Did you end up with white marks over your paint after ceramic coating? There is no need to panic or freak out when you find high spots. Even experienced professional detailers are also facing this issue from time to time. White marks after the ceramic coating is probably the most common issue encountered when ceramic coating a vehicle.
What is the cause of High Spots?
Highspots occur due to various reasons. The most common cause is not buffing the coating properly after applying the ceramic coating. When applying the ceramic coating, you should be working on small sections/panels of the car at any one point. You should spend time on that section and ensure the coating is levelled and residue removed using buffing with a microfiber cloth before moving on to the next area.
It is very easy to miss unless you work with appropriate lighting. That’s why we recommend using a flashlight for inspection after the coating. Another best way to inspect the coating is to check it on a cloudy day. During a normal sunny day, due to the different lighting sources and everything the coating may look levelled up or perfect but when you check the same vehicle on a cloudy day, you may find a dark patch or high spot.
Also Read: How To Apply Super Ceramic Coating?
Things to keep in mind for avoiding the White Marks
- Do not get too much ceramic coating on the applicator
- Apply the coating even and optimum pressure on the applicator
- Do not squeeze out
- Slightly overlapping each wipe, ensuring the same on cross-hatch strokes.
- Most people tend to work in large areas or sections for ease, but it makes the levelling difficult and gradually, it leads to high spots.
- In summary, you need to allocate around 1- 2 hours for ceramic coating, depending on the size of your vehicle. Apply the coating responsibly.
What to do when you find a high spot?
There are numerous techniques to get rid of the high spots. These techniques mostly depend upon the amount of time the coating has been applied. It’s necessary and important to look for high spots as early. The earlier you find it, the better you can fix it.
1) USE MICROFIBER CLOTH TO LEVEL THE COATING
Using a microfiber cloth to level the coating can be of great help if you find the high spot soon, I.e.just after you apply. When the coating cures, it becomes hard, and after a span of time, the hardness can’t be levelled with a microfiber cloth. So make sure to look for high spots soon after your coat. Inspect the vehicle using a flashlight. You can use your mobile flashlight too.
2) APPLY COATING TO THE HIGH SPOT
When wiping with a microfiber cloth doesn’t work, you can try applying a small layer of coating over the area. It makes the high spot invisible. Make sure not to apply a huge amount of coating over a high spot it can worsen the condition. Only use 1-2 drops on the applicator. Then buff off with a separate microfiber, but do this fairly quickly.
3) POLISH WITH HAND TO REMOVE THE COATING
When wiping with a microfiber cloth and applying a ceramic coating over the high spot doesn’t work, you can try to remove the coating to level or flatten the high spot. Sometimes less work is required to remove the coating, depending on when the coating has settled on the paint. We made Marine Paste Ceramic Coating Remover to make it easy for you to remove the ceramic coating and high spots without damaging the paint. The marine paste is clear coat safe and it won’t affect the original paint, unlike normal rubbing compounds. Also, it can remove tiny scratches and swirl marks. Optionally, you can apply the Paste Wax to bring back the glossiness.
4) MACHINE POLISH TO REMOVE THE COATING
If all the above techniques fail to make the high spots invisible, you’re left with the option of machine polish. This only happens in rare cases where you ignored the high spots for a really long time (More than 2 months) and the coating bonded with the paint solidly. This technique is only meant for worst-case scenarios, as you will have to remove the ceramic coating in this process. Machine polishing can remove any hard high spots or any other paint defects.
You can apply the ceramic coating again to the high spots removed areas, Don’t worry. There won’t be any visible layering on the surface by reapplying.
SINGLE TIP TO AVOID ANY MISHAP: DO NOT RUSH THE PROCESS. GO SLOW, GO EASY, GO CAREFULLY!
HAPPY DETAILING ^___^
I mistakenly coated in the bike headlight.what can I do to remove the coating?
Hello Sathis,
Applying ceramic coating to your bike’s headlight is generally not an issue. However, it’s advisable to remove the coating only if you notice the presence of white spots. In such cases, you can use a rubbing compound, such as our Marine Paste Compound, to effectively eliminate these white spots. For more information, you can find the product details here: https://superceramiccoating.com/product/marine-paste-rubbing-compound-200ml-scratch-remover/
If i apply ceramic coating on new bike DIY without buffing and then lets say after 2 year i have to re apply. Will I be able to apply it again without buffing?
In theory, yes, you could apply a new layer of ceramic coating to your bike after 2 years without buffing. However, the success of this process would heavily depend on the condition of your bike’s surface at that time. Ceramic coatings bond directly with your bike’s clear coat. For a successful application, the surface should be clean and free of any contaminants, dust, dirt, or oil.
If the bike has been well-maintained, and the initial coating is still mostly intact, you might be able to do a light clean and then reapply the ceramic coating. However, if the bike has any contaminants, scratches, or the old coating has started to wear unevenly, these imperfections will be ‘locked in’ under the new coating if you do not address them first.
This is where buffing comes in. It helps to create a smooth, clean surface for the ceramic coating to adhere to. It removes minor scratches, swirl marks, oxidation, and any other imperfections from the clear coat. In other words, buffing prepares your bike for the ceramic coating and helps you get the best possible result.
Even if you don’t want to do a full buffing, it’s still important to at least do a thorough decontamination wash (including a clay bar treatment) and perhaps a light polishing pass. This will remove any surface contaminants and provide a clean, smooth surface for the ceramic coating to bond with.
In conclusion, while it’s technically possible to apply a new ceramic coating without buffing, doing so might not yield the best results unless your bike’s surface is in perfect condition. It’s generally recommended to properly prepare the surface for the coating by cleaning, decontaminating, and polishing or buffing as needed.
What is the best make of torch 🔦 for checking high spots
Thanks for your comment! While dedicated torches work best for checking high spots, you can also use your phone’s flash light in a pinch. Simply turn it on and hold it against the surface you want to check. Let us know if you have any further questions!
Hi I am Sukanta, actually yesterday I was applying ceramic on my car windshield and buff with microfiber cloth, but today morning I see so many whitesh marks on windshield and window glasses, as it is cure automatically after 48hrs or how I fix this as it may get visibility issue ..
We made it very explicit in the application instructions to stay away from applying Super Ceramic Coating to the windscreen. Since only one day has elapsed, kindly apply additional Super Ceramic Coating to the white spot area and gently buff it away. If it didn’t worked you need to use the Marine paste ceramic coating remover compound.