# Sacrificial Barrier Coating = The purpose of a wax or synthetic paint sealant



## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

*Sacrificial Barrier Coating = The purpose of a wax or synthetic paint sealant*

*Sacrificial Barrier Coating*
The primary purpose of a car wax or synthetic paint sealant is to act as a _*sacrificial barrier coating*_ over the surface of your car's paint. The idea being that anytime anything comes into contact with your car's paint, before it can cause any damage to the paint it first has to get past the layer of wax or paint sealant. When your car's paint is under attack, the layer of wax or paint sealant _*sacrifices itself*_ so your paint _*doesn't*_ have to sacrifice itself.

Or in other words, the layer of wax or paint sealant gives itself up so your car's paint doesn't have to give itself up.

_Make sense?_

*The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics and the laws of Entropy*
In simple terms, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics and the laws of Entropy mean that everything is in a state of chaos and everything trends towards getting worse and worse with time, not better and better. That includes you and me and our physical bodies and that includes the paint on a daily driver.

Accepting this is true, then if your car is a daily driver, exposed to the elements and wear-n-tear from use, then it is normal to assume the wax or paint sealant on _*your car's paint is always in an act of wearing off*_ and knowing this you need to actively maintain a protective coating to keep the paint protected.

How often you need to replace the sacrificial coating of wax or paint sealant depends how your car is used, how it's washed and where it's parked most of the time, indoors or outdoors.

*Miracle Waxes*
It's pretty common for marketing companies to market products like a "Once a year Car Wax", and while these types of products are a _*great idea*_ and appeal to a lot of people, the reality is there is no such thing as a _once a year car wax_ that works, if in fact the car is a daily driver. If it could replace itself when portions of it wear off then it would be a once a year car wax, but last I checked the way we get wax onto the car is we have to apply it ourselves.

*New Sensationalism!*









*The good news…*
The good news is you and I can easily, (and in a cost effective manner), go out to our garage and apply a coat of wax to our car's paint to replace any wax that's worn off. This is called _*maintenance*_; we _*actively maintain*_ this sacrificial barrier coating in order to protect and preserver our car's finish.

*Good looks…*
There's another important reason we wax our cars and that's to make the paint look good. A good quality car wax will restore a clear, glossy finish to paint in excellent condition. A cleaner/wax can restore a neglected finish by removing light oxidation, built-up road grime as well as helping to either remove or conceal fine swirls and scratches. Either type of wax will restore a sacrificial barrier coating but the non-cleaning wax will tend to leave a more substantial coating than a product that's cleaning at the same time it's leaving behind protection.

*Major Investment*
The purchase of a new car, truck or s.u.v., and even the purchase of some used cars, trucks, and s.u.v.s tend to be a major purchase for most people and not only do most people want to wax their cars to protect and extend their investment, but to also make their vehicle look good too…

*Transportation or Personality?*
Some people look at their car as transportation, that is a means to get them from point A to point B. Others look at their car as an extension of their personality; it's their reward for working hard and often times a hobby in and of itself. Both types of people understand the importance of protecting their investment and typically both types also like their investment to look good.

*How long does a coat of wax last?*
One of the most common questions related to detailing cars is,

_*How long does a coat of wax last?*_

Another common question which is really just a different way of asking the first question is,

_*How often do I need to wax my car?*_

There is no standard, accurate answer to either of these questions because there are too many variables involved that are specific to each car and their owner.

*Factors that influence how long a coat of wax will last* 


Parked inside when at home, or parked outside exposed to weather.

Parked inside at work, or parked outside exposed to weather.

Type of use the vehicle sees, which would equate to the type of wear-n-tear the vehicle is exposed to.

How the car is washed, carefully by hand or a Tunnel Brush wash or something in-between?

Type of soap used to wash the car.

Type of wash mitt used to wash car.

Geographical climate - Is the vehicle subject to rain and road grime like in Oregon or extreme heat and sunlight like in Arizona?
Those are just a few influencing factors that affect how long a coating of wax will last and visa/versa, how often you need to wax your car.

The *technically correct* answer for how long a coat of wax will last goes like this, it's a statement I've been saying and typing for over a decade so it's now a quote…



Mike Phillips said:


> _"How long a coat of wax will last first depends upon how well the surface is prepared to accept the wax"_ -Mike Phillips


A good quality car wax is formulated to stick or adhere to paint, which is a type of resinous material which varies from technological advancements over time. Point being, a car wax or a paint sealant is designed to stick to *clean* paint, if the paint is dirty with a film of road grim, or above surface bonded contaminants, then from the very start, the ability for the wax to stick to the paint is compromised.

