How to coat a car with liquid glass with your own hands in 3 simple steps and 10 useful tips
There is a large number of modern polishing technologies, each of which allows you to get a quality shiny protective coating of the car. Among the many options, liquid glass for cars deserves special attention. This is an ideal opportunity to give your car a mirror-like shine and perfect protection from the effects of the environment.
What is liquid glass and its purpose?
Liquid glass for cars is a product and methodology, developed by Japanese specialists about five years ago. Now the technique of covering the car with liquid glass is widely used as additional protection against various contaminants and mechanical damage.
The polish on the liquid glass effectively fills various microcracks and defects that are present on the surface of the car. Due to this, the structure of the coating is fully restored and additionally the car is given an attractive mirror shine. Another important advantageous factor is the ability of liquid glass to protect the car from quite aggressive influence of salt and reagents used in the cold season.
Advantages and disadvantages of the coating
Before you buy and apply the described composition, it is worthwhile to study its features, advantages and disadvantages in more detail. To the main positive factors of using liquid glass can be attributed.
- Reliable protection of the body from external influences, chemical compositions, including.
- Guarantee of long-term preservation of the quality and rich color of the vehicle and an attractive “mirror” effect.
- Reasonable cost and maximum duration of the effect obtained, unlike conventional polishes.
- Fast and effective removal of small scratches and cracks that remain after washing.
- Durability. Even with constant use of your car the glass on the car body is kept for one year.
- It is possible to quickly correct the color if the surface becomes dull.
- The coating repels water and dirt from the surface.
- Optimal protection from ultraviolet radiation.
- Heat resistance. Even if heated strongly enough, the coating will not lose its quality and attractive appearance.
- Antistatic effect. Very useful for the winter time option, because on the surface at this time accumulates a static charge.
- Coating hardness. In the process of production of liquid glass, special elements are introduced into the composition, providing an optimal level of hardness. In many ways, the coating is similar to ordinary glass.
- Perfect transparency. This is a unique quality that ensures maximum gloss of the body coating and depth of its color.
Along with a large number of positive characteristics, liquid glass has some disadvantages. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that washing your car with conventional chemicals seriously reduces the strength of the applied coating.
Cars coated with liquid glass should be washed with plain water and even without rags and brushes.
It is also worth noting that the glass is not highly ductile. In case of an accidental collision with an obstacle, there is a risk of splitting the coating. At the same time we can note the reduced resistance of liquid glass to very low temperatures. These factors can be significantly amplified by a violation of the application technology. If the coating process will be carried out correctly, many problems can be avoided, the coating will last for at least one year.
How to choose liquid glass for the car?
Before describing the peculiarities of solving the question – how to cover a car with liquid glass, it is worth paying attention to the rules of selecting the composition. It is necessary to begin by considering the types and categories of composition present in the market, used as a basis for the manufacture of liquid glass. Here are the three most basic of them.
- Potassium, that is made on the basis of potassium. It is characterized by some friability and increased hygroscopicity;
- sodium – is characterized by ideal fire-proof qualities;
- lithium – relatively uncommon variant of coating, which is produced in small quantities and is used as a coating thermal regulator.
These are all monoalkali compositions, but there are also complex and combined versions. Answering the question – which glass is best suited for the car, it can be noted that you can use any coating. Whatever variant of coating with liquid glass has not been chosen, the benefits of its application in any case will be an order of magnitude greater.
The most important thing in the process of choosing the optimal composition to take into account the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the complexity of the application.
Specialists strongly advise not to purchase for the self-deposition of the composition, which was originally designed to work in a professional environment. The reason is that it will be quite difficult to apply such composition and comply with the entire technology.
The process of coating the car body with liquid glass
In order for the process of applying liquid glass on the body of the car brought pleasure and, most importantly, provided a durable result, it is necessary to follow a certain sequence of actions. Here are a few basic steps of applying liquid glass to the vehicle.
