Everything You Need To Know About SB3 Ceramic Coating
Thinking about getting SB3 Ceramic Coatings installed on your vehicle? Read through this to get all the info you could want.
Skip To A Section:
- SB3 Coatings International Inc
- The Installation Process
- Before The Detail
- Inside The Wash Bay
- Interior Detailing
- Paint Polishing & Restoration
- Final Preparation
- The Coating Application
- After The Detail
- What Is The Curing Time?
- SB3 vs. Other Pro Coatings
- The Professional Only Products
- SB3 Alpha Ceramic Coating (Paint)
- SB3 Omega Ceramic Coating (Paint)
- SB3 Solo Ceramic Spray Coating (Paint)
- SB3 Vortex Ceramic Coating (Wheels)
- SB3 Optic Ceramic Coating (Exterior Glass)
- SB3 Fiber Ceramic Coating (Soft Top & Fabric)
- SB3 Hyde Ceramic Coating (Leather)
- The Aftercare Series Products
- SB3 Maintain Ceramic Detail Spray
- SB3 Soap
- SB3 Destroy Water Spot Remover
- SB3 Decon Fallout Remover
- SB3 Tuxx Tire Dressing
SB3 Coatings International Inc
SB3 Coatings, located in Lebanon Pennsylvania, is an international ceramic coating company started by professional detailer Barry E. Theal. The product formulas are curated from top chemists around the world, selecting the best by performance metrics and altering them for the ultimate user experience.
SB3 ceramic coating installers are Surface Specialists, requiring proper knowledge of how to restore, maintain, and preserve your vehicle’s various different materials.
SB3 has a ceramic coating for every surface of your vehicle, as well as a full maintenance line of products to maintain your vehicle and coating at home.
The Installation Process
Before The Detail:
Prior to starting the detail, your VIN and other personal information will need to be collected for Carfax and warranty registration. The vehicle should be checked for any damages or defects that may be an issue during the detail and immediately bring it to the clients attention. Once everything is checked over and ready to go, it’s off to the wash bay.
Inside The Wash Bay:
Decontaminating the vehicle is top priority for a ceramic coating. Any dirt, oil, tar, bugs, or contamination on the vehicle will prevent a ceramic coating from bonding to the surface. Your vehicle should go through a hand wash, clay bar, and chemical decontamination before every coating. This process alone can take anywhere from 1-2 hours.
Interior Detailing:
This service is required if you plan to get the interior ceramic coated. A brand new car won’t need a full detail, while a used one might need heavy cleaning. If you’re only concerned about the exterior, you can skip the interior entirely. The interior detail will clean all surfaces and make sure your leather and fabric are ready to accept the ceramic coating.
Paint Polishing & Restoration:
This is the final enhancement step before applying a ceramic coating. Polishing the paint will bring out more gloss and shine while removing swirls or scratches depending on the level of service you choose. Any other areas of the vehicle which need attention to detail are handled here such as trim pieces, metal polishing, and cleaning up any missed spots. This process can take anywhere from 3 hours to 2+ days depending on the vehicle condition and level of detailing service you’re requesting from your installer. This is where the biggest difference in pricing can be found between vehicles.
Final Preparation:
After all detailing services are completed, it’s time to ensure waxes and oils are removed from the surface. A prep solvent is used to dissolve waxes and oils and leave a perfectly clean surface. This step is critical to ensure all polishing oils are removed from the pores of the paint, trim, glass, and other surfaces.
The Coating Application:
Applying a coating is similar to a wax. It’s spread over the surface with an applicator and allowed to sit. As the solvents begin to evaporate, the hard solids and resin are left behind. Between 30 seconds and 5 minutes after applying the remaining reside is removed with multiple microfiber towels which are discarded after use. The time period for removal is dependent on ambient temperature, surface temperature, and humidity. The process is repeated for every surface of the vehicle. Coating the entire vehicle can take approximately 3 hours depending on size and complexity.
After The Detail:
Quality control checks are done to ensure all residue from the coatings have been removed. The SB3 warranty information and Carfax registration gets submitted once the vehicle has been ceramic coated. Your installer will inform you about how to maintain the vehicle from here. There is a one week waiting period before being allowed to use soap or chemicals on the coating, so please refrain from washing your vehicle for one week. Bird droppings and other contamination can be removed with a detail spray during the 1 week period.
What Is The Curing Time?
