This is the biggest question when we get a wrap inquiry. It is also one of the trickiest to answer but once we boil it down, it gets pretty simple.
Vehicle wraps are designed to be temporary. Many vinyl manufacturers will offer 3-5 year warranties on their films but this is dependent on regions and climate zones. In Southern California most manufacturers will warranty their film for 6-12 months against discoloration and fading. The harsh UV in our state can really do a number on vinyl wraps and cause them to fail prematurely. However, this doesn’t mean that they won’t last more than the manufacturer warranty.
We have been working with vinyl since 2014 and have seen vehicles endure the harsh southern california summers. So what can you do to prolong the life of your wrap past that small 6-12 month window? The answer is simple: aftercare. This is simply washing and maintaining your wrap regularly, preferably cleaning your wrap every week or atleast every other week. The biggest threat to a long-lasting wrap is allowing contaminants like dirt, dust and debris to sit on your vinyl for weeks at a time and allowing the sun to ‘bake’ those contaminants into the pores of the film. Along with regular cleaning and maintenance, storing your car out of direct sunlight as much as possible will really go a long way in prolonging the life of your vinyl wrap. You can also apply spray waxes or sealants to help protect against UV and chemical damage.
Well I don’t really want to put that much effort into cleaning and maintaining my wrap so are there other options for me?
Of course! A majority of our wrap customers know that they’ll be cleaning their cars regularly but they also want to have a bit of added peace of mind and they want to make that maintenance process easier. That’s where Ceramic Pro’s Vinyl ceramic coating comes in. We can add layers of our Vinyl coating to add an unmatched level of UV and chemical protection to your wrap while also giving your film a super hydrophobic and self-cleaning finish. Now this doesn’t mean you never have to wash your car, but it does mean that your car will stay cleaner longer and wash times will be much quicker. Our ceramic coatings will perform for a minimum of 2 years with proper washing and maintenance – so this means that your wrap will be protected years.
Now for those that want an even longer lasting wrap – we have clear bra. Our Kavaca Clear Bra is warrantied for 12 years and we can put it right over the top of your vinyl wrap to keep it protected and safe from uv damage, scratches, chips and other impacts. If you’re looking to keep that wrap for the long haul this is an option worth considering.
As always, here at Vaia Design we are always looking for new products to offer and recently many clear bra manufacturers have been developing colored fashion films. These are paint protection films designed to not only protect your car from impacts and scratches like your typical clear bra, but they come in a variety of colors allowing you to change the color of your vehicle while also providing the same level of protection as clear bra. These films have warranties from the manufacturer ranging upwards of 5 years which means instead of a shorter term vinyl wrap you now have a long term color change that also protects your paint.
