Understanding More About Car Wraps

Is a Car Wrap Right For You?

Just what is the wrap for? It’s actually for your car. Car wraps are becoming increasingly popular and are a great way to help preserve the paint job of your vehicle.

Wraps are made of polyvinylchloride(PVC) polymer. This makes it flexible and resistant to ultraviolet light. Various dyes and additives can be added to customize it. All of these ingredients are baked together and then cured for a finished product ready to be applied to your car. 

Is it going to ruin my car’s paint? Wraps are put over the exterior of your car and adhere to its surfaces. They are completely safe to be applied to your car’s paint, as long as they are taken care of properly. It’s also a great way to preserve a paint job underneath. Sparing its wear and tear so that if ever a day comes when you want to sell your car, you can take off the wrap and have a good as new paint job underneath, scoring you some extra cash. 

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Car wraps are a great way to customize your car in a more temporary fashion. Maybe the car you want doesn’t come in the color you want it? Wrap it. Fully customizable with different patterns and colors. If you own a business using a wrap for advertising isn’t a half-bad idea. Great for advertising, great for style. People won’t be able to take their eyes off your car. 

You might be thinking, “Is this going to be as durable as a regular paint job?”. The answer is that car wraps are covered in a ceramic coating that adds to their hardness and durability. This allows them to easily take on minor scratches and dings just as your car would with a normal paint job but, in this case, it’s the temporary wrap taking the cosmetic damage and not the actual paint job itself. Something to keep in mind. 

Cost

A car wrap costs about the same as a good paint job, sometimes cheaper. A standard paint job on a vehicle can cost anywhere between 1,000 and 4,500 dollars. A matte or satin finish wrap can cost 3,000 to 4,000 dollars. A chrome finish anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000. 

Wraps traditionally last three to six years, sometimes seven if they’re being properly taken care of. They need TLC like anything else on your car. The more you take care of the wrap the more you get your money’s worth. Lower quality wraps can last a very short amount of time, so make sure you’re taking care of the wrap. Some wraps when left unclean and exposed to the elements can “bake in” to the car. This makes them significantly more difficult to remove and will cause them to last a much shorter amount of time. Another con of wraps is that automatic car washes are off-limits. Washing a wrapped car requires hand washing with soft microfiber towels and vinyl-specific cleaners. 

So, is wrapping your car for you? Another thing to consider is the weather where you live. In Utah, the hot summers are going to bake that wrap into your car if it’s left uncovered or out of the garage. And in the winter it’s going to be harsh on it as well. There are many things to consider when looking at wrapping your car and it never hurts to ask a professional at your local shop.