This is why before applying a coat of wax to your car's paint you need to first wash and dry the car and then evaluate the condition of the paint. You evaluate the condition of the paint by inspecting the paint both visibly and with your sense of touch. The results from your evaluation will let you know if before you apply a coat of wax you need to first clay the paint and/or use any type of pre-wax cleaner.

From my experience, anytime a car's paint needs to be clayed, it also needs to be cleaned and polished before applying a coating of wax.

*Two extremes and people in-between*
How often you need to apply a coat of wax or a paint sealant is a personal decision that only you can make. That said, there are two basic categories of car waxers... the Minimalist and the Maximallist, and a third catagory... _everyone in-between..._

*Minimalist*
My guess is a minimalist is more than likely going to be the type of person that looks at their car as a _*means of transportation*_. Wax your car 1-4 times a year. This would be a _*benchmark number*_ for the minimum number of times you can wax your daily driver and expect the paint to hold up over the service life of the car and for it to look good to some level. Assuming your car is a daily driver, parked outside, then waxing your car just one time a year won't probably maintain your car's finish to show room new condition but everyone has their own standards and expectations so find a routine that works for you.

*Maximallist*
My guess is a maximallist is more than likely going to be the type of person that looks at their car as an _*extension of their personality*_. This type of person usually doesn't need anyone telling them how often to wax their car because they already wax their car often. They wax their car often to protect and preserve the paint but just as important to them is to make the paint and by default, _the car_ look good.

In-between
My guess is that waxing your car is something that never makes it on to your "A-List" of projects and probably not even your "B-List" of projects. It probably gets done by you or someone, it's just not a priority or your passion.

*Oil Change*
Whether you're the Minimalist or the Maximallist, or someone that falls in-between, here's a better method to the madness as to determining when or how often to wax your car, two words… *Oil Change*

No I don't mean wax your car every time you change your oil, what I mean is think of waxing your car in the same way you think of changing your oil. Here's what I mean…

*PM = Preventative Maintenance*
Most people change their oil every 3000 miles as that is what the manufacture recommends to prevent pre-mature failure of the moving parts inside the motor. The motor won't blow up at 300*1* miles as going past 3000 miles doesn't mean the oil is no longer lubricating the moving parts, it's a *Preventative Maintenance Practice*.

The idea being to remove the old, worn out oil *BEFORE* it's so worn out that damage can occur. This approach to engine maintenance works and millions of miles on millions of engines documents this practice.

Now take that same idea and apply it to waxing your car's paint… that is re-apply a fresh coat of wax before all of the last coating has completely worn off. Apply a coat of wax *BEFORE* there is so little protection left on the surface that damage can occur.

If you car is in fact a daily driver, then a good minimum number of times to apply a coat of wax to your car's finish to insure that it's fully protected against attack would be 4 times a year, that's once every 3 months.

In a perfect world, if you have the time and inclination, then waxing more often certainly won't hurt anything, you can decide how often for yourself. I put a coat of wax on my daily driver truck at least once a month. For me it's different than it is for others because I work in the car wax industry… I usually have a new wax to test often enough, or a new wax I'm curious about that it's just so easy to go out into the garage and apply a coat of wax. So don't use me as a benchmark…

*Time for action…*
If after reading this you have a desire to wax your car but you're not sure which wax to use, here's a general guideline.

*Paint in Excellent Condition*
If the paint is in excellent condition, that is it's like brand new… it feels smooth and is defect free, at least to your standards, then you can use one of these,


*Finishing Wax* - Generally considered a Carnauba Wax, either paste or liquid.
*Finishing Paint Sealant* - Generally considered an all synthetic product with no natural ingredients.
*Finishing Hybrid* - Most waxes and sealants are actually blended using both natural and synthetic protection ingredients.
*Everything Else*
If the paint on your car is anything but "Excellent Condition", they you should consider using a Cleaner/Wax out of one of these groups…


*Cleaner/Wax* - Generally considered a Carnauba Wax with some type of cleaning action.
*Cleaner/Sealant* - Generally considered an all synthetic product with some type of cleaning action.
*Cleaner/Hybrid* - Generally considered a blended product with some type of cleaning action.

Here's another quote...

