Switching To Ceramic Car Coating

 

It has been over six years since my "Polishing Your Car" post, explaining the best way to wash and polish a car.  While I still wash my car the same way, I have switched from Zaino Z2 car polish to the new ceramic coatings.

I called around to find out how much a professionally done ceramic coating would cost, and it ran $1200-1800 and required $190 in yearly "maintenance" to keep the warranty valid.  Gulp!

So I decided to do it myself with Turtle Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating. The packaging says just spray on and wipe off - no buffing, no drying time, instant protection and shine!  I've now done it to two of my 2019 cars with it and here is what I think so far.

I applied the coating with a blue microfiber pad and wiped the surface dry with a soft baby diaper. 

The packaging says not to allow the product to dry on the surface, to wipe it off immediately.  It also says to apply the coating sparingly, one to two squirts per panel.   On the first car I did, I found I tended to apply too much product and it was difficult to get all of it off.  This lead to the product drying on the car leaving a very streaky appearance.

I found it much better to squirt a small amount on the applicator instead of directly on the car body as was easier to control how much product transferred to the car.   After some practice, I learned to squirt the pad once, rub the pad on one half a body panel, then immediately wipe the panel dry.  I repeated the process for the other half of the panel.   The car looked great!

The spray coating instructions state to coat the car once for six months of protection and twice for a full year.   So I decided to go for broke and apply a second coat.

This is where things get tricky.  Since the car is already coated, it is extremely difficult to not over-apply the product.  My car looked extremely streaky after the second coat!    After letting it dry a few days, I washed the car again and rubbed the panels very well with a very soft white bath towel.  After a little bit of effort, I was able to get most of the streaks removed.

With my second car, I had a similar issue:  first coat when on fine by applying the product to the applicator, but it was extremely difficult to get the second coat on with no streaks.  The car looked horrible.

I remembered I had detailing spray in the cabinet, so I used Meguair's Quik Detailer and and Zaino Grand Finale with  a diaper to remove the streaks.

The car looks the best it has ever looked!

Based on past experience,  I expect more streaks to show up as the car gets out in the sun for awhile.  When and if that happens, I'll either wash and cotton bath towel it dry again, or apply a bit of detailer to remove the new streaks.

Was it as simple as spray on, wipe off and done?  No.  But it is still way easier and quicker than Zaino Z2 that needed to be removed after it dried (took several hours to dry) and required a bit of muscle to remove the dried product.   Zaino was easily taking me 2 days of clock time to apply due to large amounts of dry wait time, and then some time over the next few days to remove more residue as it dried over the next few days.   

With this Turtle ceramic coating, application/initial once-over with a detailer is about an hour, perhaps a little more,  and I'm sure there will still be some residue removal over the next few days.  If it lasts a year as advertised, I'll probably stay with it!

Picking A Portable Spa, also known as a Hot Tub

 If you are considering a portable spa and have never owned one before, the choices can be quite overwhelming.  There are a myriad of sizes, colors, features, and options that can make finding the right spa a complex decision.

This blog post discusses what we considered when choosing our spa - you may have a different set of criteria, but at least this will give you a starting point.

 One of the first things to consider is the size of the spa.  Sizes vary from intimate two-person spas to spas big enough for swimming.  To pick the right size, consider how many people will use the spa at the same time and how much room there is for the spa to comfortably in the space.

Also consider cost when selecting a size.  New two-person spas can be purchased for $3,000-4,000, seven-person spas for $9,000-15,000, and swimming spas can cost much more than that.

There is no wrong answer - pick what best suits the situation.

 Also consider what features are important.   It is especially important to consider the seats.   Most people like the waterline to be at shoulder level when they sit in a spa.  Since people vary in height, it is important to have seats at different depths to accommodate the different heights.  Make sure the regular spa users sit in the spa before purchase.  While it is possible to buy seating pads for shorter users, they can be inconvenient to use and store.  It is best to buy a spa that fits your family and is easy to enter and exit.          

Another aspect to seating:  some spas include "lounge seats" for reclining in the spa.  We chose not to get a lounge seat because (a) it actually takes up the space of two normal seats,  (b) we didn't feel the lounge position would be comfortable for all of the spa's regular users, and (c) we heard that they can be fun initially but then end up being wasted space later on.

 Decide whether the spa should have many jets to provide a whirlpool of motion while the water massages the body, or whether calm water is more desirable to provide a peaceful, serene atmosphere.  Even if the spa has many jets, they can be turned off for the occasional peaceful moment.  On the other hand, the more jets there are, the higher the potential for waters leaks and increased repair costs.

   Finally, jets are usually grouped together by different control settings - not all jets run at the same time in most situations.  Ensure the groupings work for you.  On our spa, this knob controls whether water is sent to the first set of jets, the second set of jets, or half-power to both sets of jets.

 Imagine sitting in the spa relaxing.  As time passes, the jets or lighting needs to be adjusted.  How easy is that to do?  Is it necessary to go to the control panel, or can the control panel come to you?  How easy are the controls to see at night?  What does the control panel allow you to adjust?  These are all important considerations that could greatly affect your enjoyment of the spa.

