VINYL FILM: PROS AND CONS?

The photo is taken from the site: https://signsofseattle.com/matte-vinyl-wraps/

Any car owner wants his or her four-wheel friend to be unique and original. For this reason, many car enthusiasts do the external tuning or apply airbrushing, but such methods can adversely affect the aerodynamics and cost a lot of money. Nevertheless, in order to give an individual style to the appearance of the vehicle, you can use the vinyl film.

Car wrapping options

There are many options for the film car wrapping. You can apply the film on certain elements or on the entire area of the body. In specialized stores, you can choose one option from 250 presented. The most popular is the matte film. It is important to know that if the surface color will be changed to 30% or will be changed on three elements, then all changes must be registered in the data sheet. This will allow you to avoid problems with the traffic police inspectors.

Film selection

Film selection will not be easy as there is a huge variety of options in color, price and thickness. The thinnest film is 60 microns, but it is not recommended to be used for car wrapping. For this purpose, you need to choose a material with a thickness of at least 100 microns.

The leaders in the manufacture of such a film are France, Great Britain, Germany, and also China, if the material is sold in special auto shops. High-quality film can save its quality for up to five years. But for such material you need to pay a lot of money. You can also choose a clear film so as not to distort the natural color of the vehicle.

The advantages of car vinyl wrapping

In addition to the decorative function, the film also performs a protective one. It protects the body cover from various minor damages. And some types of material protect the surface from large scratches and stones. If you are bothered with the color you use, then the film can be easily removed and another one can be used. This procedure is much cheaper than body painting.

Before applying the film, it is necessary to eliminate major defects on the body. And if the damage is minor, they can be masked with a thick film. But in any case, the surface must be washed and degreased.

Self-pasting car vinyl film

If there are elements of complex shape on the surface, they must be wrapped by a professional master. Otherwise, you will not be able to achieve a quality result. But large and simple parts of the body (trunk, roof, and hood) can be applied on its own. The work can be performed better if you work with an assistant.

Before applying the film, do not forget to clean and degrease the surface. It is recommended to glue the material to the soap solution, this will remove air. The solution can be applied with a spray.

Then you need to expand the film on the surface, remove air bubbles with a squeegee, heat the material with a drying fan and stretch it over the entire surface. Then the car needs to dry for a day. For the first week the car can only be washed manually.