A glossmeter is simple but invaluable tool when detailing. We recommend any detailing professional have this gloss checker in their tool kit. Firstly, you can use our Glidecoat-GM 60 Portable Gloss Meter Reader to get an idea of the initial condition of the surface and the steps that will be required to restore the gloss and shine of that surface. We also recommend using the glossmeter to help determine if the surface is ready for a ceramic coating. We recommend shooting for minimum of 85GU on the glossmeter before applying the coating. Finally, we use the glossmeter to track the performance of the ceramic coating to ensure that it is performing as intended.
For more information read our article – Gloss Meter Readings – Why to Take Them and How to Improve Your Boat’s Gloss Reading
Products used:
- Glossmeter – GLIDECOAT-GM 60
- Nano Compound – Heavy Cut
- Nano Compound – Medium Cut
- Nano Polish
- RV Ceramic Coating
Video Transcript
Christian here with Glidecoat and today we're going to talk about our gloss meter and why we use it. So we're here at a 2006 RV and I don’t know if you could tell on the video, it's quite faded. So this tool here is going to tell us exactly how faded it is and give us an idea of what we need to do to restore that.
So our gloss meter here is a simple tool and what it's going to do is shine a beam of light and measure the amount of reflection that comes back. So obviously the higher the number, the higher the shine, the lower the number, the duller the surface is. So, what I can do here is turn this tool on, it's going to have a screen here and tell me what the number is, so calibrated we're at 96 (GU).
So I'm going to put it flat on the surface, hit the button once, it's reading 4.4 (GU). This is a fiberglass surface and to give you an example, a brand new painted area is going to be in the high 80s to low 90s on the gloss meter, if we're talking about gel coat, typically 82 to 88. So this is reading at a 4.4. So obviously there's very little to absolutely no shine on this surface. So I know that going into it, I'm going to have to do a heavy cutting compound, then into a medium compound to then finish with a polish. And again, what we're going to be using this gloss meter for is to give me a number to shoot for.
So my goal is always to get a minimum of 85(GU) on the gloss meter. So we're going to get a better than new or as new shine to this surface before we're going to then lock it in with the ceramic coating. So when I'm going through my buffing steps, I'm always shooting for that 85(GU) mark, and I'll be checking with my gloss meter. So once I get to that point, I'm confident that I can apply the ceramic coating to it.
After I've gotten to that point too, the gloss meter is a great tool in telling me - tracking the performance of the ceramic coating. So we're all about retaining that shine and that gloss over the period of the ceramic coating. So with this gloss meter, I'm able to track the performance of that coating. So I can come back in a year's time and check my gloss meter readings. Let's say it was 92(GU) after the point of initial application, a year down the road, we're still in the eighties on the gloss meter - that is showing me that the coating is working exactly as it is intended to do.