 All spas require maintenance.

Saltwater spas are nice because they require fewer chemicals and many people appreciate not having the chlorine smell frequently associated with freshwater spas.   However, saltwater is corrosive to metal and can negatively impact concrete and plants near the spa.

The spa will need to be drained on a regular basis.  Some spas have a drain at the bottom so all water can be easily drained with a hose.  We factored that in as an important feature to us - however, we've found it less useful than anticipated.  First, the drain on our model has a plastic fitting and therefore I am reluctant to use it for fear of stripping the threads.  Second, spa water cannot be drained to the gutter due to the chemicals in spa water and therefore needs to go through the home's sewer system.  This will probably require a pump to get it to your home's sewer system.  If a pump is needed anyway, might as well use it to pump the water from the spa also!

We took into consideration the reputation of the various brands.  We chose a stable, top tier company with a great reputation for reliability and quality.  It was also a major plus that the spa was made about 10 miles from our house so professional support should be easy to get.

In addition, our local dealer is stable and has served our area for a long time.  We value the reassurance that provides.

 Research how water filtering works on the spas being considered.  Are the filters reusable?  How often do they need to be replaced?  How much does it cost to maintain the filters?

And the big one to us:  is the water filtered while the jets are running.  In many cases the answer is NO which means the water is not being cleaned while the spa is in use.

 Spa electrical requirements are not the same across all manufacturers and models.   For starters, some spas need 110 power while others require 220.  Therefore, it is important to select a spa before completing the electrical work.  Smaller spas sometimes only require 110 but this can offer less power for the jets and for heating the water. 

Different manufacturers require different 220 setups on their 220 spas, which is another reason it is important to select a spa before completing the electrical.

Pick the spa location before purchasing a spa.  Ensure the location has proper drainage away from the spa since water will sometimes splash out during use or maintenance.  Pick a location where tree leaves, tree roots, sprinkler overspray, and excessive sunlight will not be an issue.  The location we picked does get morning sun but is shaded in the afternoon.   As additional protection against sunlight, we bought a custom cover from a third party that covers the top and all sides of our spa.  We put it over the manufacturer's spa top cover and take it off when the spa is in use.

 Consider the access to the spa location.  Spas are typically rolled into position on their side - will the spa clear gates, eaves, gutters and trees?  If the answer is no, a crane may be required to place the spa and that greatly increases delivery cost.

Spas can be placed on a concrete pad or a looser foundation, but since they can weight 5,000 pounds or more when full of water we recommend a concrete base.

 Cities, counties and states often have regulations that must be met with a spa - even portable spas.  For example, our city had the following safety requirements when we installed ours:

• Must be four feet from building openings
• Safety glazing on all glass within 5 feet of spa
• Receptacles must be GFCI protected
• Emergency shutoff must be visible and between 6 and 20 feet from spa
• Spa must have a locking top
• Spa must be surrounded by a barrier at least 60 inches high
• Gates must open outward, away from the spa, and be self-closing

 This is a typical spa shutoff box.

 Finally, when all the above decisions are ironed out, take some time to consider the options.

Most spas come with a cover and some manufacturers offer better covers as an upgrade.  Since large covers can be hard to move, they often offer cover lifts as an option.  Cover lifts that include struts can make moving the cover much easier.  Be sure to factor in the extra space required for a cover both in the open and closed positions.

And finally, decide whether you'd like a basic plastic step or one of upgraded material such as wood.

 Here are a few of the brands in our area that we considered.

Beachcomber
Made in Canada, many Beachcomber models have the pumps and other equipment located in the exterior step for easy repair access.  Their lineup included many model we liked, so they ended up on our Top Three list.

 Caldera
Caldera spas are very popular and offer a great variety of sizes and colors.

 HotSpring
Build in Southern California, these spas are high quality.

We selected this brand for several reasons.  The controls were on a removable pad that could be placed anywhere around the spa making it very convenient to change the settings.  The controls are easy to navigate, easy to read, and offer a large variety of settings.

HotSpring is one of the few brands where the filters run at the same time as the jets - comforting to know while sitting there with family and friends.

And finally, the spa is built locally and the dealer network in our area is well established and reputable.

 Jacuzzi
This is a very popular and well-known brand.  They are often at the expensive end of the price range.

 Maax
We ran across this brand at the Del Mar Fair.  We liked the size and style of the spa, but Maax isn't as well known as other brands.

Sundance
This is another popular brand that made our Top Three list.  In the end, we found the seating configuration was not exactly what we wanted so we ruled it out.






So there you have it!   In our opinion, those are the basic considerations when selecting a spa.

We encourage you to develop your own criteria.   Whatever you decide, we feel it is VERY important that you see, feel, and sit in the spa (with or without water) before purchase.  It is important to know if you feel comfortable in the spa before it arrives at your house.

We hope this has been helpful and enjoy your new spa!