---
title: 'Everything You Need To Know About Ceramic Coatings'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=KY-8KyRrOuE'
video_id: 'KY-8KyRrOuE'
date: 2026-06-28
duration_sec: 659
---

# Everything You Need To Know About Ceramic Coatings

> Source: [Everything You Need To Know About Ceramic Coatings](https://youtube.com/watch?v=KY-8KyRrOuE)

## Summary

This video explains the real benefits and limitations of ceramic coatings, focusing on XPEL's Fusion Plus product. It covers how ceramic coatings work, their application process, and common misconceptions, emphasizing that they are like a semi-permanent wax that makes cleaning easier but does not prevent scratches or eliminate the need to wash your car.

### Key Points

- **Introduction to Ceramic Coatings** [0:00] — The video introduces ceramic coatings, partnering with XPEL to discuss their new Fusion Plus product, and emphasizes realistic expectations about what coatings can and cannot do.
- **Common Misconceptions** [0:22] — Claims that ceramic coatings prevent scratches, rock chips, or eliminate car washing are inaccurate. Real benefits include easier paint maintenance, protection from tree sap and bird droppings, deep gloss, and hydrophobic properties.
- **How Ceramic Coating Works** [0:57] — XPEL Fusion Plus is a silicon-based product with nanoparticles that create an inseparable bond with the paint, lasting several years (4-year warranty based on third-party testing). It is like a semi-permanent wax or sealant.
- **Application Preparation** [1:33] — Paint must be perfectly clean and corrected if applied directly. If applied over paint protection film (PPF), paint correction is not needed. Ceramic coatings seal swirls and scratches permanently, so paint should be as perfect as possible.
- **Application Process** [2:27] — The process involves using a dropper to apply the coating to a microfiber towel, applying in small sections, wiping off excess when streaky, and a final wipe. Safety gear (gloves, eye protection, respirator) is required. Professional installation is recommended due to the need for precise conditions and surface preparation.
- **Curing Time** [4:48] — After application, the coating cures for 24 hours without water exposure, and fully cures in about 4 days. Gloss increases during this period.
- **Hydrophobic and Self-Cleaning Properties** [5:12] — A demonstration shows that the coated side of a hood repels mud and water more effectively. The coating has self-cleaning properties: dirt sticks to water droplets and is blown off while driving.
- **Maintenance Requirements** [6:05] — Ceramic coatings do not eliminate the need to wash the car; they make washing easier and remove the need for waxing. A two-bucket method wash and drying with clean towels is recommended weekly. XPEL suggests using Ceramic Boost every 4-6 washes to maintain hydrophobic properties.
- **Compatibility with Paint Protection Film** [7:03] — Ceramic coating can be applied over PPF without affecting the film's self-healing properties or rock chip protection. The coating is extremely thin, allowing the film to still heal scratches when heated. This combination provides the best of both worlds.
- **Summary and Key Differences** [9:23] — Ceramic coatings provide gloss, hydrophobic, and self-cleaning properties, but not heavy protection. PPF offers real protection against rock chips and scratches. Coating can go on top of PPF, but not vice versa.

### Conclusion

Ceramic coatings are a valuable addition for easier maintenance and enhanced appearance, but they are not a substitute for paint protection film or regular washing. Combining both products offers optimal protection and convenience.

