Wrap vs Paint. Find the Perfect Wrapping Shop
You understand the technology behind the car wrapping business because we showed it to you in the first article of these series. For this reason, you have solved the dilemma wrap vs paint, and you are going to get the right wrap job for your car. So, please come with us finding and choosing the right wrapping shop.
. *If you believe that the article is too long, please go directly to the shorter TLDR part at the end of each section*.
Wrap vs Paint. Find the Perfect Shop for your Car.
You go to that custom body shop near you, wanting an estimate for wrapping your car. Everything looks ok at first sight, but you probably have not asked the right questions. Or you did, but the technical jargon they used was beyond your comprehension, and you have doubts because that wrap vs paint dilemma keeps coming back. For this purpose, we will guide you to find the answers to every question you can ask about wrapping your car.
1. You should visit various wrapping companies before you make the final decision. In those visits, you ask, ask, and ask some more until you get satisfied, and you can make an intelligent decision. In each of those visits, you should:
2. Ask for the different types of vinyl, their advantages, and disadvantages.
3. Look for the manufacturer’s certification of the wrap installers. Every major manufacturer has certification programs so that they can guarantee the proper installation of their wraps.
4. Ask for a warrant of their work, and read the conditions carefully. In fact, the custom body shop that you choose is going to guarantee their work if the wrap installer is manufacturer-certified and trained.
5. Look for testimonies of their past work. Because it is the only way that they have to show the quality of their work.
Wrap vs Paint. Trust your Instincts
Select the wrapping company about which you feel well. After you have done your research, trust your instincts. Did the owner and installer seem sincere? Have they explained to you the pros and cons of every alternative? Did they try to convince you to do this or another type of wrap? How is the guarantee? If the answer to those questions points to a particular company, and you feel well about the decision, go for it.
TLDR. Find the Perfect Wrap Shop for your Car
Just follow these steps: Visit various wrapping companies. Ask for the differences in types of vinyl. Look for the manufacturer’s certification of the wrap installers. Ask for a warrant of their work. Look for testimonies of their past work. Then, trust your instincts and decide.
What They Do to Your Car
You made your mind up, and you took the car to get it wrapped. We will explain to you what is going to happen so that you know and keep an eye on the process.
The Wrapping Process
Preparation
As it happens when painting a car, the preparation process is time-consuming. Because the installer spotless clean every square inch of the vehicle to make sure that it is free of dirt or wax. Specifically, under fenders and whether trims.
The cleaning process starts when the installer washes your car one day, and once dry, she wipes a unique solution to remove wax. Later on, she completely removes the unique solution with alcohol, making sure that the vinyl adhesive contacts the paint directly. No minuscule grain of dirt should remain because, at that precise micro point, the vinyl will lift, making it stick out.
Installation
Suppose that all the factors mentioned before are aligned, now the installer is going to prove herself because car wrapping a car is a very delicate task. It is more an art than a skill. She installs the wrap flawlessly, trimming and tucking the excess material.
Trimming
Trimming the wrap is one of the most time-consuming tasks of the wrapping job. Because it implicates going over all the edges of the wrap with a heat gun and a special thermometer. Specifically, she trims every inch along the borders at the exact temperature specified by the manufacturer.
The reason to do it is that vinyl has PVC content, and it enables it to have memory. Consequently, all the areas of the wrap that had to be stretched or are under pressure will shrink back once the wrapping job has finished. The final result solves the wrap vs paint dilemma because now your car looks like it has been custom painted, and at a better price.
TLDR. The Wrapping Process
Preparation. It is time-consuming. In two days, the installer washes your car, lets it dry, wipes a unique solution to remove wax, then wipes it out with alcohol, making sure that the vinyl adhesive contacts the spotless paint directly. Installation. The installer is more an artist than an artisan because she must install the wrap flawlessly, trimming and tucking the excess material. Trimming. The installer trims and tucks with a heat gun every inch along and inside the borders, at the exact temperature specified by the manufacturer.
The Facility.
Now you get an idea of what kind of facility to which you are going to take your car. Because there is no way that a good quality wrapping job can be done to a vehicle either outdoors, or on the shop floor. In this case, there is an effect in the wrap called “orange peel,” which is the feeling that you get when you pass your hand through its surface, due to the myriad of micro dust particles that are under the wrap.
The wrap shop should have a particular wrapping room, air-conditioned exactly at the room temperature that the manufacturer has determined. On the contrary, if it is too high, it will stretch during the installation and shrink back over time. Likewise, if it is too low, the reverse happens.
TLDR. The Facility
The wrap shop should have a particular wrapping room, air-conditioned exactly at the room temperature that the manufacturer has determined. On the contrary, a myriad of micro dust particles remains on the car’s surface during installation and are going to make the brand new wrap look like an “orange peel”.
Wrap vs Paint Conclusion. It was Wrap!
So you got an excellent wrapping job for your car, and you are satisfied. But there could be issues afterward with your wrap. Consequently, that is why you must choose a wrapping shop that will guarantee their job so that you and your car will be delighted with the final result. You can find the right shop for wrapping your car here.
Sources: Wickedwraps, Bigdodwrap, Rivetingwraps