It takes 4 hours before SB3 coatings can be exposed to water. Most ceramic coating installers will decide to hold your vehicle overnight to ensure proper curing in a climate controlled environment.
After 4-7 days, depending on climate, the coating reaches it’s full hardness and has gained it’s maximum chemical resistant potential. At this point it’s safe to wash your vehicle.
SB3 vs. Other Pro Coatings
The Best Ceramic Coating Is The One On Your Vehicle.
Truth be told, once you have a professional coating on your vehicle, the differences between top brands are non-distinguishable. If you coat 5 different panels of a vehicle with different products, a professional detailer wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The most important aspect of any ceramic coating install is having a clean surface. As long as the surface has been properly decontaminated of all dirt, waxes, & oils, the coating will bond properly. The real deciding factor should be choosing the right installer for you, rather than a certain product.
The biggest difference between SB3 Coating and most coating brands is the amount of layers required for a 5 year warranty. With SB3 Alpha, you will receive a 5 year warranty for a single layer. At most detail shops you’re paying for time, labor, and product cost. Adding an additional layer means waiting 1-4 hours to apply the next coat while the first one starts to cure, and twice as much product is used. This extra time can add an entire day to the process for just coating the vehicle, and leave you another day without your car or truck. There are no protection benefits to adding additional layers.
SB3 Alpha can also be layered, but will not increase the protection benefits or warranty. SB3 Alpha contains the protection, slickness, and hydrophobic properties in one coating and does not require a separate top coat product to repel water like some other brands. If you’re adamant about having multiple layers on your vehicle, contact your installer if you wish to apply SB3 Omega on top of SB3 Alpha for more gloss and shine.
The Professional Only Products
These products can only be purchased and applied by a professional certified SB3 surface specialist. Click here to find your closest surface specialist on the map.
SB3 Alpha Ceramic Coating (Paint):
SB3 Alpha is the premium ceramic coating offering from SB3 Coatings International. It boasts a 5 year longevity & warranty while only requiring a single layer application. This is due to SB3 Alpha’s strong concentrated formula which carries more solids to the paint during application. Applying one coat allows for less mistakes, less billed hourly labor, and a faster turnaround time. Applying multiple coats to a vehicle can add an entire day to the process with no additional performance or warranty benefits vs a single layer. SB3 Alpha Ceramic Coating is 9H in hardness and is safe to get wet in only 4 hours after application. SB3 Alpha will show on your CarFax service history report.
If you want the ultimate protection for your vehicle, with the most gloss and best hydrophobic properties available, SB3 Alpha ceramic coating is the one to choose.
SB3 Omega Ceramic Coating (Paint):
SB3 Omega ceramic coating is intended for gloss, shine, and ease of maintenance. Omega gives similar protection capabilities to Alpha, even with it’s 4H hardness rating. The major difference is the concentration of solids, which gives Alpha the edge in long term durability. Omega is rated at 2 years and comes with a Warranty. Just like SB3 Alpha, Omega is shown on your CarFax service history report.
The best customers for SB3 Omega are those with short term car leases (2-3 years). If you have the budget to upgrade to Alpha or plan on keeping the vehicle for a long period of time, it is highly recommended to do so. SB3 Omega can be layered onto SB3 Alpha to create the secret “Almega” coating for an extreme amount of gloss, slickness, and protection. Contact your installer about this option.
SB3 Solo Ceramic Spray Coating (Paint):
Solo is the entry price point into the world of ceramic coatings. It’s a high concentrated, solvent based spray coating with a 1 year longevity. The application is much faster than the other coatings, and it can be returned same-day with a 1 hour cure time. It’s the perfect coating if your budget allows for polishing but not for the premium Alpha or Omega coatings. If you’ve never tried a ceramic coating, dip your feet in with SB3 Solo!
SB3 Vortex Ceramic Coating (Wheels):
SB3 Vortex ceramic coating is specifically formulated for wheels & brake calipers. Vortex will offer the best protection when it comes to high heat from performance braking situations, and even normal day to day driving. Your brakes generate heat from friction while stopping, which is transferred into your wheels (and eventually your tires). This heat can deteriorate consumer grade coating products, or products not designed for high heat areas of the vehicle.
SB3 Vortex wheel ceramic coating will protect your wheels from corrosion, pitting, oxidation, and premature surface wear. It will also make cleaning brake dust, tar, rubber, and other contamination easy when cleaning.
