There is a type of roof rack that sits on both sides of a car, which is mentioned previously, and is simple to wrap with vinyl wrap film in one piece. But sometimes, this roof rack has a recessed area on the outside near its top edge, which creates tension when you wrap it with vinyl.
In this case, it is good to see this hardware in sections rather than one piece. Wrapping it in three parts on its three sides can significantly neutralize the tension. And as you take advantage of the bodyline, it will not look any different from wrapping it in one piece of vinyl wrap film. Here is how you can do it:
Prepping
Prepping is always crucial for every application. Make sure you clean the roof rack thoroughly, especially the recessed area, because that is where dirt tends to build up. Then, run masking tape at the bottom of all sides of the rack to lower the surface energy.
The first piece
As soon as everything is set, you are ready to go. You can use pre-cut vinyl film for chrome delete for the whole project. Starting from the inside area of the roof rack (the side facing the roof), incrementally apply the material to this side.
When doing this, line up the straight edge of the piece to the bottom edge of the rack. By doing this, it saves you from extra cutting. However, do not release the entire liner because it can make it tricky to line up. Remove it bit by bit as you wrap further and further.
Once this side is wrapped, sharpen your blade, and get ready to cut off the excess. Use your free hand to hold the extra material away, and let the side of your blade run along the top edge of the roof rack. This way, you can create a clean cut without damaging the paint or chrome. Do not forget to seal the edge after removing the excess.
The second piece
Next, you will wrap the outside of the rack, where its top edge is under the recessed area. The technique is the same, except that you will bridge the material over the recessed area and the top of the rack.
And when you cut, use a sharp and shallow blade so you will not accidentally cut the roof rack. Cut on the high side of the recessed area. By doing this, the vinyl wrap film will drop naturally with no tension.
After cutting, remove the excess material and seal the edge. Then, take a micro squeegee to tuck the material properly to the recessed area, and use the hard part of your standard squeegee to tuck the film to the bottom.
Last but not least
When the two sides are done, you can wrap the top of the roof rack. Again, the technique is the same. When cutting off the excess, angle your blade out on the recessed area. And remember to seal all edges when finish.
Once everything is done, remove the masking tape, and double-check with your heat gun. Make sure every edge is sealed. And you have your zero tension and high-quality wrapped roof rack. Learn more about wrapping at teckwrap.com