Necessary materials and tools
Before you begin the work, you need to prepare the necessary materials and tools. The following tools should be included in the package of a standard polish.
- Basic composition.
- Hardener.
- Pipette for mixing.
- Fibre for carrying out the manual method of polishing.
- Towels.
- Sponges.
- Gloves.
If any of the above are missing from the composition, it is necessary to buy it.
Car body preparation
It is necessary to prepare the surface of the car. This is one of the important steps in the process of polishing and it can not be skipped! Preparation consists of a sequence of the following actions.
- The vehicle is thoroughly washed, all contaminants are removed.
- The surface is degreased with white spirit, diluted in water.
- The vehicle is given time to dry.
It is strictly forbidden to use for degreasing compounds that contain silicone or low-quality alcohol.
Another important rule is to remove the previous polish. Neglecting this advice will lead to the fact that a new layer of liquid glass will last on the surface much less than the period guaranteed by the manufacturer.
It is equally important in the preparation process to choose a site for the work. Preference should be given to a dry, perfectly ventilated place, where the temperature ranges from 15 to 40 ° C above zero. The best option would be to perform polishing in a garage, you can also do it outdoors, but always under a special roof.
When applying the compound, the car body should not be exposed to sunlight, as well as dust and dirt.
Coating the car body
After completing the preparatory work, you can begin the process of polishing the car. If you have no experience – do not immediately apply the entire composition to the entire surface of the body, it is advisable to practice a little on a small area. If after the trial activities the polish adheres well to the surface, if the desired result is provided, then you can proceed to the working process.
Liquid glass is applied gradually, it is important to carefully process area by area. Many professionals advise starting with the bumper or the right fender. Once you have finished processing one part, you can move on to the next step, to rubbing the surface with a soft cloth, which is usually included in the kit. This approach will allow you to do a better job, and to avoid drying of the applied coating, which is convenient if you need to correct some or other defects.
Once the entire body of the vehicle will be treated, you need to leave the car alone for 4 to 6 hours. Only after that, the car can start moving around, but without visiting the washes, since the final setting of the composition occurs after about 14 days. Only after two weeks the body of the vehicle is fully protected from ultraviolet light, mechanical influences and other unpleasant factors.
Options for accelerating polishing
On average, coating the car with liquid glass takes about 5 – 6 hours, and if it is the first time, even more. This is quite a time-consuming process, which not everyone can endure. As you gain experience, the task can be simplified by using a special grinder. You will need to buy this equipment, pick up a special soft pad for polishing and set the medium speed mode on the device.
Opinion of a professional! During processing, it is not necessary to push hard on the grinder. This will avoid completely unnecessary overheating of the surface.
If there is no possibility and desire to get at the disposal of a professional sander, as the best alternative is suitable elementary, which is at the disposal of every man, an electric drill. The main thing is just to pick up her nozzle for a solid fit polishing wheels.
If everything is done correctly, it will be possible to enjoy the body of your car for a year. About once a year it will need to be renewed. Once the coating is fully cured, you can visit car washes or tidy up the vehicle with a water bottle and a clean rag.
How much will it cost to cover a car with liquid glass?
Many drivers ask themselves the question – how much can polishing a car with liquid glass cost? The cost of the composition, which is able to protect the body of the vehicle from damage and scratches, depends on what class of car it is designed for. The price is quite affordable and will not require a serious investment, if the coating itself.
The cost rates in thousands are only relevant when applying to the salons. The price in this case is as follows. For cars 1 class the price starts from 5000 rubles, for the second class from 6000 rubles, and for the 3 – 4 class cost ranges from 6000 to 7000 rubles.
As can be seen from all of the above, the cost of coverage is much more expensive than the polish, but the service life of liquid glass is much longer. Car owners who have already applied a similar coating on the car, note that the effect obtained is fully worth the money spent. The car will delight the driver and others with its mirror-like clean shine for a long time.
The bottom line is .
