glossy, hydrophobic layer bonded to the clearcoat. It resists UV fading, water spotting, bird droppings, bug etching and light wash marks, and makes the car easier to keep clean. It does not stop rock chips, dents or deep scratches — that's what paint protection film is for.
- Correction before coating, always. A coating locks in whatever is under it, so the swirls come out first.
- Applied in a body shop, on paint we know is sound, by the people who painted it or can.
- Goes over PPF and over Peel Clear. Ceramic is a line item on our Peel Clear estimates.
- Easier washing, less water spotting. The difference you notice every wash.
- UV resistance for Inland Empire sun. The coating takes the sun so your clearcoat doesn't.
Straight answer
What does a ceramic coating do, and not do?
A coating is chemistry, not armor. Here is the honest split.
What a coating does
- Gloss. A deeper, wetter look than bare clearcoat, and it holds through washes.
- UV resistance. The coating takes the sun before your clear does, which matters from Rialto to Redlands.
- Water beading. Rain and rinse water sheet off instead of drying in spots.
- Easier washes. Dust and road film release with less scrubbing, so less scrubbing means fewer swirls.
- Chemical resistance. Bird droppings and bug guts sit on the coating instead of etching the clear, if you don't leave them for weeks.
What a coating doesn't do
- Stop rock chips. A rock at freeway speed goes straight through. That's a job for paint protection film.
- Prevent dents. It adds no thickness that matters against a cart or a door.
- Replace washing. It makes washing easier, not optional.
- Last forever. Every coating wears with washing and sun; the product tier decides how long.
How it works
How a ceramic coating goes on at R2R
Five steps. Most of the labor is in the first two, and that is where the result is made.
Wash and decontaminate
Iron remover, tar remover, then clay. Old wax, brake dust and tree sap stop the coating from bonding, so all of it comes off first.
Paint correction
One or more machine stages to level swirls, water spots and oxidation. The coating only keeps what this step makes. See paint correction.
Panel wipe
A solvent wipe strips the polishing oils so the coating bonds to clearcoat, not to residue.
Coating
Applied by hand in sections, allowed to flash, then levelled with a fresh microfiber. How many layers depends on the product.
Cure and care sheet
Keep it dry and unwashed for the first week. You leave with the cure sheet for the product on your car, and photos from the bay along the way.
Layering
Ceramic on PPF or Peel Clear
The order never changes: correction, then film or Peel Clear, then ceramic last. Film adhesive won't bond to a slick coated surface, so the coating always goes on last.
Over paint protection film, ceramic is the standard layering. The film takes the rock chips; the coating keeps the film glossy, beading and easy to wash.
Over Peel Clear, ceramic is a line item on our estimates. Roof and wing are the common picks — the two surfaces that take the most sun and the most water spots. Ask for it when you book the color change.
Why R2R
Why get a coating from a paint shop?
Most of the work in a coating job is the correction under it. That is painters' work.
- Painters do the correction
We know how much clear a factory panel carries and how much each polishing stage takes off. We stop before the clear gets thin, not after.
- If the paint is too far gone, we can repaint it
A detailer's only option is to polish harder. If a hood is oxidized through or the clear is peeling, we refinish it in our booth, let it cure, then coat it. Same shop, one estimate.
- Applied indoors at the shop, not in a driveway
Dust and direct sun ruin a coating while it flashes. Ours goes on inside, on a car that has been washed, corrected and wiped down under lights.
- Photo updates
You'll see the paint under lights after correction, before the coating goes on. If a panel needs paint instead of polish, you'll see that too.
FAQ
Ceramic coating questions, answered
Will a ceramic coating stop rock chips and scratches?
No. It's a thin chemical layer, harder than bare clearcoat, so it shrugs off wash swirls and etching, but a rock at freeway speed or a key still goes through. For chips you want PPF; for gloss, UV and easy washing you want ceramic; many owners do both.
How long does a ceramic coating last?
It depends on the product tier and how the car is washed and stored. Professional coatings are rated in years, consumer sprays in months. We'll tell you the rating of the coating we quote for your car rather than promise a number here.
Why do you have to polish the car first?
The coating is clear and semi-permanent — every swirl and water spot under it stays there for years. Correction levels the clearcoat so what gets sealed in is a flawless surface. On a new car it can be a light polish; on a daily driver it's usually a full stage.
Can I take a coated car through an automatic car wash?
You can, but brush washes put swirls in paint and shorten a coating's life. Touchless is better; hand washing is best. Hard water can still spot a coating, so dry it after washing.
Can you ceramic coat PPF or Peel Clear?
Yes. Ceramic over PPF is the standard layering, and ceramic over Peel Clear is an add-on we quote — roof and wing are common. Film or Peel Clear first, ceramic last.
Related
What goes with a coating
Google reviews
What customers say
super cool people, honest work, and the prices are honestly amazing for the quality you're getting. My car came out looking way cleaner than before. You can tell they actually care about the work they do. Definitely coming back if I ever need anything again. Definitely would recommend these guys
Get started
Correct it once. Keep it that way.
Send photos in daylight so we can see the swirls — we'll quote the correction and the coating together.