What is a sealant?

**nikro000** · 06-15-2007, 03:46 PM

No, I am not kidding. This is a serious question. I come from a time when you washed a car and then waxed it. Period. Now I have read that several forum users use a "sealant"

. What is it, when do you apply it in the wash -wax cycle, what are the benefits, what are some good brands for a yellow clearcoat car, any cons in using a sealant????

Thanks

**audiboy** · 06-15-2007, 04:02 PM

As I understand it, a sealant is a sort of synthetic wax. It`s always in liquid form and can be applied either by hand or machine. They require a bonding time and most shouldn`t be topped with anything for 12 hours to allow it to bond to your paint. Sealants are applied after your final polish and before your wax. Sealants don`t need to be topped with wax, but some like the extra protection. I like to use a sealant as a protectant for all of the polishing I do during a detail. I then top it with a carnauba wax as added protection. As long as I have a good coat of wax on top of the sealant, I`ve noticed that my finish is never damaged too badly between polishing.

There are a lot of sealants out there. You might want to search the reviews sections to see which one you might like.

In fact, I`m heading out into the garage to put a fresh coat of sealant on the car right now.

**Jngrbrdman** · 06-15-2007, 04:49 PM

This is my explanation of the difference between waxes and sealants. There are a lot of different ways to go with a sealant. Some like multiple layers topped with wax, and others like just one layer and that`s it. This step of the process is an art, and all art is in the eye of the beholder. Nobody can tell you what you like best, so you pretty much just have to try it out in different ways and see what you like best.

**wannafbody** · 06-17-2007, 08:56 PM

Waxes cure and sit on the paint surface. Sealants crosslink and bond to the paint surface. Sealants are generally more durable than waxes.

**itsmejay** · 06-19-2007, 08:18 PM

Wax - more shine
Sealant - more protection

New sealants have more shine than some waxes. Some sealants, like stated above, can`t be topped with anything until a few days or weeks later.

**Stephan** · 06-20-2007, 05:35 AM

A wax for the most part is organic...meaning its from the Copernica Cerifera plant, and it’s initially hard as a rock until they blend chemicals to soften it to the point it can be used on your paint.

Sealants are man made and are often acrylic-polymer based.

**chizao** · 06-20-2007, 01:15 PM

All of this is good to know.

**nikro000** · 06-20-2007, 06:07 PM

Thanks for the info! That made the choice a lot easier!

**SVR** · 07-03-2007, 02:50 AM

They come in all different types and have varying durability.
polydimethylsiloxane, acrylic/polymer, silicate, titanium/silicone, acrylic/teflon, quartz and amino functioning resin

You apply after washing,drying, claying and polishing to protect the paint and the metal from nitrates and sulfuric acids in the air, salt spray, exhaust fumes, brake dust, iron particle fallout, water,grime and UV rays (cause of oxidation)

They also provide resistance against egg shell and bird damage and make washing and drying easier due to the hydrophobic (water fearing properties) and stopping so much crap from sticking to the paint, glass and wheels.

**Jngrbrdman** · 07-03-2007, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by SVR

They also provide resistance against egg shell...

For as cool as sealants are, they won`t do anything to protect you from egg shells or rocks or anything like that. We are talking about a microscopic layer of protection that isn`t even really measurable. Your paint won`t read any thicker after a coat of sealant than it would without one. If someone throws an egg at you freshly sealed car, then you are still going to end up with one of these:

They look great and they protect against all kinds of contamination, but unfortunatly they don`t make the car bulletproof. Trust me on that. The car with that egg damage has five coats of Klasse Sealant Glaze on it.

**atticdog** · 07-03-2007, 05:25 PM

some feel that waxes provide better protection against bird bombs

**nikro000** · 07-03-2007, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by Jngrbrdman

For as cool as sealants are, they won`t do anything to protect you from egg shells or rocks or anything like that. We are talking about a microscopic layer of protection that isn`t even really measurable. Your paint won`t read any thicker after a coat of sealant than it would without one. If someone throws an egg at you freshly sealed car, then you are still going to end up with one of these:

They look great and they protect against all kinds of contamination, but unfortunatly they don`t make the car bulletproof. Trust me on that. The car with that egg damage has five coats of Klasse Sealant Glaze on it.

Bad one. Did you ever get it out completely?