How to Select Paint Protection Film: The Complete Guide for Car Owners

Carolina Tint & Wrap Blogger • Oct 19, 2022

Finding the right paint protection film for your car requires knowing your options. Here is a guide for car owners on how to select paint protection film.

A coat of synthetic enamel car paint for an average sedan will cost you between $300 to $700. For a larger car, it's likely to cost you a lot more. Needless to say, you probably don't want to pay this cost every time your car gets a scratch.

How can you avoid it, though? One of the best ways is to select paint protection film (PPF) for your vehicle and install it on your car.

However, you can't just choose any product. To get the highest quality protection, you need to select the highest quality PPF. Read on to learn how to do that.

What Is Paint Protection Film?

The only way to keep your paint job looking as good as it did the day you got it is to keep your car in the garage. Cars, however, are meant to be driven. And you probably want to show off that paint job and beautiful car after spending so much money on them.

So it seems that you need to put your paint job in harm's way to get your money's worth. When you're out there on the road, your car's surface is guaranteed to get scratched or dented when it gets hit by gravel and other road debris. After months of damage, your paint job will start to look poor.

However, there is an option that can save your paint job from this uglification. Paint Protection Film, or PPF, is a plastic film made of elastic polymers. Once PPF technicians install it on your car, your car's paint is guaranteed to sustain far less damage.

Benefits of PPF

When road debris flies up against and hits a PPF-protected car, the PPF will take the damage instead of the paint. This will stop the paint from getting pulled off by the debris and keep the coat of paint consistently smooth all over the surface of the car. Also, because the surface is transparent, it's unlikely that other drivers will notice the secret to your car's aesthetic success.

Yet, you may think that if the PPF takes the damage, the scratches will appear on the PPF. While this won't be as noticeable as paint scratches, can't these also build up over time and eventually look unsightly?

As it turns out, you don't have to worry about scratches and dents on the PPF. The elastic nature of the PPF gives it the ability to heal itself. Thus, even if a sign of damage appears on the film's surface, it likely won't be there for long.

Methods to Select Paint Protection Film

There are many different types of PPFs. The best PPF for you often depends on factors like how much damage your car sustains regularly or how you want your car to look. For example, vehicle owners who often go off-roading will choose a special off-road film to keep their cars heavily protected in the wilderness.

However, some factors affect all types of PPFs. You can choose the best PPF type for your car's situation but then pick a poor installer or manufacturer. This will result in the PPF not lasting as long as/or not looking as great as you may have hoped.

Consider Your Car's Situation Carefully

Before you select paint protection film, it's best to think about what you'll be doing with your car and what challenges it will face. Make an estimated list if you can. Then research different types of PPFs to determine which will have the needed or wanted effect.

For example, if you don't use your car often and drive it mostly on urban roads, glossy or satin PPFs should provide you with enough protection and long-lasting aesthetic quality. If you want to save money, you can get a temporary PPF when you're only going on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip or similar short-term excursion.

Vet Each Paint Protection Film Provider

Once you've decided on the best PPF type, you need to consider each product's inherent quality. One of the easiest ways to determine quality is to research the manufacturer.

Visit the website for each paint protection film provider you're considering. Look at how long they've been in the industry and if they offer warranties should their products fail. You can also look at customer reviews of different products and their experiences with the company.

Keep in mind, though, that any paint protection film provider will likely only post positive reviews on its website. You may have to visit other review sites to get negative comments.

Look at the Features of Each PPF

Along with the PPF features that make each product great for certain situations, PPFs also have qualities that make them outstanding in several situations. Having protection against UV rays (sunlight) is one such feature. If a PPF has this feature, your car's paint is less likely to fade over time.

Comparing PPF costs is also something that you'll have to do. Usually, the PPFs with the highest level of quality are the most expensive. However, depending on your financial situation, you'll likely have to find a good balance between quality and cost.

Find a High-Quality Installation Process

Finally, even if you get the best PPF, a poor PPF installation process can dramatically negatively affect how the product performs and lasts. Just like you did with finding the best PPF provider, research the experience level and overall customer satisfaction of each PPF installation company. New Paragraph

Get a High-Quality PPF Installation Process in Berkeley County, SC, From Us

In sum, if you want the most beautiful vehicle surface, you will have to do some work for it. You'll know it was all worth it, though, when you're driving along without worrying about the smaller damages your car can sustain.

While you're working on selecting paint protection film for your car, consider Carolina Tint & Wrap services. We're the #1 installers of vehicle wraps, PPFS, and window tinting in Berkeley County, SC. Fill out this form to get a free PPS price estimate.

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