FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The word "detailing" when it applies to cars is very often misused and misunderstood.  You often hear "waxing, polishing, sealing, washing, paint correction" all interchangeably used, and that is not accurate and it cause s not only misrepresentation of services (intentional or not) but inability to really compare PRICING.  

Getting an accurate quote is crucial.  A great analogy I use is the hamburger and steak.  We all (most) love beef.  Can we say that a 2.99 hamburger is the same as a 75 dollar steak dinner?  No way it is even comparable, even though they are both beef!

Washing your car must be done with high quality soap, a lot of suds, a 2 or 3 bucket system, and brushes must be avoided when at all possible.  Detailing paint involves not only washing, but claybar (to remove stubborn embedded contamination, fall out, tar, road debris, etc that over time collects on a vehicle's exterior surfaces), and finally: Polishing.  Polishing can be done by hand or machine.  Polishers can be valuable tools in the right hands, and with the right experience.  Improper polishing can lead to paint burns, edging, micro-marring or holograms.  Conversely, however, the proper use of high quality polishes (diminishing abrasives) can permanently fix, dull and remove swirls, scratches and other paint imperfections.

The final step of every vehicle detail should be protection.  Paint protection comes in the form of waxes, sealants or ceramic coatings.   Most of the work of a professional detail will involve all the aforementioned steps.  The very last step (and about 10 to 15% of the detail time) will be spend on laying down the paint protection.

Waxes (such as pure carnuba) have extreme reflection and protect from UV rays however the longevity is between 2 to 3 months.  Sealants (synthetically formulated) can add protection up to 1 year.  Ceramic coatings (nano paint coatings, glass coatings, etc) are a combination of silicon oxide and hard bonded materials that "cure" on the paint allowing a sacrificial layer to be formed over your car's paint.  The typical hardness of a paint clearcoat is 2H (hardness scale), by comparison a high quality 2 year ceramic coating is approximately 9H and thus can be scratch resistant (not scratch proof, just resist scratching better than unprotected clear coat). 

Cars should be washed every month if possible.  Our professional high level detailing usually last 6 months to a year.  We do offer maintenance monthly, bi-yearly, or yearly plans.  Send an email to determine what best suits your needs and your vehicle (s).

Ceramic coatings that we offer at Patriot Detailing are only of the highest quality.  I am able to obtain any ceramic coating that the client wishes, however, we cannot warranty the quality of said coatings.  Fear not because we have done our research here and have countess hours of experience with coatings.  I offer 10H coatings in the form of graphene. I primarily use CSL gtechniq and EXO gtechniq and my higher level is Adams Graphenr advanced 5+ yr coating.

As described above the hardness, durability (longevity of protection), ease of clean (high hydrophobic properties--water beading on steroids!!) all are made possible with any vehicle that is ceramic coated.  When comparing pricing, again, make sure that the coating is being applied ONLY over previously cleaned, claybarred and polished paint.  The ceramic coating will "seal behind" any paint imperfection, defect or embedded trash that is in the clear coat.  For this reason the prep steps prior to laying down a ceramic coating must be METICULOUS, DETAILED and corners can't be cut.  The price for a coating can range from 500 to 2300 depending on the vehicle's condition, the coating applied, the warranty chosen etc.  The durability of a coating is dependent on proper washing, avoidance of harsh chemicals, and driving habits (if you drive your car thru a blizzard every week the coating may last 1.5 years and not 2, but if it is a garage queen a 2 year coating may last 3 or 4!)

Here at Patriot Detailing, we pride ourselves in being the most competitively priced mobile detailer in the Denver Metro with the highest quality for the money (we will beat any legitimate competitor shop or business for EQUAL work).  EVERY SINGLE ceramic coating installation will be preceded with a extreme 4-6 stage paint cleaning to ensure the highest level of gloss, defect-free paint surfaces are being coated!  We  want your vehicle to look better than new!

The most often heard phrase around Patriot Detailing is "my car is pretty clean, it doesn't need much".  This is when I smile and reach back to my experience with even NEW CARS with 14 miles on the odometer.  A new car has vinyl wrapping that is used in transport, if the car sits at a port or a warehouse awaiting delivery you can have rail dust, tar, airborne contaminants settle and contaminate even new paint.  Most new cars also have minor swirls because a lot of dealerships still use touch car washes with brushes or improperly hand wash a vehicle.  

As I inspect a vehicle I will take into consideration the following:  swirls, defects, tar, contamination, oxidation, color of the car (darker cars are harder to polish and correct because a dark car will accentuate even the most minor paint defect), for interiors (pet hair, excessive interior dirt), and tree sap.

Our entry level wash with clay bar and a quick hand wax would take 2-3 hours.  Our platinum level detailing (which includes a light interior) with a ceramic lifetime coating would require 8-12 hours and an additional 12-24 hours of coat cure time.

Our business is 95% mobile.  We travel to as far as Texas (DFW area) to detail cars for clients once a year.  We service all the Denver Metro, and Colorado Springs area, and will make trips anywhere in the state. If I travel over 200 miles it requires $2,500+ of work in the form of multiple cars.

I do have a garage in the Westminster/Broomfield Area of Denver, however this is my personal garage that has been converted into a work area.  I do offer this spot on a first come first serve if you do not have the facilities available for us to do the work.  Eventually, we may open a by appointment only 2-3 bay detailing showroom but this will be in the works for the next year or so.