## Transcript

hello everyone and welcome in this video
we are learning all about ceramic
coatings this is all things to expell
who I've partnered with on the video to
learn about the ever-popular world of
coatings they've recently launched their
new product fusion plus and what I
appreciate about expell is that they're
very realistic about what ceramic
coatings can and cannot do if you
followed the ceramic coating craze
lately you may hear claims like these
coatings completely preventing scratches
and Rock chips or that you'll never need
to wash your car again not exactly
accurate but that's not to take away
from the very real benefits that these
coatings provide like the ease of
maintaining your paints cleanliness
protection from things like tree sap bug
guts and bird droppings the deep glossy
appearance and of course they're very
popular hydrophobic or water repelling
qualities so let's start with how it
works why it's useful and then get into
some of the more common misconceptions
expell ceramic coating fusion plus is a
silicon based product so you have a
carrier fluid containing nanoparticles
and these tiny particles create an
inseparable bond with your paint work
that can't easily be washed off like a
wax or sealant really one of the easiest
ways to think about a ceramic coating is
like a semi-permanent wax or sealant
semi-permanent in that it lasts for
several years in this case expels
coating comes with a four year warranty
the duration for the four year warranty
was set based on third-party accelerated
wear testing applying the product starts
with the condition of your car's paint
and whether it's being applied to the
paint directly or on top of a paint
protective film in this video the
ceramic coating is being applied on top
of the expelled paint protection film on
my Tesla Model 3 if it's applied
directly to your paint you'll want the
paint to be perfectly clean and any
paint correction to be done beforehand
ceramic coatings will not hide swirls or
scratches instead they'll seal them and
permanently so it's important that you
have your paint as perfect as possible
before applying the coating if the
ceramic coating is being applied on top
of a paint protection film then paint
correction is not required
and unlike ceramic coatings protective
films can
cover up and hide light swirls and
scratches on a clear coat as the
adhesives of the film fill in the gaps
on the paint surface we'll get more into
the differences between protective films
and ceramic coatings later in the video
the application process itself is pretty
straightforward similar to painting a
car proper protection is required this
includes skin and eye protection as well
as a knee OSHA approved ventilator if
you're not working in a well-ventilated
area the risk of inhaling fumes with
liquid based products that are applied
directly is decreased versus spray-on
coatings however a proper respirator is
never a bad idea fusion plus is applied
with a dropper to a micro suede towel
and then applied to the vehicle in small
sections after applying to a small area
once the product starts to develop a
streaky appearance and is beginning to
flash off you wipe off the excess with a
microfiber towel and then a final wipe
down with an additional separate
microfiber towel if applying the ceramic
coating to glass it may require a third
wipe down with a slightly water damped
microfiber towel to remove any haziness
that may appear the coating will be
perfectly clear on glass when applied
correctly the process is repeated for
the entire car and you can slightly
overlap sections which won't leave any
visual indication to ensure the complete
car is covered some ceramic coatings are
sold as DIY kits some are professional
install only expel fusion Plus only
allows for professional installation
there are several reasons for this first
taking proper safety precautions is
certainly easier to control in a
professional environment glasses gloves
and respirator and while the application
process is fairly straightforward it's
also just as easy to mess up the biggest
thing is preparing the paint surface
making sure proper correction is done
before applying the product and that the
surface is perfectly clean when applying
the product things like humidity
temperature and how much you apply can
all change how quickly the product
starts to flash off which alters the
exact time you should wipe the surface
down if you apply too much product or to
a dirty surface you can leave behind a
streaky appearance drips or sealed dirt
to the surface
once the product has cured it's
difficult to remove and also difficult
to tell if you fully removed it to
remove it requires polishing aggressive
compound or worst case wet sanding I've
shown some panels here with what it can
look like when the product has not been
properly applied versus when it has been
installed correctly with the paint in
good shape a full installation can
happen in a few hours then the coating
needs time to cure for the first 24
hours you shouldn't get any water on the
surface the coating cures with exposure
to sunlight or even just air while it
can happen sooner the surface will be
cured after four days during this curing
process the gloss of the finish will
actually increase peaking and glossy
appearance days after the installation
here's where it gets fun while the
entire surface including all of the
glass on my Tesla Model 3 was coated we
coated just half of the hood on my crust
wreck as an experiment commence throwing
buckets of mud on top of the hood the
left side of the hood does not have a
ceramic coating though it is covered in
