Car paint protection film (PPF) is a thin thermoplastic polyurethane that’s applied to a car to protect it against scratches. This multipurpose film also maintains your car’s shine by preventing its paint from fading over time.
How Your Paint Protection Film Should Look Like
Car paint protection film should be
- evenly applied and aligned flawlessly to the shape of your vehicle,
- free from dirt, dust and air bubbles, and
- free from razor marks.
On the other hand, here’s an example of how a bad PPF installation may look like:
As you can see, the film doesn’t align with the contours of the car and it’s starting to trap dirt.
It’s likely that the car groomer used a pre-cut film for this specific car model to save time and effort. However, these pre-cut patterns may not have an updated database which would result in such misalignments.
Considerations For Your Paint Protection Film Installation
Brand and Type Of Paint Protection Film
Depending on the brand of paint protection film you opt for, it will affect the
- presence of discolouration (yellowing),
- extent of protection and
- durability.
Currently, the top 3 paint protection films in the market are STEK DYNOshield, XPEL Ultimate Plus and LLumar Platinum/SunTek Ultra. They are slightly different from one another but they each offer a 10-year warranty for yellowing, cracking and peeling.
New Age Polish offers STEK DYNOshield as it features an unparalleled self-healing clear coat with less orange peel. This aids in achieving a more glossy, seamless finish.
Furthermore, it has a proprietary STEK HYDROphobe® nano-glass top coat that has superior water repelling properties.
Installation Facility
Protection films are made of a sticky material so that it can adhere to your car paint easily. Thus, the facility used when installing the paint protection film should be free of dust. This ensures that dirt will not be trapped underneath the film after it’s been applied.
Our facility at New Age Polish is equipped with
- an air filtration system that flows at 1,450 CFM and circulates air approximately 7 times every hour.
- SwissTrax flooring which traps dust and dirt.
- LED lighting to provide sufficient brightness so we’re able to spot and rectify even the most minor imperfections.
Prep Work Before Application
Before attaching the film, the car grooming specialist should clean and rid your car of all stains, dirt and smudges. The surface of your car should be smooth in order for the film to rest snugly and perfectly atop your car.
As perfectionists, our team at New Age Polish takes extra time to prep your car’s surface by doing several rounds of disinfecting and cleansing, following by polishing to smoothen paint defects. This ensures that the film adheres well to the car paint.
Installation Methods and Application Process
There are 2 installation methods that specialists may opt to use – either using a bulk sheet or computer-cut film.
An inexperienced specialist is likely to opt for computer-cut films, which allow for greater efficiency and less wastage. However, such films may not be perfectly aligned to the shape of your car and parts of the paint work could remain exposed.
On the other hand, a bulk roll is often more complicated but offers a more flawless finish if done well. An experienced installer would go for this as they’d possess the expertise to cut the film precisely.
Our New Age Polish staff adopts a mix of the 2 methods. We use computer-cut patterns for areas that are subject to high wear and tear such as the front and rear bumpers. This enables convenient removal when it’s time to replace the film.
Bulk sheets are then used for the other areas to achieve a smooth and virtually invisible finish.
Post-application Inspection
After the installation, the specialist should allow you to inspect the finished work.
Ensure that you check your entire car thoroughly and assess the finished product:
- The film should be aligned nicely to the contours of your car.
- Check the paint to see if there are any scratches that weren’t present previously.
If certain areas of the car are left exposed, question the installer to understand his reasons. A skilled installer would be able to explain why things are done a certain way.
Recommended Solution: STEK Paint Protection Film
With over 40 years in the industry, STEK paint protection films offer an array of features and benefits including
- Glossy finish
- Self-healing
- Anti-yellowing
- Quality protection
- Puncture-resistant properties
- Water-beading properties
New Age Polish offers STEK paint protection film installations with 3 ranges in total:
Clear Bra
Fashion Films
Window Films
