Quick tips: Fixing lifting edge of vinyl film | TeckWrap

Although every vinyl wrap film has its lifespan, many factors can affect the durability of a car wrap. If you did not prep the application surface well, or did not handle the material correctly during installation, the overall performance of the film will be damaged, which can shorten its lifespan.

In that case, your vinyl film might lift from the edge over time. If there is still a long time to go till you plan to remove the wrap, fixing the lifting is the only way of keeping it.

Re-wrapping the section is impractical. But if the problem is not that big, it is possible to fix it through a few steps:

Make it clean enough

As mentioned above, not cleaning enough can lead to short durability. Thus, whether it is the reason your vinyl wrap film lifts, you should thoroughly clean the surface (The part exposed because of lifting) before you fix the edge.

Put your squeegee in a paper towel and soak its tip with mild surface cleaner. This is to clean the lifting part of the car wrap. You should only use a mild cleaner. Cleaning with an aggressive one will damage the adhesive on the material. Doing this can restore the tackiness of the lifting part to some extent. Then, apply light heat to dry the film.

Boost stickiness with adhesive promoter

Once the lifting part is dry, use a plastic scraper or anything thin to pick up the vinyl wrap from the edge. Pick it up as far as possible, and apply a thin coat of adhesive promoter to the vehicle surface with a suitable applicator. Do not add it directly to the wrap film. Then, dry the surface with light heat.

Time to re-apply

When the surface is dry, you can start re-installing the lifting part. Squeegee it down to the edge and seal it. This is a quick way for a general lifting situation that is not severe. If the problem happens on a mirror, here is a slightly different approach:

Lifting on mirror

Mirrors mostly have severe compound curves, bringing a lot of tension to a vinyl wrap film. A lifting edge is inevitable if you did not wrap it correctly or skipped post-heating.

Cut to fix

When edge lifting happens on a mirror, your first step in fixing is cutting off the wrong part. You can do it safely with the help of masking tape. Apply a thin masking tape to the edge of the mirror symmetrically, covering the failing area. Then, sharpen your blade, carefully cut along the inside edge of the tape with a light touch, and remove the failing film.

Give it a second chance

Once the lifting bit is removed, a gap will be exposed. As mentioned above, it is time to clean thoroughly now. Wrap your squeegee in a paper towel that is applied with a suitable solution, and use it to go over the gap. When it is done, dry out the area.

Fill the gap

Next, you can take a matte black edge seal tape like Mold N’ Hold, which looks almost the same as molding. Trim off a piece that is the length of the area, and apply it to the gap area. Make sure you line the edge up symmetrically and cover the paint adequately.

Don’t skip heating

You should then apply heat to soften the piece and ensure it stays on the surface evenly. Remember to seal the edge once you finish. Your mirror should be back in good shape.