Wrapping a car in vinyl decals is a great way to change its color and appearance without spending a fortune on a professional paint job. Vinyl wraps have become more common recently, moving beyond the commercial advertising space into the private car owner market.
Why Would You Use Vinyl Wrap Instead of Painting
While high-quality vinyl wrap looks great, it still doesn’t have the gloss and finesse of a good paint job. Moreover, it won’t last as long, and you can’t restore it by buffing as you would paint.
However, vinyl wrap is a practical solution to painting a car in a couple of settings.
When You Want to Change Your Vehicle’s Appearance on a Budget
A professional vinyl wrap from the very best is way cheaper than a good paint job from an average paint shop.
This makes it an excellent alternative for people who want to facelift their vehicle but are unwilling to pay the total price for a new paint job.
You are Looking for Intricate Patterns and Murals
Painting patterns, letters, or graphics on a car is expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand, designers can use dedicated printers to add graphics to vinyl wrap pieces before applying them to your vehicle.
This makes vinyl wrapping great for people who want to add wording or advertising information to their vehicles.
Printers can also cheaply lay a wide range of colors and finishes making murals a perfect solution if you are looking for a paint finish that takes a lot of expertise or is simply impossible to accomplish with a spray gun.
It is a Lease or Long Term Rental Vehicle
If you are tired of your current paint job on a leased vehicle, your options are minimal.
Changing the paint job might mean painting it back to stock once your lease or long-term rental is over.
Vinyl wraps are cheaper to apply, and a good quality wrap can eventually come out of the vehicle without damaging the original paint job.
It is a Short Term Change
Finally, since vinyl wrap can go on and come off as you please, you can change paint jobs, decals and finishes as much as you like without long downtimes or the complexity of giving your car a new paint job.
How Long Will My Vinyl Wrap Last?
It’s hard to put a number on how many years you should expect from your fresh vinyl wrap. Generally, you can get anything between two years and five years.
If you don’t use your vehicle often and park in the shade, you can expect up to five years before the wrap begins to fade and crack. If it is a daily driver or a business vehicle that stays outdoors or drives around a lot, you will start to see fading and wear by the second year.
Some of the detailed factors that affect your vinyl wrap’s lifespan include:
Prevailing Weather Conditions
The vinyl wrap doesn’t deal with sunlight and harsh climate well. It will fade and deteriorate faster the more you expose your vehicle to sunlight and the rain.
If you don’t park indoors or drive often, you should expect your vinyl wrap to age faster. Parking in a sweltering garage could also affect the vinyl’s adhesive property, forming air bubbles and pealing sooner.
Quality of the Vinyl and Install
Better quality vinyl will, of cause last longer. It is stronger and, in most cases, has a protective film that makes it more resistant to abrasion and weather elements.
A good installer will also get you more years of use. Simple imperfections like loose edges or tiny air bubbles will grow with time making your vinyl cover peel and crack sooner. A professional installer will do a good job and ensure such doesn’t happen.
How You Use Your Vehicle?
A gold gradient vinyl wrap on a Lambo that stays in an airconditioned garage for 20 days in a month will, of course, last longer than a wrap on a daily driver that is out on the road every day of the week.
On the other hand, a high-quality vinyl wrap on a workhorse pickup track that spends time on the farm and driving up dirt roads will probably get tears and scratches sooner, making it age faster than in a highway cruising urban streets.
How You Clean the Car
While keeping your vinyl wrap will often make it pristine for longer, harsh cleaners and pressure washing can work against you.
Avoid using a pressure washer set to higher than 800 PSI. Additionally, keep the nozzle at least 14 inches from the vehicle when pressure washing.
Washing your vehicle by hand using a mild car cleaning shampoo is the best way to clean a vinyl-wrapped vehicle.
How to Care for a Vinyl Wrapped Vehicle
Taking good care of your vinyl-wrapped vehicle is the key to making it last longer. Here are the best tricks to help you protect your vinyl wrap.
Park in the Shade, if Possible a Cool Place
Avoid the sun and the heat as much as you can. Vinyl wrap fades, stretches, and warps under the sun or the heat.
If possible, keep your vehicle in the shade. Better still, please keep it in a cool air-conditioned garage.
Washing is Everything
Washing can make or kill your vinyl wrap. By now, you know that we advocate for handwashing. Here are some additional tips to help you take good care of your vinyl-wrapped vehicle.
- Always wash by hand using a soft rag or a sponge
- Don’t use strong solvents or abrasive cleaners
- Thoroughly rinse the vehicle with a garden hose to first remove loose dust and debris, as this can turn into abrasives as you wash the car.
- Rinse thoroughly after washing
- Automatic carwashes with brushes can lift loose edges and scratch the surface. Avoid them
- Avoid pressure washing as much as possible.
- Never use wax or polish on matte finished or other textured wraps
- Use silicone-based polishes for extra protection
- Always test a new cleaner in a concealed section before using it on the entire vehicle.
- Wipe any spills as soon as possible
When handwashing, be careful not to aggressively scrap the vehicle or work against the grain at wrap seams and edges, as this could encourage it to peel faster.
Avoid DIY Fixes at All Costs
If you notice any small tears or bubbles on your vinyl wrap, resist the temptation to smooth them out.
While it might be instinctive and straightforward, it will spread the damage and ruin the adhesive under the vinyl wrap. This will accelerate the rate at which the entire wrap deteriorates.
Always take your vehicle to a professional vinyl wrapper for repairs. If you did the wrap yourself, consider re-wrapping the entire affected section or pane instead of spot treatment.
Do Car Wraps Ruin Your Paint?
If applied to a car with a fresh OEM or high-quality aftermarket paint job, it will not harm your paint job.
The vinyl wrap adheres to the top clear coat on a paint job. If the vehicle hasn’t been buffed many times, the vinyl wrap can later be carefully peeled out and the original paint cleaned before rebuffing it to a pristine look.
However, if the paint has any scratches or defects, chances are the vinyl wrap will make it flake and peel during uninstallation. The same could also happen to low quality paint jobs with a very thin layer of clear coat.
Do Car Wraps Scratch Easy?
While vinyl wrap has a protective film to protect it, it’s still more susceptible to scratching than paint. Protect it from abrasions and if you offroad, keep off loose bramble as much as possible.
Is Vinyl Wrapping Your Vehicle Worth It?
Well. It depends on what you want to achieve. If it is a business vehicle and you want to advertise, it is worth it – ensure you get the proper paperwork to accompany the vinyl wrap.
It is still a good idea if it is a collectable, project, or weekend vehicle you want to make look unique and quirky.
If it is a daily driver that you want to hang onto for years to come, keep off vinyl wraps and go for paint. Paint is easier to maintain (you can drive into carwashes) and more versatile than a vinyl wrap.
Check this too: How Do You Remove Clear Coat Without Damaging Paint?
Should I Change Paperwork after a Vinyl Wrap
It depends on your jurisdiction and how much the vinyl wrap alters your vehicle. If it completely changes your cars appearance, it is wise and sometimes mandated that you notify the vehicle register and your insurer.
For instance, having that on documentation is prudent if your vehicle can no longer be identified as ‘Pearl White’ after a Matte Black vinyl wrap.
If something happens, a bulletin will go out for a ‘Perl White’ vehicle while in reality, your vehicle is now Matte Black. This will make your vehicle harder to find, and it could technically render your logbook or registration invalid.