Wrapping a car in a color-change or full-print vinyl film is an excellent way to improve its appearance and make it one of a kind. But unlike a paint protection film, it has limits when preventing damage from things like gravel.
Double up for uniqueness and protection
Due to this reason, some people decide to give double protection to the front of their vehicles to achieve appearance and assurance. They do it by wrapping it with PPF as a bottom layer and wrap again with a color-change film on top (or the other way round).
Using two materials means a high cost
However, doing this requires you to spend time on preparing both types of wrap materials and extra energy on installing them because each one needs a different approach to handle, not to mention the price – a paint protection film usually costs much more than a standard wrap material like gloss car wrap or matte car wrap.
The cost-effective way
In fact, if you are worried about damages caused by rock chips, there is a cost-effective way to give you protection while transforming your car in a color-change vinyl film – You can wrap the front section twice with the same type of material. Although you still need the time to install it twice, you can keep your energy on dealing with a different kind of film.
Bottom layer: Don’t wrap around
Take the hood as an example, you only need to wrap it as usual. The difference is that you do not need to wrap around the edges as you apply the bottom layer. Thus, there is no need to open the hood to wrap for this stage. When cutting, make it flush to the edges with your blade. Then, you remove the excess film and seal the edges.
As soon as you finish, you might realize the bottom layer has come up short, but this is good for the overall finish. You will see when you apply the second piece on top.
Prepare the top layer
Once the bottom part is done, you can install the vinyl film on top. Before doing this, clean up the wrap surface to remove anything you use during preparation, like soapy residue. If your wrap has high surface energy, you can also put masking tape on areas like corners to prevent it from grabbing the bottom piece.
Wrap in the same way
When applying the top piece, you do it in the same way as you wrap the bottom layer. The only difference is how you finish it. This time, you will have to wrap around the edges. Thus, when it comes to corners, neutralize them to shift the tension away, just as how you wrap a hood as usual. As soon as everything is done, double-check and seal all edges.
A color-change film might not be as protective as a PPF, but doubling up can give you extra protection. So, it is not a bad way to do. By not having the bottom layer wrap around, you will not tell the edges of this piece. It blends into the bodyline perfectly. And this also enhances the durability of the finish.
Visit teckwrap.com for more wrap tips.