*If you want your car's paint to always look like it was just waxed... then just wax it...*


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## andy-mcq (Sep 26, 2008)

good read


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## OzMoSiS (Jun 19, 2009)

great knowledgeable read for newbies to car cleaning / maintenance :thumb:


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## Michael172 (Jun 9, 2007)




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## sim L (Jan 3, 2010)

Another excellent read Mike :thumb:



Michael172 said:


>


You're confused because...


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## Michael172 (Jun 9, 2007)

I dont get it. Has he actually taken the time to create this?


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2010)

Michael172 said:


> I dont get it. Has he actually taken the time to create this?


It is a very good post. What is confusing you?


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## Amused (Nov 22, 2009)

Michael172 said:


> I dont get it. Has he actually taken the time to create this?


Mike Phillips works for Autogeek.net in Florida. He's a pro detailer and their head detailing instructor/Guru. This is what he does for a living and he does it very well :thumb:


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## sim L (Jan 3, 2010)

Michael172 said:


> I dont get it. Has he actually taken the time to create this?


I assume you don't know who Mike Phillips is then. As said, a very experienced pro detailer who also detailed for Meguiars for a number of years.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

Nice post,Thanks.


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

Very informative post. I would say I already knew that but I know lots of newbies that don't really understand what it's all about.

As for Michael172 I'm not sure if it was his intention but his posts are coming across as rude or maybe he's just confused.

EDIT: Looks like it was more confused than rude so I retract that statement.

For those who don't know about Mike, read Dom's dodo post below. As for personal promotion etc... can no-one be helpful? He's taking the time to post this on a number of (relevant) forums and hasn't promoted any kind of product as far as I'm aware.


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## slkman (Jun 23, 2009)

It is a nice post but kind of 'state the obvious' at the same time... Read this earlier and it struck a little like obsessives wax all the time however 'normal' people wax every so often kind of post. Plus when was the last time you heard anyone recommend changing your oil every 3000 miles, unless of course if you do it yourself which personally i choose to? Most garages only do this after about 15000miles if your lucky.


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## Michael172 (Jun 9, 2007)

slkman said:


> It is a nice post but kind of 'state the obvious' at the same time... Read this earlier and it struck a little like obsessives wax all the time however 'normal' people wax every so often kind of post. Plus when was the last time you heard anyone recommend changing your oil every 3000 miles, unless of course if you do it yourself which personally i choose to? Most garages only do this after about 15000miles if your lucky.


Yeah. Wasnt a bad post, or one thats a waste of time. Just seemed a little excessive, a lot to read, and like he said. States the obvious. Even to someone thats new to the whole thing. I dont know eveyrthing, far from it in fact and i always seek advice on here.

My post came across as rude, im sorry. This was not my intention.

This thread seemed a little...... random, and i think it would be best suited to live in the guides section (if there is one sorry ive not checked) I guess.

And no I don't know who Mike is. Ive never heard of him.


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## Dodo Factory (Apr 11, 2007)

Mike is basically writing the detailing bible, page by page, and putting up occasional posts on here and on autogeek forum, so that people can rummage through for top quality info.

I suppose to the uninitiated it may seem he just posts a few obvious points, some sophisticated points, merged in with a few weird acronyms and philosophies/theories, then goes back into hiding for a while. But believe me, if ever there was someone to write the detailing bible, it would be Mike.

Not only does he have a huge amount of experience as a detailer and conjured up many of the theories and acronyms that people on detailing world use daily (he invented 'LSP' to prevent confusion over waxes and sealants, for example), but he is also one of the most technically literate detailers in the world today. Say I have met 100 pro detailers in my time, as an example, I would say 10% of them at most had a good understanding of the chemistry and physical properties of the products they were using. The rest use them well, but don't 'understand' them. I would say that Mike is not only in the 10% but probably at the tip of the pyramid. As a manufacturer, I like that, as I can talk to him as a detailer in a lot more depth than I can do with other detailers. I suppose it is like an F1 driver who really understands the engineering behind the car - he can give better feedback to the engineers and crew.

Mike also normally throws in some marketing and salesmanship advice, which is important to pros and well intended, but it rarely comes up on here from other detailers in the same kind of way, and it can seem a bit 'american' to our conservative UK crowd. So sometimes that makes Mike's posts seem a bit alien. But not only is he trying to help, he's one of the few who is GENUINELY qualified to do so, and I don't say that lightly. There are dozens of forum 'experts' out there, who peddle BS and their own cod theories and subjective opinions, that often end up confusing or misleading rather than helping... and Mike is at the other end of the scale. He's one of a handful here who really know their stuff, to the highest levels.


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## The Doctor (Sep 11, 2007)

Im sure i read that exact post about 12 years ago on an old American detailing board! 

