Ark Barrier FAQ

 

How long does it last?

Ark Barrier’s coated surface is glass of an inorganic substance, so technically it has no secular distortion. It does not come off unless cut by abrasives. We are conducting follow up research with our customers and the oldest vehicles have past 10 years since the application and have minor scratches, but they are easily cleaned and the gloss is restored by a car wash.

How long is the warranty for?

Ark Barrier comes with a 3 year warranty against cracking, bubbling and delaminating of the coating on the car body with normal use and maintenance. This means that should the applied coating peels, we will clean or repair the damaged section and re-apply the treatment provided all conditions in the warranty have been observed. (Exclusions to warranty: Damage caused by rust, stone chipping, scratches, abrasion, panel repair or replacement, tree sap, bird droppings, abnormal chemical fallout or spillage, manufacturers imperfections and abnormal use or storage of the vehicle).
We know that there are paint protections sold at new car dealers come with 7 years or longer warranty period however most of them warrant "paint" but not "paint protection" in spite of new car comes with manufactures' paint warranty.
 
Does the car never get any scratches again after applying the Ark Barrier?

Glass Coating is about three times harder than paint so it makes the car body surface tougher, however it will have scratches as time goes on because of the paint underneath the Ark Barrier is very soft.

Does the Ark Barrier crack or delaminate?

The thickness of applied Ark Barrier on the car body surface is about 0.5 micrometer (Paint on the car body is from 100 to 150 micrometer and Plastic wrap is about 18 micrometer / 1mm=1,000 micrometer) and has very high adhesiveness, so the coating doesn’t crack or delaminate.

Do bird droppings, water stain and other dirt stick to the car after Ark Barrier has been applied?

It will, but most of them are easy to clean. It is recommended to wash the car to clean some nasty dirt as soon as it appears in order to keep the car in a good condition.

How is the gloss compared to conventional paint protection?

Ark Barrier gives a perfect wet look on the car. It sharpens the colour just like fresh clear paint. Conventional paint protections don’t have such a solid gloss like Ark Barrier. It doesn’t darken or partly loses the gloss.

Can you apply the Ark Barrier to black or other deep colours?

Yes, we can. Ark Barrier has 450 shops & affiliates and have already done over 100,000 cars in Japan, so thousands of data are winded up each year. We upload the latest technologies and technical skills from Japan so we don’t choose any colour, however we need to have longer preparation for cars with soft paint such as Toyota 202 black, Lexus 212 black and Honda Night Hawk Black Pearl.

Do you apply it to used cars?

Yes, we do. We wash, take coal tar(pitch) and iron powders off and cut & polish the paint to have the best possible surface preparation before coating. We try to repair the paint surface as much as possible in order to cut scratches, swirl marks, buff marks and stains from rain, water, tree sap, bird droppings, chemicals and other dirt. We often need to take the same procedure for new cars because of the quick burnish given at car yards or even before shipment. There are many new cars that have many scratches and swirl marks (You can find cars like that at the car yard). Look at black or deep coloured cars exhibited* closely. *Some exhibited cars are coated with oil-based coating (wax) to hide those scratches and swirl marks instantly (but you see them after you have purchased the car).

Waxing is better isn’t it?

We don’t think so. Most of the waxes contain abrasives so as many times that you wax, you are making scratches and lose more of the luster. There are premium waxes which don’t contain abrasives, sold at specialty shops but you make scratches by grinding iron dust and dirt with the pad applicator if you don’t wash and remove iron dust and dirt perfectly before waxing.
 
Is polymer coating better than glass coating?
 
Polymer coating started to appear in the market of the car care industry about 20 years ago, as a replacement for the wax as a vehicle exterior protection product. Polymer coating, with strong protection effect and longer durability (around 6 months) was introduced about 15 years ago. Inorganic glass coating emerged about 10 years ago with stronger protection and even longer durability for car exteriors.

Can you re-apply the Ark Barrier after a smash repair and repaint?

Yes, we can. We can re-apply it to all the body or the panel. Please keep our receipt and warranty for insurance purposes. (Please call your insurance underwriter or broker for more information)

Can you re-apply the Ark Barrier soon after a smash repair and repaint?

We need to leave it for 10 to 14 days because of the new paint evaporates solvent during this period. Please ask us for more information.

Can you apply it on bumpers and aero parts?

Yes, we can. We can coat on any painted surface. Ark Barrier has strong adhesion and doesn’t crack or delaminate because of the thinness.

How much maintenance does it require?

Only wash by water or with a dish washing detergent basically. Coal tar(pitch) and iron powder can stick. Please contact us for its maintenance.

How available is maintenance in other areas?

We are planning to open Ark Barrier shops in all major cities of Australia. We will let you know the new opening schedules as soon as we have that information on this website.
 
Why Ark Barrier is good?
 
We import/export not only liquid glass coatings but also all the materials related to preparation process such as compounds and buff pads and train businesses/staff in many countries. We are not just an another car detailer.