How To Test Coating Flash Times

Written By: Andre Hile, Senior Tech Specialist, Autogeek

Many coatings out there have different flash times; some say to wipe off after 30 seconds, some after one minute, some after two to three minutes, and some are five minutes or longer. While we recommend following a manufacturer’s recommendations, flash times can vary depending on the environment you’re in. Heat, humidity, temperature, wind, etc. can all impact a coating’s flash time. That same ceramic coating could apply much differently in Florida than it could when applied in California conditions. In this article, we will cover the benefit of doing a test spot with ANY ceramic coating. That will give you a precise time frame of how long you can leave the coating on before you need to wipe it off.

Leaving a coating on the surface for longer doesn’t necessarily make it last longer or work better or look different. Allowing a coating to sit on the surface for longer periods of time just allows you to do larger sections at a time before having to wipe the coating off. If you have a coating that has a five minute flash time, you can do a significantly larger section at a time before having to come back and wipe it off. If you have a short period of time to wipe off a coating, 30 seconds, for instance, you can only do small sections at a time, which will take much longer to do the entire car.

The question is, when is the coating ready to be wiped off? Here’s a technique you can use to figure it out, test a coating before using it. To test a coating, apply the coating to a 3ft x 3ft section of a panel, then wait one minute. At the one minute mark, wipe off one of the corners of the square you applied. If that corner wipes off with ease, then you know you have at least one minute until you must wipe the coating off. Then wait another minute — two minutes total have passed — wipe off a second corner of the square. The same thing applies here; if it wipes off easily, you know you have at least two minutes before you need to start wiping off the coating. Once again, wait another minute — now three minutes total have passed — and wipe off the third corner of the square and see how easily it wipes off.

Eventually, you will reach a point where the coating will start to get a bit tacky and difficult to wipe off. When this happens, you should dial back the wipe off about to approximately 30 seconds to one minute, and that’s your official flash time for that specific coating.

So, with this simple method, you can always dial in the right amount of time a coating will give you before it becomes harder to wipe off. Remember, leaving a coating on the surface for longer periods of time won’t make it look better or last longer or perform better, it will simply allow you to do larger sections at a time, getting the vehicle coated quicker!

*This article was provided by Autogeek, an IDA Platinum Sponsor. It does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, warranty, or recommendation by the IDA. The IDA makes no representation or warranties about any information contained herein.