Some vehicles have moldings around their side window. And installers tend to take them off and get better access for full coverage with vinyl wrap film. However, it is risky to remove these moldings in a certain situation, for example, when wrapping a Jeep's side window.
The bottom part of a Jeep window molding contains metal inside. There is a high chance of bending it if you try to remove it, which is costly. The safe way is to leave it on when applying the vinyl film. It sounds like a tough wrap job to do. But with the proper techniques, you can achieve a perfect result with high efficiency. Here is how:
Clean and prep
Cleaning is always the first step to success. Clean the area around the window thoroughly. And remember to clean up the surface under the molding as well.
The molding at the bottom corner and the side facing the front should be easy to flip over, and you can tuck these parts behind the window. The front part of the molding at the top should also be easy to flip over.
Once these bits are loosened, you can easily clean the area behind them. Clean with alcohol, which can also raise the surface energy on the molding. And this is helpful for later preparation.
As soon as the whole area is spotless, apply masking tape to the bottom part of the molding. Then, put knifeless tape on the high side of the molding. The knifeless tape can stay well with the high surface energy you create when cleaning with alcohol.
Run the tape about a centimeter away from the outside edge (almost in the middle of the rubber). This will give you enough extra material to wrap underneath the rubber and get full coverage. You can skip taping for the loosened rubber parts, as you can reach the surface under them easily.
Wrap as usual
When the knifeless tape is ready, you can wrap the section as usual and do it with the window open. Once the vinyl wrap film is set in place, make a relief cut in the middle to have better access to the molding.
Deal with the area where the rubber is loosened first – the front part of the upper portion and the side at the front. Add light heat to relax the material, and work from top to bottom until the film is appropriately fed to the recessed area.
Next, you should focus on the bottom part of the molding. Make relief cuts at corners on both sides and feed the material to the gap as your free hand holds the film away. Then, sharpen your blade and be ready to cut away the excess.
If you are wrapping a light-color car, it is better to leave enough extra material to wrap underneath. If that is the case, cut at about an eighth of an inch beyond the gap. Make sure you have a sharp knife and cut lightly to avoid accidentally damaging the rubber.
After removing the excess, use a micro squeegee to tuck the material under and seal the edge properly.
Once the bottom part is done, the rest of the application is easy (the side and the upper portion at the back) because that is where you have the help of knifeless tape.
Work as you deal with the front part. Feed the vinyl film to the recessed area with your free hand adding light heat to relax the material. Release the knifeless tape as soon as the film is tightened and secured on the surface. Run your finger along the area to form the film as your free hand pulls aside the rubber bit by bit.
As soon as everything is done, cut away any excess material, double-check if the wrap is set in place correctly, and there you have a Jeep window perfectly wrapped! Learn more tips about vinyl wrapping at teckwrap.com
