A car vinyl wrap is something that adds an extra effect and protection to the car. It changes the total appearance of a vehicle and also protects the paint. If you have a car or any other kind of vehicle and you care about your vehicle, then you must give it complete protection.
But you must think about how will you protect it? And how long does it last? Well, thinking of that is a normal thing. It is because you have to spend a lot of money on that. And if it does not last long, then it is no need to do that thing.
So, for your concern, you have to know about these things. You must know If the process which you are going to apply is appropriate for you and your car or not. And then, you should decide. So, for that reason, know those details first. And for helping you out, we made a description. Check out the details of it.
How Long Does Car Vinyl Wrap Last (What Manual Says)
If we look at the longevity in a general way, then we can see the vinyl car wrap lasts for up to 7 years at least. In fact, it can last even more in some cases.
Moreover, the longevity of vinyl car wrap depends on many facts. Such as the quality of the product, sun protection, washing method, etc. If you maintain these facts then your car can last for long. However, if you won’t maintain the facts and won’t get the things right, the longevity of the vehicle will reduce.
Maintaining the facts will improve longevity and it also can increase almost 3-4 years. Otherwise, if you keep your vehicle in a garage and drive it on weekends, it will last almost 5 years and more. So, basically, the fact is, it actually depends on the use of it.
Besides, the life expectancy of vinyl wrap also depends on the installation process. If a car which is not properly installed will get damaged too soon. So, if the vinyl wrap won’t stay for long, it will be for inappropriate installation of vinyl wrap.
So, overall, the whole limitations are ok your control. You can reduce or increase the time limit by protecting it. But generally, it will last 3-4 years at least. And it will be a good investment for sure.
Why Would You Wrap Your Car?
Wrapping your cars can give you a lot of benefits without any doubt. It protects your car’s main paint job from sun-rays, unnecessary scratches and makes your car look fresh. Then it has the scope to re-wrap your car if you want any changes, even you can re-wrap the parts of the car that you need. By this, you can lower the extra costs, unlike paint jobs.
Speaking of car wraps, if you are thinking of wrapping your cars, then it also might have crossed your mind that how long it will last. Well, generally it is expected to last from 3-5 years, though some exceptions also have been seen. Moreover, the lifespan of a car wrap is dependent on various factors. The factors that can cause damage to the car’s wrap should be taken seriously. For instance-
- The car wrap should perfectly be applied by a professional team with experienced technicians. Also, the long-lasting result can be gained if the wrap is cared for properly
- Sun-exposure
- Frequency of washing the car
- Climate
As stated earlier, frequent washing can be a big issue with wrapped cars. So, to avoid this kind of damage, one can do it by hand using a smooth cleaner or soft cloth.
If there is any need to pressure wash your car, try not to set the water pressure higher than 800-2000 psi, and maintaining at least a gap of 12-14 inches from the vehicle is a must.
Usually, car wraps are used straight over the main paint of the vehicle with the proper touch of skilled hands so that there can cause no harm to the car’s authentic paint job. Likewise, if you want to take out the wrap, you must ask for help from professionals. The same suggestion goes for someone, who wants to update their car’s design.
How Long Should You Expect the Vinyl Wrap Last (From Personal Experience)
Now, once you have already wrapped your car with Vinyl wrap, the question remains how long should you expect this wrap to last.
If you want to know about the durability in the usual way, it is almost impossible to answer in one sentence because it deals with so many factors along with wrap quality.
Generally, a Vinyl car wrap lasts for seven years on average or more. It lasts longer than this. The wrap will last as it is used or taken care of. Furthermore, the permanency of the car wrap is dependent on many facts, like- the standard of the product, excessive sun exposure, washing pattern, harsh climate, and so on.
If you wash your car very frequently per week, the wrap is more likely to give up very soon even before its actual time. Because the repeated washes might cause damage to the wrap.
Additionally, according to the recommendation, it is necessary to change the Vinyl car wrap after seven years whether it is used or not. It is because even the best quality wrap will decrease with time and will be harder to remove as time passes.
If you want your car to look perfect and want this Vinyl car wrap to last long, then you have to maintain it properly. Otherwise, the durability of the car wraps will be reduced if this is not looked after perfectly.
As stated, maintaining the facts will multiply the longevity and it can even last long more than 3-4 years. Otherwise, if anyone keeps the car in his/her garage and drives it only on weekends, this might last more than 5 years. Mainly, it depends on the use of it.
The usual lifespan of a Vinyl wrap generally lasts for 6-7 years under normal condition, under rough condition 1-4 years. And by condition, we are meaning the durability and lifespan of the car’s exterior.
A huge part depends on the installation process of vinyl wrap. If it’s not installed properly, it won’t last long. So, the whole process is under your control. Only you can increase or decrease the durability of the vinyl wrap with proper maintenance and make it worth spending your money.
Factors that Affect Vinyl Car Wrap
There are various reasons that can affect Vinyl wrap. Some can be controlled and some cannot be dealt with. So, let’s check some of the reasons here below:
- Car’s direct contact to the sun on a regular basis
- How much time the car spends on the road
- Numbers of time the car gets washes in a week
- Quality of cleaner with which the car gets washes
- How well the Vinyl wrap was installed in the first place
- Quality of Vinyl wrap
The quality of Vinyl wrap is mentioned here because it is one of the important facts without any doubt. This means you have to choose the best quality Vinyl wrap before making the purchase.
