Wax/sealant that sheets water instead of beading?

[Klutch9]

Where I live we have very hard water with lots of minerals. That means water spots can get pretty nasty. Now, I detail my cars often, and dry quickly when I wash also, but sometimes those water spots show up really quickly. Part of the issue is that the finish beads water profusely, as most waxes will do. Which leads to my wondering if there are any high-quality waxes/sealants that will sheet water instead?

 

[BRZED]

I don't like a spotty finish either. I would expect most any wax to cause high surface tension and thus result in beading droplets. For water to sheet, you would probably want to use a polymer coating or a wax designed to not bead well, for example, Meguiar's Gold Class wax. I have never waxed any of my cars. I always use a polymer sealant. For anything other than a show car where the highest gloss counts for much, I believe polymer sealants to be far superior to wax.

 

[Chris B.]

To sheet water you need to have the painted surface to have a slope or angle or be moving otherwise it will just sit on the paint. Flat level surfaces will not sheet water at all no matter what wax/sealent you have on it.

 

[Klutch9]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
To sheet water you need to have the painted surface to have a slope or angle or be moving otherwise it will just sit on the paint. Flat level surfaces will not sheet water at all no matter what wax/sealent you have on it.


FWIW, the surfaces in question are sloped. Not all beads make it to the bottom and fall off.

 

[gregk24]

Meguiars Paint Protect.

 

[Gtiguy34]

I second Meguiars Paint Protect

 

[SirTanon]

^^^^^ This. Great sheeting action.

Check it out HERE

 

[Zeus33]

Originally Posted By: SirTanon
^^^^^ This. Great sheeting action.

Check it out HERE




The "sheeting" action only works when the surface is flooded with water and that only applies when you are rinsing your car using the flooding technique.

As you will notice at 2:24 of the video, you will still get beading from anything other than flooding water. Normal rain, etc, will bead on the paint and not well I might add.

IME, a quality beading LSP is much easier to dry and maintain than a "sheeting" one. YMMV.

The Paint Protect is cheap enough, that it might be worth a trial to decide for yourself.

 

[gofast182]

Originally Posted By: Zeus33
Originally Posted By: SirTanon
^^^^^ This. Great sheeting action.

Check it out HERE




The "sheeting" action only works when the surface is flooded with water and that only applies when you are rinsing your car using the flooding technique.

As you will notice at 2:24 of the video, you will still get beading from anything other than flooding water. Normal rain, etc, will bead on the paint and not well I might add.

IME, a quality beading LSP is much easier to dry and maintain than a "sheeting" one. YMMV.

...

Absolutely right. I can get any LSP to sheet if I set my nozzle to flood it.

 

[turtlevette]

Originally Posted By: Gtiguy34
I second Meguiars Paint Protect


I just picked this up at AZ. Its exactly the same thing as the Armor All Extreme Shield, and its very difficult to apply. Keep rubbing and streaking, on and on. If you don't rub it off just right you end up with a dried on mess.

I've tried tons of stuff. There is no silver bullet. After 3 weeks there is no beading at all, no matter what I've used. But I live in a salt air environment.

 

[BRZED]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
To sheet water you need to have the painted surface to have a slope or angle or be moving otherwise it will just sit on the paint. Flat level surfaces will not sheet water at all no matter what wax/sealent you have on it.


Not everyone drives a Cube.

 

[Chris B.]

Originally Posted By: BRZED
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
To sheet water you need to have the painted surface to have a slope or angle or be moving otherwise it will just sit on the paint. Flat level surfaces will not sheet water at all no matter what wax/sealent you have on it.


Not everyone drives a Cube.


Zeus33 said it above better then I did. Water wont sheet unless it is flooded. It beads just like in the video when he is not flooding it with the hose.

 

[turtlevette]

Originally Posted By: Chris B.
Originally Posted By: BRZED
Originally Posted By: Chris B.
To sheet water you need to have the painted surface to have a slope or angle or be moving otherwise it will just sit on the paint. Flat level surfaces will not sheet water at all no matter what wax/sealent you have on it.


Not everyone drives a Cube.


Zeus33 said it above better then I did. Water wont sheet unless it is flooded. It beads just like in the video when he is not flooding it with the hose.


If he misted it, it would bead. He was using trickery to try and prove one was different from the other.

I will say the Meguiars Paint Protect gives a wet look and is a real help for old dry cracked paint. Tends to hide the defects.