There are many considerations and doubts about PPF before installing it on your own car. This article will focus on answering two questions - Is Vinyl the same as Paint Protection Film? Will my PPF look perfect?
Choosing between vinyl and paint protection film
There seems to be a lot of confusion between paint protection films and vinyl wraps. Vinyl wrap is used to change the appearance of a vehicle. In most cases, vinyl wraps are used to change the colour of a car or to cover special graphics without having to repaint the entire car. Vinyl cladding offers a great deal of customisation, but is much thinner than PPF.
PPF is a thicker, heavier vinyl wrap. PPF is usually clear, much thicker and self-repairing in the event of scratches. Paint protection films are designed to protect the original paint. It used to not enhance the aesthetics of your car. However, in recent years, UPPF can turn your vehicle's colour into a matt or mirror finish, or a coloured finish.
PPF is approximately 8-12 mils thick compared to vinyl wrap which is approximately 4 mils thick and offers almost zero protection for your car.
The existence of the perfect PPF
The ideal working area for a PPF installation should be a clean, well-lit environment with some sort of debris control and air filtration system. Working in a clean environment is an important part of installing a PPF.
PPF installation is very difficult, time consuming, very complex and costly. The material is not cheap and any dirt, hair or over-stretching of the film means that the part must be replaced.
Air bubbles, lift lines and water under the film are common with every installation. The air bubbles will evaporate within a few days (or weeks), depending on the weather. If an air bubble remains on the film, the only way to remove it is to suck out the air with a needle. These things will happen immediately after the PPF has been installed.
Summary
PPF is an effective way of protecting your vehicle, it requires a high level of installation to achieve an aesthetically pleasing flush, and achieves a far more protective function than vinyl. It is therefore particularly suitable for people who have a keen interest in their vehicles.
