I’m relatively new to detailing. I’ve taken all of the steps to correct the paint on my daily driver, and now I’m in the process of applying several coats of sealant.
I’ve read that after waiting the appropriate “cure time” for the sealant used, another coat of sealant can be applied provided the car hasn’t gotten wet.
Since this is my daily driver, I may not be able to avoid getting the car wet (we’re in the summer time where afternoon rain is pretty common). What steps do I need to take in the event my car gets wet in between coats of sealant?
Thanks for the help. DI has greatly increased my knowledge of detailing and I’m afraid its coming a bit of an obsession !
Best regards,
Keith Hotard
Hey Keith,
Congrats on taking the time to properly show your car some love. Hopefully it will do the same in return to you with years of trouble free car use!
Now that you have polished and perfected the finish, its best to keep it that way and as you already know, a sealant will last longer and protect better, so good call on that product choice. As for the layering of a sealant, a 12 hour cure time is necessary with some, while some others can be layers with less than an hour cure time. Seems like you have chosen the type with a longer cure time.
In regards to layering without getting the car wet…
In a perfect world, there would be no rain, no dirt, and an always maintained perfect finish to our car’s paint. Well, we don’t live in a perfect world, so other processes must be taken. You already have one layer protecting the finish of the car, that’s good! Now your car has seen rain, driving, etc and you want to add another layer of sealant for more durable protection and you are wondering if its possible. Rest assured, it is. Just re-wash the car, dry it, and add another layer of sealant to it. Sealants do not have to be back to back to back in order to be layered. If they did, and there was a 12 hours cure time, people would have to go without their car for a few days waiting for the sealant to cure and bond.
I would however recommend you use a car wash WITHOUT any waxes or polymers in it as that will inhibit the new layer from completely bonding to the previous. If by chance you have to wait a month and several car washes later, I would suggest stripping the car and doing the sealant prep all over and starting fresh.
Hope that helps clear the air for you. Happy detailing!!!
Eric Schuster
Envious Detailing