Over time, your car will display signs of wear and tear due to frequent use. Just seeing the paint job getting scratched, cracked, or peeling can be quite disappointing. Getting a paint job is the best solution, but doing that just to fix a few scratches doesn’t seem like it’s worth the money, especially since paint jobs are expensive.
A great alternative for this problem is by wrapping your car in paint protection film. If this is the first time you’re hearing this, here’s a little guide on how car paint protection films can help you keep your car’s paint job safe from scratches and peeling.
What is a Car Paint Protection Film?
Paint protection film (PPF) is a type of polymer film placed over the car’s body panels in order to protect them from scratches, UV rays, rock chips, and other road debris. You may know it by its other names, such as clear mask, car wrap, scratch protective film, or car bra.
Most paint protection films are made from a thermoplastic urethane material that goes over any painted surface on your car’s exterior. It’s been around since the 1950s and has since evolved to offer more protection and variety to the vehicle despite its thin composition. They come in varying grades of thickness, colours, finishes, and textures based on your needs. PPF covers major parts of the vehicle, including:
- Bumpers
- Rocker Panels
- Trunk Ledge
- Side Mirrors
- Lead Hood Edge
- Fender Panels
- Door Handle Cavity
What are Car Paint Protection Films Made Of?
You’ll mostly see just a thin material before the film is applied to your vehicle. That thin film is actually made of several layers that are there to provide the maximum level of protection possible. Those layers are:
Clearcoat – This is the top layer of the film and acts as the protective surface. The clearcoat can bond with additional coatings such as ceramic coating or self-healing elastomeric polymer.
Polyurethane – The thickest part of the protection film is the polyurethane, which is the second layer. This is actually what makes the film durable and resistant to scratching. The polyurethane layer is about 0.152mm thick and is what makes the bulk of the film.
Acrylic Adhesive – The last layer is made up of acrylic adhesive, which is what makes the film stick to the surface of your car. This is about 0.40mm thick and is often protected by another layer before application.
Polyester Release Liner – This is mainly a removable layer placed on the adhesive side to protect it before installation. When this layer is removed, it exposes the adhesive and allows it to bond to the surface of a vehicle, similar to how stickers work.
How Paint Protection Film Looks on a Vehicle
During installation, your car’s surface will be thoroughly cleaned to make sure no dust particles and other materials are left that could cause lift lines and bubbles. If you’re working with a professional film installer, the film itself won’t be that much noticeable when looking at a distance. However, some seam lines can be visible and are unavoidable, especially when wrapping the edges.
Conclusion
Paint protection film is an excellent alternative to getting an entirely new paint job. It’s also more than capable of protecting your vehicle from minor scratches and peeling. If you’re a little tight on your budget and you want to protect your vehicle and even change its appearance, find a reliable PPF installer.
Premier Film Distribution is a wholesale window tint and car film supplier serving the tinting industry with high-quality products. We offer interior and exterior solar films, automotive films, prefabricated designs from a wide range of brands. Order now and get wholesale discounts!
