Andrew Southall Car Detailing
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Machine Polishing & Ceramic Coatings

Car Detailing - The art of making cars look incredible.

Car Detailing is a specialised process designed to take a given vehicle and enhance its appearance far beyond what traditional valeting techniques can achieve. Having being in the industry since 2011, Andrew has watched the processes, products and technology take strides in the detailing world and has adapted, invested and levelled up alongside it.

Professional Machine Polishing is a highly involved process that significantly enhances paintwork gloss and treats paintwork defects such as swirl marks, towel marring, light scratches, chemical dullness and UV fading. Ceramic Coatings are a glass-like resin sealant applied to lock in those results with hard-wearing protection and durability that last long-term.

All car detailing work undergoes a thorough preliminary decontamination process to safely wash, clean and prepare all surfaces ready for the signature treatments to take place. Only then will any polishing machines touch the paintwork and that is not before a full paint depth inspection report is made to detect any previous repair work or thin areas.

Andrew utilises an extensive range of Flex polishing machines and paintwork inspection lighting to ensure a comprehensive process takes place. All ceramic coatings are provided by SB3 Coatings to which are only available to trained and approved specialists. Andrew also has secondary accreditation for their flagship Trinity three layer composite coating.

A one-stage machine polish utilises a medium-soft foam pad on a dual action polisher with a fine polishing compound - this will alleviate minor towel marring and swirls and enhance gloss, suitable for new cars or those on a certain budget. A multi-stage machine polish involves a wool pad on a rotary polisher coupled with a high performance compound to cut away scratches and heavier swirls. The subsequent polishing stages gradually become finer to finesse the finish and remove buffer trails from the initial compounding stage - this is what is best recommended for cars with visible swirl marks and scratches and those wanting the ultimate finish.

​Pricing on detailing treatments begin at £300 for a one-stage gloss enhancement machine polish and 12 month nano-sealant on a regular sized car. All detailing services are to be carried out at Andrew's secure indoor location with professional lighting, clean flooring and heating for the correct conditions to provide impeccable results. Pricing for multi-stage machine polishing, ceramic coating, dent repairs, smart repairs and wheel refurbishments are priced according to application - please get in touch with your vehicle details for an estimate prior to booking an inspection visit.
SB3 Coatings are an industry leading Ceramic Coating company in the USA with numerous approved specialists all around the world. Their coatings provide immense gloss levels (imagine on top of the gloss obtained from machine polishing), super hydrophobic water repellent behaviour and ease of maintenance.

Following the machine polishing process your vehicle can be finished up with SB3 'Solo' Nano Spray Sealant if you aren't interested in the full-blown ceramic coatings, but for extra resilience from new swirl marks being inflicted a ceramic coating will always prolong the need to polish the car again.

Available SB3 Coatings are:
  • Omega - entry level coating that lasts for 2 years* with a 5H hardness rating. Omega is especially notable for it's high gloss and hydrophobic effect.
  • Thirty3 - new coating on offer that offers 3 years protection and can be released outside after 3 hours post-application. Ideal for customers wanting a mobile service to take place in their garage.
  • Alpha - higher hardness coating rated at 9H that is designed to last for 5 years. Alpha contains a small amount of titanium oxide to provide the extra hardness.
  • AlMega - a popular combination of Alpha with Omega layered as a top coat.
  • Trinity - flagship triple layer composite coating comprising of a 10H hardness base coat, a 9H hardness intermediate coat and a 5H hardness super hydrophobic topcoat.
  • All quotes for SB3 Ceramic Coatings will include the wheel faces and glass specific coatings, however if you would like even more specialised treatments such as fabric coatings and wheels removed for deep cleaning and coating faces, barrels and calipers; please do specify upon enquiry.

Other protection treatments available:
  • Wheels removed for deep cleaning and SB3 Industrial coating.
  • Interior leather and fabric coating.
  • Fabric convertible hood water-proofing.
  • Speedboat Marine coating.

​Correct maintenance is essential for the performance of the coating to endure, and it is strongly advised not to visit cheap car washes after your vehicle has been detailed, whether it has a ceramic coating or not. This is because poor wash apparatus and technique may scratch and re-swirl the paintwork, as well as the strong alkaline chemicals they may use. Andrew has the full range of SB3 Aftercare products for you to purchase at all times to save waiting on delivery, these are also available on the Online Store. For D.I.Y. safe wash advice please visit the Detailed By Andrew YouTube channel or get in touch for personalised advice.

*All quoted coating durations are based on laboratory testing on a given vehicle used and maintained fairly in normal conditions. A Reload Valet treatment (from £90) is required at least once every four months to honour the duration guarantee and maintain the coatings by descaling any pollution build-up keeping it at optimal performance. It is strongly recommended to pre-schedule your first Reload Valet upon completion of your ceramic coating. Vehicles not opting for Reload Valet treatments do not fall under the coating's duration guarantee due to extraneous circumstances that may occur to the vehicle out of Andrew's control (for example, coatings erosion due to not being cleaned for extended periods during harsh weather conditions).

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  • Home
  • Services
    • Machine Polishing & Ceramic Coatings
    • Leather Repair
    • Brake Caliper Painting
    • Valeting & Mobile Services
    • Headlight Restoration
  • Shop & Book Online
  • Social Media
  • Reviews
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Terms Of Service
  • Privacy Policy