Beads are an indicator of surface tension, which gives you a visual idea of surface protection. Chasing the best beading products is something many obsessed with detailing do. The downside of beading can be water spots. However, you often hear people say "I'd rather have a sheeting product."
Just a thought on this. You can't really make a product that beads like crazy but doesn't sheet, or the other way around. It's the same property at the base of it all.
Dump a bucket of water onto the paint and the vast majority of it will sheet off. Mist water on to the surface and it will bead. Same property.
So the most high-level beading product will eventually just sheet. It will start off at a higher level of hydrophobicity when beading then start to degrade into sheeting.
With that said though, it doesn't matter much, and it has become somewhat cult'ish. It's not the end all be all that's for sure. Ease of use, looks and UV protection are other things that get overlooked because beads are nice to look at to most people and can easily be interpreted as protected.
Just a thought on this. You can't really make a product that beads like crazy but doesn't sheet, or the other way around. It's the same property at the base of it all.
Dump a bucket of water onto the paint and the vast majority of it will sheet off. Mist water on to the surface and it will bead. Same property.
So the most high-level beading product will eventually just sheet. It will start off at a higher level of hydrophobicity when beading then start to degrade into sheeting.
With that said though, it doesn't matter much, and it has become somewhat cult'ish. It's not the end all be all that's for sure. Ease of use, looks and UV protection are other things that get overlooked because beads are nice to look at to most people and can easily be interpreted as protected.
Last edited: