If you’ve considered changing the colour of your car but have been put off by the amount of time a paint job takes and the costs involved, then a vehicle wrap is the right option for you. Unlike getting a colour change paint job which can depreciate the value of your car, car wraps can actually help preserve it by preventing small scratches on the original paint. All this while giving you the colour you really want. Car wraps are also cheaper to install than getting a paint job and involve only a couple of days of downtime instead of weeks.
With so many benefits to getting a vehicle wrap, it’s only natural to want to know how long car wraps last.
The short answer is you can expect your car wrap to last typically between five to seven years, after which it can start to crack or peel off your vehicle. When you’ve invested money into getting your car wrapped, it’s only natural to want it to last for as long as possible. Thankfully, making it stick around (pardon the pun) for closer to the seven-year mark doesn’t require a lot of effort.
There are several factors that play a part in how long you can expect your vehicle wrap to last.
The quality of the materials used to wrap your vehicle is a huge factor in its durability. Not all vinyl is made the same. A vehicle wrap made from premium quality vinyl is the first step toward ensuring that it lasts for longer. Vinyl Labs offers car wraps made by 3M and Avery Dennison, so you know that your car is only getting the best.
Car wraps need to be installed by professionals to prevent early peeling or cracking. Your car’s surface needs to be prepared to exacting standards for the vehicle wrap to adhere to the surface properly without any air bubbles in between.
Now you certainly can’t control the weather, but you can try to limit your car’s exposure to harsh climes as much as possible. Strong sunlight can batter your vehicle wrap with damaging UV rays causing it to fade and eventually crack. You may find that these signs of ageing first occur on the horizontal surfaces of your car like the roof and hood. The beauty of vinyl wraps is that you may be able to simply replace the wraps on these areas if the rest of your car is fine.
While you can’t prevent exposure to strong sunlight while you’re out and about, storing it in a garage or using a cover at the very least can help limit sun damage.
Dirt and grime can cause unnecessary wear on your vehicle wrap. This is because the tiny sharp particles can be abrasive with the vibrations while driving increasing the effects of their sharpness. Washing your car frequently prevents dirt from building up on your car. Handwash your car frequently instead of exposing the vehicle wrap to the hard bristles of a car wash.
A great way to extend the life of your vinyl wrap even further is to give it a protective coating of Paint Protection Film (PPF). This protects your vinyl from minor scratches as well as from some of the sun’s harmful UV rays. PPF like the 3M™ Scotchgard™ Paint Protection Film Pro Series used by Vinyl Labs also has a self-healing property where small scratches on the coating are repaired by exposure to sunlight or a heat gun.
Applying a layer of paint protection film can extend the life of your vinyl wrap to up to ten years.
Vinyl Labs is a 3M certified installer, providing vehicle wraps of the highest quality. Our highly trained professional team is on the leading edge of all things vinyl to ensure the job gets done right the first time. Whether you need a colour change, print wraps, or accents and layering, you can rest assured that our team will go above and beyond to deliver the very best.
You can choose car wraps in chrome, metallic, carbon fibre and brushed aluminum finishes, or choose your favourite colour in gloss, satin, or matte or get creative and design your own pattern with us for an even more customized look!
Get in touch with us for a quote today.
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