Paint Protection Film - FAQ
Paint Protection Film (PPF) is a great way to protect your vehicle from road hazards and minor impacts such as rock chips or slight scuffs/dings from people or other vehicles rubbing against yours. However, it isn't bulletproof and unfortunately, there is a lot of inaccurate marketing which leads people to have unrealistic expectations in some cases. Here, I'd like to break down a few commonly asked questions and/or myths associated with PPF.
MYTH/QUESTION #1 - "Are PPF and Vinyl the same thing?"
No. In fact, other than being films applied to a vehicle, they are completely different.
Vinyl is a thin layer (roughly 2 mils) of cast or calendered PVC with pigments added into it designed to be very malleable, flexible and have a high conformability, allowing it to be applied over complex shapes and basically over every single edge and corner of a vehicle.
PPF, on the other hand, is a much thicker (but still relatively thin) multi-layered film (8-12 mils) of Polyurethane. It is designed to have much less texture, be perfectly clear and have impact and abrasion resistance. Most top-level PPF films today also have self-healing properties, meaning swirls will be virtually non-existent. Being a thicker more resistant film does also mean that it isn't as conformable and has some limitations.
Vinyl is a thin layer (roughly 2 mils) of cast or calendered PVC with pigments added into it designed to be very malleable, flexible and have a high conformability, allowing it to be applied over complex shapes and basically over every single edge and corner of a vehicle.
PPF, on the other hand, is a much thicker (but still relatively thin) multi-layered film (8-12 mils) of Polyurethane. It is designed to have much less texture, be perfectly clear and have impact and abrasion resistance. Most top-level PPF films today also have self-healing properties, meaning swirls will be virtually non-existent. Being a thicker more resistant film does also mean that it isn't as conformable and has some limitations.
MYTH/QUESTION #2 - "Will a PPF install be 100% perfect/invisible?"
The short answer is NO. Installing PPF is not easy. The material is expensive and it takes many years to become a proficient installer. That said, even an experienced installer will have "blemishes" in their install. The most common things that will be noticed will be lift lines, minute specs of dust and air/water pockets/bubbles.
Water Bubbles/Air Pockets will dry out after a few weeks once the film has cured, and if they don't completely evaporate through the film, a hypodermic needle can be used to release the air.
Lift lines occur during the installation process where a part of the film has been left to rest while another area is being applied and then lifted to be re-wet to be worked (i.e. one side of a bumper being simply "tacked" to the vehicle, while the other side is being placed and squeegeed, and then going back to wet the sitting side of the bumper). These generally level down over time, but are just part of installations. Good installers know how to place their film to minimize the visibility of these lift lines, but there's no 100% way to completely avoid them other than having 3-4 installers working a panel at a time (and that's just not a reasonable expectation to have).
Lastly, specs of dust may occur. Most installers work in a clean shop, but not in a surgical clean room that has been sealed off from the world with immense filtration systems. Minor dust specs may happen, and in most cases can simply be pressed down into the films adhesive to be virtually invisible.
Those main points aside, no car is perfect even before PPF is applied. There are paint nibs, flake/pearl build-ups, orange peel and other textures, pits and sometimes blemishes such as chips and scratches in the paint. These will all be more visible than any of the other minor issues, and cannot be fixed without extensive work or in many cases, repainting panels (and this is what we're trying to avoid by applying PPF to the factory finish).
At the end of the day, it's important to remember it is Paint PROTECTION Film, not Paint PERFECTION Film.
Water Bubbles/Air Pockets will dry out after a few weeks once the film has cured, and if they don't completely evaporate through the film, a hypodermic needle can be used to release the air.
Lift lines occur during the installation process where a part of the film has been left to rest while another area is being applied and then lifted to be re-wet to be worked (i.e. one side of a bumper being simply "tacked" to the vehicle, while the other side is being placed and squeegeed, and then going back to wet the sitting side of the bumper). These generally level down over time, but are just part of installations. Good installers know how to place their film to minimize the visibility of these lift lines, but there's no 100% way to completely avoid them other than having 3-4 installers working a panel at a time (and that's just not a reasonable expectation to have).
Lastly, specs of dust may occur. Most installers work in a clean shop, but not in a surgical clean room that has been sealed off from the world with immense filtration systems. Minor dust specs may happen, and in most cases can simply be pressed down into the films adhesive to be virtually invisible.
Those main points aside, no car is perfect even before PPF is applied. There are paint nibs, flake/pearl build-ups, orange peel and other textures, pits and sometimes blemishes such as chips and scratches in the paint. These will all be more visible than any of the other minor issues, and cannot be fixed without extensive work or in many cases, repainting panels (and this is what we're trying to avoid by applying PPF to the factory finish).
At the end of the day, it's important to remember it is Paint PROTECTION Film, not Paint PERFECTION Film.
MYTH/QUESTION #3 - "Will I see seams in my installation?"
On almost every panel, no. But there are some pieces on a vehicle that have too complex of a shape for the film to contour to. Bumpers, mirrors and trunks are often done in multiple pieces, which means there will be seams. This doesn't mean that they will be super visible however, since we usually try to place the seams in areas that they easily get lost in. Curve reflections, edges with high reflection and hidden areas are the usual areas seams are located. Sometimes though, there just isn't a way around it and a seam will be visible. In this case, we usually try to make the seam as small as possible and align both edge as close as possible to each other to reduce it's visibility.
MYTH/QUESTION #4 - "How long does PPF last?"
In recent years, PPF manufacturers have been in an ongoing competition on who can advertise the longest warranty for their material. The reality is past the 5-year mark, it really doesn't matter. PPF is a SACRIFICIAL film applied to absorb and minimize damage to the factory paint, which means it's a consumable material and in most cases, after 5 years of taking abuse, some panels will need to be replaced. We always advise our clients to focus more on the quality of the film and installer than the length of the warranty. After all, most people don't keep their cars more than 4-5 years anyways.
With that in mind, the durability of PPF will vary based on a number of factors:
-Which panel are we considering? (bumper take more abuse than a quarter panel for example)
-Maintenance (was the vehicle properly kept or neglected and always dirty?)
-Daily driver or garage queen? (more garage time = less time out in the harsh elements)
-Accidents (literal physical damage to the film/vehicle)
With that in mind, the durability of PPF will vary based on a number of factors:
-Which panel are we considering? (bumper take more abuse than a quarter panel for example)
-Maintenance (was the vehicle properly kept or neglected and always dirty?)
-Daily driver or garage queen? (more garage time = less time out in the harsh elements)
-Accidents (literal physical damage to the film/vehicle)
MYTH/QUESTION #5 - "Are all PPF installations the same?"
Many people incorrectly think that PPF is just a product and that they are all the same. While it is true the all the top-tier professional films have many similar attributes and that they will all protect your vehicle, the installation itself is a whole other story. Just like 2 restaurants can offer a steak, not all chefs are on the same level and therefore, both steaks wont necessarily taste as delicious. The same goes for PPF installers. While the film offered may be the same at 2 different shops, the installers can vastly differ in skill. Doing your research and choosing your installer is more important than focusing on film brand, warranty or price. If a clean, custom install with virtually no visible seams is what you're looking for, then you will likely find a slightly higher price than in other pre-cut, done-in-a-day shops. It's important to first establish what is your priority with PPF and then make your choice from there.