Smooth wrapping: Prevent sanding adhesive | TeckWrap

For vinyl wrap film installation, getting sanding adhesive is fatal. It creates disturbing lines and dots that will show up in the final finish. This can happen when wrapping sections like hood or roof, or when you work on a recessed area. Whenever you pause, adhesive signs can appear. To better understand the situation, let’s learn why this happens and how you can avoid it.

Soft adhesive can flake off

If the adhesive on your vinyl film is soft, which is elastic and easy to flow into the paint, it can flake off as you pull the car wrap. This can often happen on a horizontal surface like a hood, especially if there are ridges.

When there are tension points, you pull low and flat, and the adhesive can be dragged and shifted as the material gets tight. In that case, adhesive lines and dots that look like dirt will appear on the wrap.

Prevention 1: Lower the surface energy

You can start the prevention from the prep phase by lowering the surface energy, so the adhesive will not grab the surface as much as it usually does. To do this, apply a bit of an aftercare product like a sealant to the surface, and wipe it on every bodyline of the section. You can dry the area with heat and apply as usual then.

(For a tricky hood or roof, you can create your own solution instead of using a sealant. Typically, it should be mixed with baby shampoo, distilled water, and Isopropyl alcohol.)

Prevention 2: Pull correctly

There are a few ways to avoid these adhesive signs occurring. One of them is to pull correctly. Instead of pulling the vinyl wrap film low and tight, you should pick it up high and loose. Pull with enough tension only, making it 80% instead of 100%. The adhesive can better flow with you in this way.

You can then flop the material down and hook the corners first. As soon as the corners are locked, you can set the vehicle wrap on the ridges (if there is any) with your finger. Remember to pull with just enough stress and even out the tension in the film. Do not use a squeegee at this stage. It is vital to make the most of your palm here. Only squeegee on the flat area in the later stage.

Following these tips, you can effectively avoid adhesive specks and get a giant step closer to a perfect finish. Equip yourself with more wrap knowledge at teckwrap.com