SB3 Optic Ceramic Coating (Exterior Glass):
When driving in bad weather conditions, seeing the road is extremely important. SB3 Optic is a ceramic coating for your windows which will repel water, snow, ice, oil, and other contamination that can get on your windows. At about 35mph, the rain will begin to roll up the window, almost negating the need for windshield wipers. Cleaning off the ice in the winter will be easy and come off in one big sheet when broken. This product blows away all the consumer grade products you can find off the shelf.
SB3 Fiber Ceramic Coating (Soft Top & Fabric):
SB3 Fiber will protect soft top convertible covers, as well as any fabric surfaces on the inside of your vehicle. Alcantara included. Fiber repels water similar to the other coatings, preventing stains and discoloration as well as UV damage. It’s the perfect product for vehicle’s with young children, people who transport materials, or people who frequently travel with their pets. SB3 Fiber does not change the feel or appearance of any textile surface.
SB3 Hyde Ceramic Coating (Leather):
The interior of your vehicle is often overlooked when it comes to ceramic coatings. The leather in your vehicle is coated with the same material your clear coat paint is made of. The factory coating is designed to be flexible, just like SB3 Hyde is made to flex with your seats. Hyde won’t change the feel of your leather, and won’t discolor the leather either. Black leather will look slightly darker and more vibrant. Hyde will protect your leather surfaces from stains, dye transfer, spills, dirt, and other contamination that may damage the surface and require a repair. Just like your paint, the factory leather coating is susceptible to damage.
Detail Sector, Located on Long Island NY, Provides These SB3 Ceramic Coating Services. Click Here To Learn More About Our Ceramic Coating Services.
The Aftercare Series Products
These products are available to consumers and are designed to maintain any ceramic coating on the market. Visit our online shop to purchase.
SB3 Maintain Ceramic Detail Spray:
SB3 Maintain is a ceramic based detail spray used to enhance the slickness and gloss to your ceramic coating. Ceramic coatings use a resin to contain the actual protection particles (Si02) and over time the resin can be replenished for maximum performance. Using SB3 Maintain once every 3-6 months will add more hydrophobic effects to any coating on the market. Just clean your vehicle first and either use SB3 maintain as a drying aid or after drying as a stand alone product. Maintain has been formulated to be easy to use for consumers. It is not a ceramic coating on it’s own, and should not be used as such for maximum performance.
SB3 Soap:
When cleaning your ceramic coated car you’ll notice it’s a lot easier to clean, but what soap you use can have a negative affect on the coating’s hydrophobic and cleaning properties. Soaps with waxes or sealants can sit on top of your coating and not allow it to do it’s job. SB3 Soap is designed with no added waxes or sealants, and is PH neutral to ensure safe cleaning for your SB3 ceramic coating. Use it just like any other automotive soap with the 2 bucket method recommended.
SB3 Destroy Water Spot Remover:
Unfiltered tap water (hose & sprinkler water) contains many minerals, which when dried create a ring or water spot on the paint. These minerals find it’s way into the pores of the paint, but don’t etch or penetrate if you have a ceramic coating. Although it won’t etch the coating, it will still dry on the paint and the minerals will need to be removed. SB3 Destroy will dissolve these minerals so you can rinse them away. Simply wash your vehicle first, wipe SB3 Destroy water spot remover on the surface and rinse or wipe away. Avoid dwelling on windshields or applying in direct sunlight. Don’t allow the product to dry. If you get water spots on your vehicle, you can use Destroy to easily remove them from your SB3 ceramic coating.
SB3 Decon Fallout Remover:
SB3 Decon will remove fallout, brake dust, and other ferrous materials from your paint or wheels. It will turn purple when it reacts with contamination containing metal, like brake dust. It’s recommended to use this if you park your car near a train station, under airplane flight paths, industrial zones, or own a vehicle with high performance pads. Ceramic brake pads usually do not cause the same volume of contamination. Simply spray SB3 Decon onto paint or wheels and let dwell for 2-5 minutes. Avoid drying on the surface. Agitate on wheels with a soft brush or mitt. Rinse well.
SB3 Tuxx Tire Dressing:
SB3 Tuxx is a no sling, water based tire dressing which leaves your vehicle looking ready for any event. It gives off a great shine, depth, and finishes off your maintenance wash with a perfect touch of “tuxedo” class. Simply apply, let dry, and wipe off any remaining product before driving if you applied too much.
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