We get a lot of questions about the differences of wax, sealant, polishing and paint correction/compounding. So this is a post so customers can read and understand the differences of specific services that we offer, and choose the right one that fits there needs.
WAX- A wax is natural product that is applied to your vehicles clean paint to provide protection from UV rays, bug guts, tree sap etc. A wax normally last any were from a week to a few months tops. Applying a wax may make your paint slightly glossier because it will fill in minor paint defects. Most of a vehicles (shiny paint) is not from applying a bunch of wax but by keeping your paint defect free or getting a service done such as polishing.
SEALANT- A sealant is a synthetic, man made product that is designed to do the same thing as a wax only lasts for longer and is more resilient to the elements.
POLISH- Polishing is a process that uses a buf
fer, polish pad, and a semi abrasive liquid to remove minor defects such as swirl marks, light scratches, etching in the paint etc. A polishing service does not fill in defects, it removes them. A polish done on your vehicles paint will bring back significant gloss and make your paint look a lot better. Polishing does not remove deep scratches.
COMPOUNDING- Compounding is a skilled trait that takes time, practice and knowledge to perfect. Compounding is the removal of heavy scratches and defects. Compounding is a process performed using a heavy cutting pad paired with a abrasive liquid to remove all but the deepest of scratches in a vehicles paint. This process usually takes any were to 20 hours to 60 hours. The compounding stage will leave slight marring and hazing in painted surfaces so a polishing process must be performed after. A compounding and polish is also referred to as a full paint correction, meaning every defect that can be seen in the paint will be 'corrected' to perfection.
*Checking paint thickness before compounding on a Porsche 911 Carrera S
