My thoughts on DIY:
- Only do it if you have the right tools and products (if paint correction is required, a great polish and orbital polisher and the education to use it all)
- If you have the time and patience to spend on paint correction if it's truly needed
- If you have the time and patience to put on and take off the ceramic coating as instructed
- DIY products will generally last 2-3 years
- If you do not need to drive your vehicle for several days to allow the product to cure properly (applies to both DIY and professional)
- You can save thousands (based on where you live) if you DIY
- Ceramic coatings are
Thoughts on professional:
- You can sit on your couch and let someone else do it
- If they TRULY use a professional grade product, it may last longer than 2 years
- You may get a 5 year warranty from a professional based on the grade of ceramic you select
- It will cost, for a high quality detailer using high quality products, anywhere from $1000-$3000
I, for one, enjoy working on my vehicles. My time is also VERY valuable, as some have stated, and I am in the top 5% of the US population when it comes to earnings. However, with that being said, I like doing it myself and the pride I have in completing the work and loving the results. Anyone with any commonsense and handiness can easily do this. Most shops pay their Paint Correction guy and Ceramic coating guy $15-$20/hr so this certainly is not rocket science or taboo. If your handy and like working on your vehicle...then do it. You can't mess it up as long as you follow the instructions and use a good quality products.
If you want to invest your time and resources elsewhere, and think your time is worth more than the cost of having it professionally done, then pay someone bookoo bucks to do it for you while you sit on the couch or do something else with your time. My time is certainly worth more. I just prefer to do it on my own...not being cheap...I just enjoy working on my vehicles.