Car Wax Kit Complete Paint Protection Kit

Yes. One of the key attributes, aside from adding a physical layer of protection, is that a wax bonds to level the optical finish significantly more than a bare paint layer. By this we simply mean that waxes are capable of making your paintwork appear to be deeper and glossier by smoothing the surface to which they're applied and modifying how it looks to the eye. On a microscopic level, the top layer of your gloss plastics and paintwork - whether that's the topcoat on older vehicles or the lacquer in more modern 2-stage paintwork, isn't completely flat, even when it's been polished. It will contain tiny ruts and recesses that may be essentially undetectable on their own, but will diffract the light bouncing off if it on different directions. Unlike swirl marks and scratches the effect is only slight, but it does change the way the surfaces is perceived in terms of depth and gloss. When a wax is applied over the top it fills any minuscule ruts and recesses to leave a layer that can be buffed to be smoother than the paint surface itself, in a way you can liken this to plastering a wall, only with a clear plaster. What this does is create a layer that enables light to bounce back to the eye more uniformly and this is what tricks the eye (and the brain) into thinking the paintwork is significantly deeper and shinier than the relatively thin layer of wax that's applied on top.    

Aside from making sure surfaces are clean and free of contaminants, this always depends on the circumstances. Are you topping up wax protection from a previous full detail or adding wax protection for the first time. This is important because, first and foremost, polishing will remove any protection layer, the reason why we don?t use abrasives during routine maintenance, and only polish paintwork when it's absolutely necessary. In this case of maintenance, we'd assume that any paint correction needed had been carried out before adding the first round of wax protection. When it comes to adding wax protection for the first time, we'd always recommend getting surfaces to the best possible level of refinement first. Although it's wholly possible to apply a wax to car with swirly paint, and it will still bond, protect from grime and offer extreme water behaviour and beading, what it won?t do is hide any major defects, so essentially, you'll be locking these in. Pure waxes are non-abrasives, so they're not designed to correct or obscure defects in the surface underneath, they are purely for protection and to add extra gloss. So, for the best results, we'd always recommend correcting or enhancing any paintwork you're not completely happy with the condition of, and fully preparing the surface, before applying any protection layer. The advantage with waxes over ceramic coating in this instance though, is that you don't have to consider the chemical bonded needed for an SiO2 coating to adhere, so you can utilise any of our correction products and cleansers depending on the finish you require regardless of if they already contain waxes and paint glazes. This includes our Revitalise V2 System Compounds, One Step All-in-One Compound, Tripple All-in-One Polish and Rejuvenate Paintwork Cleanser. For more information, and some top tips on preparing your vehicle for a hard wax, see our full guide: Getting The Most From A Hard Wax. 

In terms of extra gloss and added protection, yes, adding a second coat is always beneficial. What this will do is build up more of a physical barrier to the elements and further level the optical finish to make paintwork appear even deeper and glossier. A wax layer that's double the thickness will proportionally increase these characteristics making it a great way of getting your paintwork to look its absolute best - essentially adding more warmth and depth - which is a great pro-tip for show cars and other pampered vehicles. So, why not just add a single thick layer in the first place? Well, it's because the wax has to bond to the surface, and only the thin layer that makes contact with your paintwork can successfully bond. Laying on a thick application simply means that you'll be buffing off most of the wax - all the wax that hasn't bonded - wasting your car wax, and your cash. Conversely, once that first layer has cured, another thin layer can easily bond on top of the original wax layer, building up the protection and shine. With our Signature Hard Waxes, just half a turn in the tin with a Waxmate XL or Wax Spot Pad is more than enough for a whole large panel, and the goal is always to get your wax on there as thinly and evenly as possible, while ensuring complete coverage. We recommend leaving the vehicle for 3-4 hours for a hard wax to cure (or 2 hours when using Radiance Carnauba wax, which is classed as a liquid wax) before adding your second coat. For more on wax application, and some top tips for the most effective surface preparation, see our full guide: Getting The Most From A Hard Wax.