Ask DI: Can I Apply Ceramic Paint Coating to Trim?
by Reece @ DI
In this series, I am going to take some time to highlight some of the most popular detailing questions I encounter on a daily basis as a customer service representative here at DI. These questions can range from washing, drying, polishing, to almost any other step in the detailing process. With the help of Ask-a-Pro Author James Melfi, check out our answers and some helpful detailing resources covering the topic at hand.
Question:
Which is better to apply, only a trim coating over trim pieces such as CarPro Dlux, Gyeon Trim, etc or can you apply a regular ceramic coating (CarPro Cquartz, Gtechniq, Gyeon Cancoat, etc) on these areas?
Reece:
Trim specific coatings will adhere to the surface better, along with some of them conditioning the trim surfaces as well. With that said, paint coatings will adhere to hard plastic trim pieces and have solid durability on those areas. If you are looking for the best durability out of the product, I would however recommend using a trim specific coating.
James:
Surface specific coatings like CarPro Dlux and Gyeon Trim are designed specifically for black plastic trim and will be best suited for that type of application. That being said, I have over the years tested paint specific coatings on trim with great results. If I had a choice though I’d go for a trim specific coating as they seem to offer a greater darkening effect.
For this specific question you can see that James and I both agreed that paint coatings will work great on trim specific areas, but for the most durability and even conditioning features, we recommend using trim specific coatings. With that said using a paint coating to cover hard plastic areas like headlights, taillights, pillars, wheels, and more has been common practice for some time. Especially if you have a nice 50 ml bottle of coating and you want to use it up and not store it. The areas in which we highly recommend using an area specific product would be rubber trim and rims, due to the high heat of that area. Here are some of the products we recommend for those areas:
Trim:
- Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer
- Gyeon Trim
- 22ple VR1
- IGL Coatings Ecocoat Trim
- CarPro Cquartz Blackout
Wheels:
Bonus Articles:
- Product Review: Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer
- Product Review: CarPro DLUX Plastic and Wheel Coating
- Product Review: CarPro DLUX Plastic and Wheel Coating
- Wheel Care Protection: Long & Short Term Strategies with Ceramic Nano Coatings & Silica Sealants
- Product Review: 22ple VR1 Plastic and Trim Restorer
- Harley Davidson Detail | 22PLE VM1 and VR1 Coating
- Trim Coating or Trim Restorer – Which do I need?
- Product Review: Gyeon Trim Q2
Related Detailing Guide Section(s)
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