expel paint protection film no worries
no paint was harmed in the making of
this video as you can see the ceramic
coating on the right side of the hood
has significantly less friction and is
more hydrophobic the mud wants to drain
right off whereas the non coated side
keeps the dirt on top this also
illustrates another fascinating property
of the ceramic coating and that it has a
self-cleaning characteristic dirt on the
surface of the car would rather stick to
water droplets than the paint surface so
when it rains dirt traps in the water
droplets and is blown off the car as you
drive so does all of this mean you never
have to wash your car again no
absolutely not
you still have to maintain the surface
of a coated car it simply makes washing
your car significantly easier and it
eliminates the need to apply a wax or
sealant afterwards no more waxing in
fact waxes and sealants often have
solvents within them which should not be
used on a ceramic coating you don't want
to use acetone or lacquer thinners
either as these can degrade the surface
isopropyl alcohol can be used to remove
stains for water spots which yes you can
still get with the ceramic coating you
can remove the
with a water vinegar mix again think of
coatings like a permanent wax or sealant
you still need to wash your car it's
just easier and you won't have to wax at
the end a simple 2 bucket method wash
and then drying the surface with clean
towels is recommended weekly expel also
recommends applying ceramic boost every
4 to 6 washes to help maintain the
hydrophobic qualities of the coating
another fascinating thing about this
coating is its compatibility with paint
protection films this is something I
didn't quite understand before seeing
the install process if a ceramic coating
a hard glass like surface is applied on
top of a urethane paint protective film
like expel wouldn't that negate the
protective properties of the film
allowing for cracks and rock chips and
also remove the self-healing properties
of expels paint protection films and yet
it does not much of this is a result of
how incredibly thin the ceramic coating
layer is the flexible protective film
helps prevent rock chips by spreading
out the stresses of a rock on impact and
because the ceramic coating is so thin
the self-healing properties of that film
still work here's a quick little test to
demonstrate this we have a sheet of
painted metal then covered an expell
ultimate plus paint protection film and
then covered in fusion plus ceramic
coating first I'm spraying water on the
surface to show the hydrophobic
properties of the ceramic coating next I
take a brass brush and create surface
scratches on the film and coating as you
can see you can still scratch a ceramic
coating even when this has a scratch
resistance of 9h the highest rating on
the pencil hardness test and the
standard for a good ceramic coating next
a heat gun is used to heat up the
surface and as you can see just like a
non coated expelled paint protection
film the surface heals just fine again
it comes down to just how thin the
ceramic coating is so is the coating
still there a few sprays of water and
you can see the hydrophobic qualities of
the ceramic coating remain so with a
paint protective film and a coating you
get the best of both worlds this was
pretty mind-blowing for me to watch and
to be honest I still don't fully
understand what's happening at the
molecular level
essentially the brass brush is
rearranging the protective film
structure and with some heat it's back
to a lower energy state that's smooth
and flat the ceramic coating is bonded
to that topmost surface and rearranged
with the film as it's heated leaving
behind no noticeable scratches and a
smooth surface again after allowing the
coating some time to cool and then
spraying again with water you can see it
still maintains the hydrophobic
properties of the ceramic coating so as
a brief summary of the to a ceramic
coating we'll provide some basic
protection but it is more so about the
depth and glossy appearance as well as
hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties
again think relatively permanent wax
paint protective films on the other hand
will offer real protection against rock
chips and scratches ceramic coatings can
also be applied to matte surfaces like
on the trim of my Tesla or the carbon
fiber spoiler without significantly
altering the matte appearance while you
could get either product individually
and both have their advantages it is
important to note that a ceramic coating
can go on top of a paint protective film
but not the other way around if a car
has a ceramic coating it makes it very
difficult for a paint protective film to
bond to the surface so the coating has
to be removed before installing the film
and obviously since the paint protective
film is a much thicker layer by covering
up the ceramic coating you will lose the
purpose and benefits of that coating
putting the coating on top of the film
gives you the best of both worlds
so a huge thank you to expell for
partnering on the video and of course
for sharing so much information about
ceramic coatings if you're interested in
having expell ceramic coating installed
on your vehicle i've included a link to
their dealer locator in the video
description I'll also include additional
information in the video description
about pricing as this will be dependent
on how much paint correction is required
paint protective film coverage and
installer labor rates based on location
thank you all so much for watching if
you have any questions or comments feel
free to leave them below