It is not unusual that vehicles have different kinds of moldings at the top of doors. But there are some very tricky ones with chrome on the upper portion of doors.
For example, there are some with a gap at the molding at the top, where the chrome actually wraps around the top. And this can be very challenging to wrap with vinyl wrap film – especially at the front where you have a curve.
So is there a perfect solution? The answer is certainly yes! And pre-cut is the way.
Before application, the wrapper is supposed to measure how much material he will need to cover up the chrome at the upper portion of a door. It is recommended to use a pre-cut roll from the manufacturer if it is available since it can be much more convenient easier.
Whether wrapping the front or the back door, the technique is the same. But obviously, the installer has to pay a bit more attention when wrapping the front one because of the curve, where you will have to angle the film to avoid adhesive lines and overstretching.
As soon as you have measured out, cut out the exact length of the vinyl wrap film that you need on a cutting table – but make sure you leave enough width of the material to wrap around from behind later.
It is recommended to prop the door open before you actually warp around the chrome so that you can well get into the area without putting any masking tape on it, and you can wrap from the inside as soon as it needs, which will save you some time too.
Now that the door is held open, just take a look at the area that you are going to wrap so that you can understand better what you should and should not do during the wrapping, because reading the section is always important, as it helps you avoid mistakes.
When the reading is done, it is time to clean it thoroughly. And check up the rubber to make sure it is tight. Then have your application glove prepared for one hand, while the other holds the material.
Start from the front, where there is the curve, use the hand with application glove to apply the vinyl wrap film to the upper portion of the door, while the other hand pulling from the liner high and away firmly (make sure you do not pull the liner all the way out yet).
Line the film up to the edge of the upper portion – and do not forget to leave about a 16-inch (or more than 2mm) of vinyl wrap film to the other side of the chrome. Be patient and use your finger (with application glove) to slide the material down to the area bit by bit. Just make sure you line it up straight.
Once you finish, use your free hand to pull the rubber out a little bit, just bit by bit, and use the other hand to squeegee the material down – tuck it in. The only difficult part now is the side at the front, where there is usually a plastic molding.
Do not try to bridge the material and cut away the excess for this, because then the material might not be able to fully cover the chrome. Just tuck the material right into the gap on the side with a micro squeegee, and cut right on the top side – Make sure your blade is sharp enough to cut it clean.
When the cutting is done, double-check that everything is well set up. And form the vinyl wrap film all the way down from the front with two fingers (one from the outside and the other from the inside) to seal the material.
Use the same technique to wrap around other upper portions on other doors, and you will have full coverage of these areas for the car.
This method indeed takes a longer time than just using a big piece to cover up the area and cut away the excess material. But by doing this, the wrapper can actually save time from cutting and avoid possible damages, especially when cutting on the molding. So it is definitely much safer and worth doing.
