There’s no doubt that car wrapping provides lots of benefits to a vehicle. One of them is that it helps safeguard your precious paint against abrasions and scratches, which could otherwise damage it. Another one is that it improves the look of the car to a greater extent with visually appealing aesthetics.
But despite these amazing benefits, there’s a contrary belief among a small group of individuals out there that wrapping a car actually destroys the paint.
To set the record straight, I’m going to be explaining how wrapping a car can help protect its paint. In addition to that, I’m also going to be covering in depth the following FAQ questions;
- Is it better to wrap or paint a car?
- How long does a wrap last on a car?
Contents
How Wrapping a Car Can Help Protect Its Paint
Car wrapping is all about covering the body of your car either fully or partially with a special vinyl coating. Generally, the material is a blend of polyvinyl-chloride (PVC) polymer with different additives that make it resistant to ultraviolet light, flexible, and colorful.
Now, a few things can damage your high-quality factory car paint. Tar, beverages, brake fluid, bird droppings, gasoline, bugs, salt, and tree sap, are just a few potential damaging factors to your paint.
So are construction debris, snow & extreme weather, ashes, shaving cream, shoe polish, sharp objects, spray streamer/aerosol string, rocks & other debris, as well as the normal wear and tear of time.
Now, wrapping helps protect your paint by way of the vinyl material acting as an impenetrable barrier between the paint and the above damaging factors.
Meaning tar, beverages, brake fluid, bird droppings, gasoline, bugs, salt, and other things can never get and cause damage to your paint.
Is It Better to Wrap or Paint a Car?
Car paints should ideally last 10 – 15 years if looked after properly. But due to long-term exposure to the above damaging factors, many cars will need a new paint job in less than ten years.
Car wraps, on the other hand, are generally more durable than paints. To be precise, they can last up to ten years, unlike paints, most of the time. Only a top-tier paint job could last the life of the car.
Unfortunately, this can be very expensive, difficult to find(as only a few people can provide it), and hard to maintain. As such, it makes more sense to wrap than to paint.
Actually, if your paint is degraded, it’s better to add new paint to your car first and then wrap the vehicle. However, if the paint is in tip-top condition, we recommend simply wrapping the car.
How Long Does a Wrap Last On a Car?
As said earlier, a wrap can last up to 10 years, especially if well-maintained. Nonetheless, you can take a few precautions to ensure your wrap lasts as long as possible.
For example, always wash your car, using a quality, automotive sponge. Similarly, always rinse the body of the car using clear water after washing it.
Never allow the soap and other chemicals to dry up on the vinyl. Likewise, minimize water spotting(which entails an area of dried mineral deposits left on the wrap after being allowed to air dry) by using a silicone squeegee or chamois to remove water.
Lastly, always dry the car with a clean microfiber cloth after giving it a nice clean.
Conclusion
Your vehicle is as cute as its paint job or wrap. Unfortunately, car paints are susceptible to lots of things that can ruin them. From direct sunlight and gasoline to brake fluid and salt to bird droppings and more, the list of things that can potentially degrade your paint is a long one.
Fortunately, you can protect your paint against these damaging factors by vinyl wrapping it. Taking this precautionary step will not only protect your precious paint but also make your car look even more beautiful.
If your paint is already degraded, we recommend repainting it first before wrapping it. By taking this step, you can be sure to drive your vehicle for many years without worrying about the condition of your paint job.