Detailing is Science??

Good post though :thumb:


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## OzMoSiS (Jun 19, 2009)

ok maybe DW members already know all of that but for a newbie, or someone who has been bombarded by jargon from a random valeter, its HUGELY useful. Especially in the way that it describes the physical function of wax and relating it to other 'consumables' people already understand about.

I agree its a little bit obvious for the DW seasonal detailer, hence why it should be in a 'newbie' section where people can 'educate' themselves properly before firing away eleventy billion pointless questions just because they dont fully understand and end up posting other equally pointless threads after incorrectly understanding 'detailing'.

peace


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## slkman (Jun 23, 2009)

I assumed when I read this that it's some personal promotion for perhaps a book or something as it is available to read on the following forums as well as this one:

http://www.detailingworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=184287

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45195

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...ting-purpose-wax-synthetic-paint-sealant.html

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=20265598

http://www.detailcity.org/forums/au...ting-purpose-wax-synthetic-paint-sealant.html

So is there a book on the way?


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## Dodo Factory (Apr 11, 2007)

Just Mike's Bible!


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Tough crowd Mike....:lol:
Nice post, I'm sure many silent readers will absorb the info contained therein.
Next time though, when referring to oil change intervals, remember Europe does things a bit differently from the US.


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## MDRX8 (Feb 23, 2006)

Thanks Mike for the good read.


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## Mike Phillips (Jan 26, 2007)

Sorry I haven't been back here for a while... just so much going on all the time and _*typing time*_ is always so limited...

Thank you so much for the kind words Dom... :thumb:

For what it's worth... one thing I've learned in life is you can never please everyone and I'm okay with that... sometimes I write articles about topics that are a lot more exciting or helpful and sometimes I don't... I just do the best I can with the topic at-hand and try to write for a wide spectrum of people with different backgrounds and extreme ranges of experience... that's probably the most challenging part.

I love detailing cars and have been fortunate in my life to have the opportunity to work on a lot of really cool cars, and just as much... I like to share whatever I can to "maybe" help others...

It's a passion... I cannot not buff out cars and I cannot not share with others...

So I'm completely okay with constructive criticism and even less than constructive critisism... it's all good...

I love a challenge and understand that when it comes to cars and detailing, we, as in everyone reading this thread, and myself, actually have more in common than we do have differences...

Since I posted this thread, I've written about a lot of other topics... kind of a "something for everyone" approach. I was kind of surprised at a recent article I wrote called,

*"How to correctly fold and use a microfiber towel"*

I know it's *REALLY* basic information but I wrote it because I helped a guy remove the swirls out of his 1954 Corvette and then apply a coat of wax.










When it came time to wipe-off the wax, I handed him a clean microfiber towel and watched him lay it out flat and the start wiping off the wax.

_I silently freaked out!_

And then calmly stopped him... "shared" with him a different "style" and then later, wrote an article on what I shared. I then posted it to the AG forum and probably a few others and was _*surprised*_ at some of the "positive" comments over something so simple.

When I first started out detailing cars I knew NOTHING and there's nothing wrong with that as we all start out at the same place about any topic. Then we learn from two sources...

*

Others
Experience
*
There's a quote I love and post on forums from time to time that goes like this,



> Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself -Eleanor Roosevelt


And it's very true and something I try to practice as much as I can.

Besides learning from others, another good teacher is experience, like _*pushing away from the keyboard*_ and going out into your garage and working on your car.

Anyway... I'm pretty empathetic when it comes to people and detailing because I started out where everyone else started out and about the only thing that separates me from most other car enthusiasts is that I try to share what I've learned via articles and now videos and now a TV show.

I never claim to know it all as I don't. In fact, I always tell others to be open to new ideas, new products and new techniques... _*and I practice that as a way of life.*_

Not much else I can say so I'll end this post with a single picture from the *"How to correctly fold and use a microfiber towel"* thread because I used a *1959 Cadillac* that I buffed out for the article and I love 1959 and other classic Cadillacs. I've actually owned 5, 1959 Cadillacs and what's really cool about them besides their styling is how they _*ride like a powerful cloud*_.









(This picture was taken *before* I polished out the paint using the new Meguiar's Microfiber DA Correction System)


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Cheers mike. I've learnt heaps from your detailing videos, they've helped me a lot, especially with polishing! Keep those ones coming!
I don't know how you could put up with the constant barrage of pm's and questions, but I guess it keeps you happy to see people taking an interest in your passion!


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