Kane Dane
Vehicle wraps are used to turn your car into a moving advertisement or to add some protection to surfaces. Well-known brands use this way of branding official vehicles, to make sure that they are seen and that they have attracted enough attention, where needed.
The good thing about vinyl car wraps is that you can cheaply change the design of the vehicle, but also adapt accordingly to what you want to achieve. Of course, here you may be wondering if car wraps can last longer than we expect.
Of course, we cannot rely on them to last forever. In fact, external factors and climatic conditions can shorten the shelf life, even if you take good care of your car. The same can happen if you use quality wraps. Keep in mind that these are still materials that are glued to the car and that someday they will come off on their own.
Factors affecting the durability of car wraps
We’re sure you want these patches to stay on your car for as long as possible. On average, you can expect a shelf life of 5-7 years before cracks appear. But this can happen sooner, for the following reasons:
-Climate conditions
-How often do you wash the car
-The quality of the wrap
-Sun exposure
-Humidity and moisture
-Existing cracks on the surface
Additionally, you need to make sure it’s professionally placed all over the surface. This way, you can avoid air bubbles and trapped dirt, which may shorten the life expectancy of the wrap.
Is it possible to extend the lifespan of the vinyl wrap?
When looking for great vehicle wraps, you need to pay attention to many things, and regular maintenance is only one of them. We are all aware that this is for commercial purposes, but you still need to take proper care, especially if you are promoting your business this way.
The first thing you need to do is to prepare the vehicle for this process. That means, it should be completely clean before the wrap is applied. Sometimes it’s possible to do this at the very same place where the car is wrapped.
In general, when the car is properly cleaned, it would be easier to put the wrap nicely over it. This way, you don’t risk air bubbles under the wrap. Also, if you consider doing the partial wrapping, you need to clean the whole car, not just the surfaces that will later be covered.
And second, the important thing is finding a reputable company to perform this thing. We are sure you want your vehicle wraps applied properly all over the car, even though it means spending some more money for professional service. Avoid doing this alone, with your home tools. If you aren’t experienced in this, and it seems like an easy thing to do – simply don’t.
When it comes to extending the lifespan, you only have to perform regular maintenance and don’t expose it to the sun too often. Also, durability depends on the type of used material. Most companies use vinyl, as we already said because it’s less likely to damage it while washing the car. But, you need to use vinyl-appropriate washing solutions and wax. We suggest doing that every 10 days, to ensure everything is sealed and protected.
When it’s the right time to replace the wrap?
If you need rebranding or redesign, probably the best time to replace the old wraps immediately after new ones are printed out.
Also, we suggest regular checks, so you can see if there is some crack on the surface or some minor damage that can become bubbly and rusty spots on the vehicle.
As we said, if you park it under a shade, and you clean the vehicle properly, you can reach the maximum life expectancy of your wraps, which would be about 7 years in most cases.
But, it’s time to replace it if there are tears, stains, and scratches. That’s not good for the brand you are promoting.
Another important case is when you decide to promote another service. You can easily replace the current wraps using professional help, so you won’t damage the surface. This is so simple and inexpensive, so you can do it every time you collaborate with someone.
Finally, if you need to sell the vehicle, you will probably have to remove the wraps, so you can provide the right color to the buyer. This is important, so they can match the data with the registry, and know what they are buying.
To “wrap” the whole thing up
Branding your car is a way to earn some additional money, by collaborating with interested companies. You can do this for your own company too, or get some commission from your employer to do so.
The most important thing is the proper care once the vinyl wrap is applied (and surely before that happens). You need to make sure the surface is completely clean, so you won’t trap any dust or dirt under the wrap. After that, you need to use water and mild foam, to treat the surface properly. Don’t skip on waxing and polishing the car, because that extends the lifespan of the wraps.
Don’t expose the car to the sun, since the UV rays can damage the paint, and even cause cracks and uneven patches all over it. We are sure you will manage this one properly, and you will expose the vehicle less often to direct sun. Even the mixed shade is better than extreme temperatures and constant sun exposure.
But, keep in mind that extremely low temperatures can be bad for the wraps too. Sometimes you will need to drive it in extreme weather conditions, but in the meantime, make sure it’s completely protected from them. We suggest using shade covers, or even keeping them in the garage, to maximize the lifespan of the vehicle wraps.
We hope that we got all your questions covered. It’s not possible to keep the wrap forever, but you can surely get most of it, like five to seven years in ideal situations.
