Car Wrap Problems (Ways to Prevent)

Car wraps are a great way to protect your car’s original paint, customize the vehicle, and create a mobile advertising platform for business automobiles. However, they only look good and last the longest if installed correctly. Car wraps have many problems, most of which stem from the installation process.

What is a car wrap?

A car wrap is a layer of vinyl graphics used as a protective sheet on the car’s external surface. It safeguards the vehicle’s surface against scratches, bumps, and weather elements. A car wrap may also serve as a decorative coating or an advertisement platform on company vehicles.

Typically, car wraps are made from vinyl and an adhesive backing. Strong backings from brands like 3M vinyl or Avery cast vinyl is preferable. Plasticizers are also part of the material’s construction, as they provide flexibility that enables the wrap to keep up with contraction and expansion due to temperature fluctuations.

See Also: How Long Does a Car Wrap Last? 

Common problems with automobile wrapping?

The most common problems associated with vehicle wrapping include the following:

i. Peeling

ii. Bubbling

iii. Fading/whitening

iv. Rusty surfaces

v. Scratch marks

vi. Low-quality wrapping material

vii. Damage to factory paintwork

viii. Overheating

Vinyl wrap Peels

You may notice that your vehicle wrap is starting to peel around the edges. This happens when the vehicle isn’t washed before the wrap is installed or the pre-installation cleaning isn’t done properly. As such, tiny pieces of dirt limit the vinyl wrap’s ability to adhere to the vehicle’s surface.

Peeling and lifting at the edges may also occur due to post-installation mistakes, most commonly washing the car using harsh cleaning tools and pressure washers. Excessive exposure to sunlight may also cause your vinyl decals to peel.

Wrap Bubbles

Bubbles and wrinkles usually appear on car wraps due to complexities in fitting the material on concave/round surfaces or other oddly-shaped parts of the vehicle’s body. Using the wrong vinyl wrap design and the wrong installation method is more likely to cause bubbling and wrinkling.

Vinyl wrap Fades/whitens

If it was overstretched during installation, your vehicle’s vinyl wrap might lose its shine or start whitening at the curves. Overstretching occurs when there’s not enough vinyl wrap to cover the car’s entire body surface; thus, the installer compensates by stretching the vinyl. However, despite vinyl wrap’s reasonable elasticity, it tends to lose its vibrant finish when overstretched.

Rusty surfaces

Rust and car wraps are a terrible combination. When you install vinyl decals on a car with rust on its exterior surface, the rust will spread even faster under the vinyl’s cover. By the time you remove the wrap years later, the rust may have already eaten through most of your original paintwork.

Moreover, car wraps don’t adhere well to rusty surfaces, an issue that could trigger bubbling, peeling, and wrinkling down the line.

Scratch marks

Your car may suffer scratches to the original paint job if the vinyl is installed while the car’s surface hasn’t been properly cleaned yet. The pieces of dirt, dust and other contaminants will move under the vinyl cover, scratching the factory paint.

Low-quality wraps

Your car’s vinyl wrap won’t last long if it’s made of low-quality material. Remember, even though the core material for all wraps is vinyl, the adhesive backings made by different brands are of different quality. A poor-quality automobile wrapping won’t stick well to the vehicle and is more prone to bubbling and peeling.

Damage to the factory paint job

Sometimes, during the removal of vinyl wrapping, the panels detach together with some of the car’s original body paint. This happens in spots where the wrap was installed over scratches.

Wrap overheat damages

Sometimes, the installer may overheat the vinyl sheets, thus damaging them or the car’s body paint.

Ways to fix vehicle wrap problems?

To effectively fix vehicle wrap problems, consider the following:

i. Ensure effective pre-installation cleaning

ii. Ensure you use enough vinyl

iii. Fix all scratches and rust pre-installation

iv. Use high-quality vinyl

v. Use a thermometer

Ensure effective pre-installation cleaning

Proper cleaning/washing of the car’s body is necessary before vinyl wrap installation. By getting rid of dirt, dust, grime, oil, and other contaminants, the wrap will stick better to the car. You’ll also minimize potential problems like bubbling and peeling at the edges. Moreover, it results in a neater finish as the dirt/dust particles won’t be visible through the wrap.

Ensure you use enough vinyl

Using enough vinyl wrap material during installation prevents color change problems associated with overstretching the wrap. To avoid using too little vinyl, measure out the size of the car’s surface with a measuring tape and then cut the vinyl panel to size.

Fix all scratches and rust pre-installation

Repair any scratches and dings on the body of your car before covering it with vinyl to protect your factory paint job from damage during the removal of the wrapping. Additionally, for a perfect car wrap, consider the removal of contaminants, rust, and car wax as part of the surface prep process.

Use high-quality vinyl

Premium-quality wrapping sticks better to vehicle surfaces and has a longer lifespan. Despite costing more, high-quality wraps last 5 years or more, which cannot be said for cheap, low-quality wraps. The tools used during installation, such as heat guns, blades, and squeegees, should also be of good quality to ensure an impeccable job.

Use a thermometer

To avoid damaging the vinyl decals through overheating, use an infrared thermometer to keep tabs on the temperature levels during installation.

Does vinyl wrapping damage paint?

If applied correctly, vinyl car wrapping won’t damage your car’s original paint job. If anything, car wraps protect the paintwork from dust, scratches, and the elements. However, the wrapping could damage the paint if the necessary precautions weren’t taken during the original installation. For instance, if you didn’t fix existing scratches before installing the vinyl wrapping, it will come out with some of the paint on these parts during removal.  

References

i. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Plasticizers for low-temp flexibility. The linears have it