Liquid glass is the ideal protective agent for the car body at the moment. After the proper application of the coating, the car will look perfect and very spectacular. The body becomes resistant to dirt, the first time will be enough one bottle of water to wash the vehicle after a long trip. If the polished coating is renewed in time, your car will always look as good as new.
F.A.Q. “Liquid Glass” Application Instructions! added 25.02.14
The compound really works, protects and creates a hydrophobic layer. With Comrade from the beginning of the preparation of the sink with “liquid glass” to the full application spent 20 hours!
I explain in detail! DO ONLY ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS OR DO NOT DO IT AT ALL!
1.Let’s wash the car with foam 2. Apply degreaser BODY770 antisilicone
(not diesel fuel, not white spirit, and a special grease) carefully scrub everything! 3. Wash with foam and dry! 4. Preparing for polishing.
Abrasive clay, very easy to use and extremely effective. The use of abrasive clay helps remove the roughness from the body of the car and remove the most ingrained dirt (from micro craters). After using abrasive clay, you must rinse the car body with water, and preferably treat it with a micro-abrasive composition. One 100g bar is enough for 10 treatments of one entire car (10 cycles). Primarily abrasive clay is used to prepare the car for polishing or coating. Blue abrasive clay helps to save time and effort, as abrasive clay is much more effective and convenient to clean the body of the car than any other cleaning compositions.
5. Remove all scratches for old cars – polishing machine with the finest 3M Paste 3M 09375 Perfect-it III
“Fast-acting, fine abrasive polishing paste for removing smudges in the paintwork, fine scratches and transition lines. Ideal for treating fresh, soft paintwork. It is also suitable for the removal of small and medium oxidation marks and scratches, including those on original paintwork from car washes. It is recommended to use the paste [09375] with electric or pneumatic polishing machines (1500-2500 rpm) equipped with 3M orange polishing pads [09550] Perfect-it or wool polishing pads [01927] Perfect-it and mandrels [09552] Perfect-it.
Quickly removes fine scratches and restores gloss. For any paintwork: new, old, prefabricated and repainted. High quality surface polish.”
For less recent ones, you can get by with Turtli WAX Anti Scratch.
If you don’t do that? Then the scratch will shine like an eyesore! Tested!
Redo (remove flaws) after the application and drying of “liquid glass” is VERY DIFFERENT! 6. Pass the “final” preparation of “Glass Body Cleaner”.
NOT required if the car, only from the salon or freshly polished!
7. Remove residue very thoroughly.
And “Golden Key, NO, you don’t have it yet”!
8. Apply “Liquid Glass” strictly according to the instructions, if it sets, it is very hard to rub it on the tech! Do it in small areas, especially at temperatures above 20 C … “It is better to do in two, as the hands after 3 elements will begin to “fall off”)) Take 110ml for a black car. It is no different except the drying time. It dries when applied a little longer, you have time to grind! Drip it into a sponge from the kit and apply it to the surface in small areas (like half of the hood)! Rub according to the instructions with yellow rag at the beginning and, after 10-15 minutes (depending on the ambient temperature, the hotter the faster dries up!) Then direct the blue one glossy! Here and check his physical shape!
9. After application, two hours the car HAND DON’T touch! Cries a surface layer, after which the car can be used! The first wash under pressure, I recommend you do not do it earlier than WEEK!
Bottom line! Car shines better than new. as this compound becomes an additional layer of lacquer, with all the attendant benefits such as:
Deep shine, on dark cars very much felt the difference!
Water repellency . It’s simple, the car is just perfectly smooth, property within 2 years is lost, depends proportionally to the number of washes with a cloth drying, which scratches the paintwork! We save on washing, car gets dirty less, dirt slips off)) The first wash and the big eyes of the washer will tell you everything)
Protective coating of paintwork. No need to get upset washer scratches glass it can be polished with a light polish or re-apply compound!
Protective vinyl films, I think it is a waste of money! The cost of applying it to the element is equal to the cost of painting the element! Over time they become cloudy and the car turns into a rimmed trough!