How to extend the life expectancy of vinyl car wrap
You can increase the lifetime of the vinyl wrap if you want. It’s all in your control. And for doing so, you should be clear of some facts. Also, you have to do things correctly. Taking proper care and well maintenance helps to extend the longevity of your vehicle. All you need to do is to take care of these facts and apply them.
You probably are doing a lot of investment for this vinyl car wrap. It is because the only concern is to protect the vehicle and its paint. For this investment and getting the most benefits, you must be careful about some of the facts.
The effective fact is that you should keep your vehicle in the garage whenever you are not driving. Try to use a shield or any kind of protective tool to just protect the car from paint damage.
Protect the car from the sun when possible. It is the best way to protect the car from exposure. And it can also extend the time limit of longevity. But if you won’t be able to make it and it continuously stays in the sun, then it can make great harm to the car. And moreover, the long-lasting feature also won’t stay at all. So, try to make that thing right.
You should also be careful about the washing fact. Frequently cleaning the vehicle is also an important thing to think of. If you get your vehicle clean and remain to get cleaned often, the life span will increase. And your car will also be protected as well.
Always use a high-quality product while using this method in any car. Make sure you only use authentic material for that vinyl car wrap process. Inauthentic and cheap material will spoil the quality and texture of vinyl wrap.
Overall, you will get the life span increase by using some techniques. These methods will help you to extend your longevity and it will last more.
Car Wrapping Problems
Age over time:- There’s all you want your car to look good on the outside but there are some problems with getting your car wrapped because the wrap will get damaged with time. The average lifespan of a car will expire and that’s when you won’t get your expected result till you fix it again.
Complications with repainted and damaged cars:- You may face difficulties while wrapping damaged or repainted vehicles because thus, wrapping cannot be installed perfectly on a poorly painted car or on a damaged car.
Erroneous Layer:- When it comes to choosing the wrap, one should look for the right wrap for his car. Because all the wraps vary in quality. So, to get the best feedback, one should grab the right one with great quality.
Improper Pre-Installation Washing:- Preparing for wrapping is just not about washing the car only, rather the whole process of cleaning it where no dirt or oil can be found. Because these can cause damage to the wrap after installing and it won’t last long.
Other issues also damage the wrap of the car, so you need to be very careful about the facts and use them carefully.
Benefits of Wrapping a Car
However, wrapping a car is a good idea to change the outlook of a car along with many other facilities. It can upgrade your car to another level that would make you so satisfied. So yes, along with some cons, there are some benefits of wrapping a car too.
Car Wrap Protects the Car from Scratches:- Most of the car owners think that car wraps are going to affect their main paint job. But that’s not what it is. Rather applying a car wrap can protect your car from getting unnecessary scratches and gives additional protection to your car with layers.
Wraps are Durable and Last Longer:- This is stated that car wraps are long-lasting and durable. And as per some facts, the duration depends on some of the things like climate, frequency of washing, sun exposure, etc. Moreover, you can prolong its lifespan by taking proper care. For instance- park the car in a garage and cover it with a thick cloth.
Car Wraps are Changeable:- A great thing about a car wrap is, it is reversible. It can be removed easily and re-installed, unlike other paint jobs. This way your car can have a different look every now and then if you want so.
Car Wraps Come in Multiple Colors and Various Designs:- These wraps come in multiple colors and new designs, so you can even match the interior with its exterior perfectly within two days with the help of a professional, as you want.
You can Re-wrap Your Car’s Individual Parts:- In most of the cases, repainting, replacing, or updating car parts can be troublesome. But when it comes to car wrap, there’s no need to worry. Because, it has the benefit of re-wrapping the part that is needed, not the entire body. It won’t be costly like painting and will not kill your time. Also, can be done easily with self-help.
Different Tips of How to extend the life of Vinyl Wrap
- Make sure you won’t scrub
- You should rinse off well after every wash
- Try to use soft material of sponge
- Wash quite often
- Avoid pressuring while washing
- Wipe up soon after the washing process
- Try not to use Turbo pressure nozzles
- Avoid using a strong type of material while washing
- Don’t spray wasted wraps
- Try to keep the temperature of water in an appropriate mode.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, I just want to say that, the time period isn’t the main point. The main point is to protect the car, that’s it. If you think this vinyl car wrap can protect your car and paint it, then you must try it in your car. And if you think it won’t suit your car, and then quit it! It totally depends on the situation of your car.
Maintaining proper care is very difficult. You just apply the car wrap and then use as much as you like, that actually not protests your car. If you want to do so, then don’t do it just for satisfying yourself. This is not going to protect your vehicle. If you really want to protect it, you should take proper care of your car, even after the vinyl car wrap is done.
All I want to share the effective ideas of expanding the time limit of that wrap for which you can get the perfect work done and also in an effective way. Further, you also use protective methods. And for that, you can easily protect the car. So, get these into your mind and try to apply it. Hope this will help you in a proper way.
