Antigravide film for a car and what it is eaten with
Car wrapping with anti-gravel film – a useless whimsy or effective protection of the body? What is the best film today?
Every motorist takes care of his car as if it were his favorite woman, he feeds her, takes care of her, buys her gadgets and jewelry, and lately it has become popular among the car owners to use the service of wrapping the anti gravure film. It is possible to wrap both separate parts of the body (headlights, bumper, hood) and the whole car.
So, let’s understand what an anti gravid film is. Antigravide film is a kind of armor for the body of the car, so often the service of wrapping is also called “reservation. The film is absolutely transparent, visually invisible (though there are also the matte and black films, with the help of which one can create a panoramic roof effect), the main component of which is polyurethane. Some representatives of these films have additional lacquer coating, which protects the polyurethane from external influences.
A car after wrapping with anti-gravian film. Photo is taken from the group: vk.com/zatoniruy
You should not mix up the polyurethane vinyl film with the vinyl one. Vinyl film covers the body of the car, but it can not withstand the onslaught of flying rocks and bitumen, not to mention minor accidents when cars are rubbing up against each other. Vinyl film loses its integrity and simply tears from the slightest impact. Polyurethane film is called “anti-gravel” due to its ability to resist flying rocks, ice and weather conditions.
Hood liner. Photo taken from the group: vk.com/zatoniruy
Flying stone simply bounces off the polyurethane film without compromising the integrity of the coating. In addition, polyurethane tends to self-repair under the influence of temperature. And even if small scratches are formed on the film, it will take very little effort to return it to its original appearance. Another advantage of polyurethane film is that it fills and hides existing scratches on the body when it is properly applied professionally.
The glued elements up close. Photo taken from the group: vk.com/zatoniruy
Manufacturers of polyurethane anti-gravel films conduct various “test-drives” of their products. Polyurethane film is stretched, shot with stones, frozen and even set on fire to make sure of its quality.
The anti-gravel film is rather thick (about 200 microns) and is divided into several layers: an adhesive layer, a polyurethane layer and, in some cases, an additional protective lacquer layer. The latter, in turn, not only protects the film itself, but also provides a strong hydrophobic effect and enhances the shine of the body.
It is also worth noting that the anti-gravel film protects the body not only from aggressive external influences, but also from burning in the sun, as well as from lime buds and bird droppings. And because the body is not chipped and scratched, as a consequence – from the formation of rust. In addition, films with an additional layer of lacquer repel water and dirt.
Headlights wrapping. Photo taken from the group: vk.com/zatoniruy
Any motorist knows what the headlights of the vehicle turns into in the process of operation – they become cloudy because of the many scratches and risks and yellowing. So if you stick an anti gravure film on the headlights, it will not happen because the film will take all the bumps on itself (by the way, in the market of car wrapping – headlight booking is one of the most popular services). One more headache, from which ANTI-film gets rid of is damaging your body while parking. You no longer need to worry that opening the door the neighboring car will leave you a “present” in the form of scratches or peeled paint.
Thus, wrapping a car with anti-gravel polyurethane film we get: 1. Body protection from chips and scratches 2. Protection against bitumen, lime buds, bird droppings 3. Protection against burning in the scorching sun 4. Car can be washed less often and does not need to be polished 5. Rust does not form on the bodywork 6. Car wrapped with anti-gravel film will be more expensive at resale 7. The film can hide existing scratches on the body thanks to its ability to fill in the space
Hood liner. Photo taken from the group: vk.com/zatoniruy
Let’s talk about specific examples. Today, some of the best anti gravure films are 3M representatives: 3M Venture Shield and 3M ScotchGard Pro. The main difference between 3M ScotchGard Pro and 3M Venture Shield is the presence of the paint layer, which we talked about earlier. Professionals and amateurs have carried out many tests and compared different representatives of protective films and no other film can provide the same protection as 3M ScotchGard Pro and 3M Venture Shield. In addition, the minimum warranty for 3M film is 5 years.
That is, for 5 years, you don’t have to worry about the film becoming cloudy or yellowed. And since 3M has been producing different adhesive tapes for many years its adhesive compositions are one of the most reliable. By the way, the 3M Venture Shield and 3M ScotchGard Pro films are “tear tested”, where the adhesive film is intensively tested for its ability to hold onto the paintwork.
Glued elements close up. Photo taken from the group: vk.com/zatoniruy As a result, we can safely say: polyurethane antigravide film is not just a client’s money-grubbing, but the effective protection of the car body, so it will stay as new and will last for many years.
For perfectionists, there is an additional service: coating the film with ceramic nanocoating, which will make it even harder and smoother, and give even a stronger hydrophobic effect.
Take care of yourself and your car! You are a resident of St. Petersburg and decided to laminate your beauty with a protective film? Sign up right now on the site: tonyrovka.tv or by a toll-free line 8(800)100-00-44.
The glued elements up close. Photo taken from the group: vk.com/zatoniruy
Gluing the niches under the handles. Group photo: vk.com/zatoniruy
Wrapping the bumper. Group photo: vk.com/zatoniruy
A car after wrapping with anti-gravian film. Photo is taken from the group: vk.com/zatoniruy
Peculiarities of the anti-gravel protection
High-quality anti-gravel protection is an effective and reliable solution to preserve the factory paint coating of the car. Application of such protection implies a special set of measures, at which it is important to follow some rules.
This article will help you to understand whether you need such a technology for your car, as well as to choose a suitable type of protection, and will tell you how to apply such a coating.
What gives an anti-gravel coating
Every year, there are more and more car owners who resort to the help of craftsmen engaged in processing cars with protective film or performing these actions themselves. The fact is that repairs are expensive, and because of bad roads and chemicals on it, scratches, chips, and then corrosion are formed on the car in the future.
Pros and cons
Such protection has the form of a transparent film, it is installed on the parts that are most often damaged, namely the bumper, headlights, hood, windows, etc. The film is also applied to the roof and doors, as birds often spoil cars with their droppings, which negatively affect the paintwork, eating it and making stains on it. In the spring and fall, dried mud also damages the paint.
The film has the following benefits:
- Extends the life of your car’s paint, varnish.
- It is more economical than painting damaged parts.
- Preserves the color, shine of the body.
- Expensive segment provides up to 5 years of protection.
- There is a possibility of wrapping of only some parts.
- Easy and fast to apply.
- Easy to use.
It is also worth considering the disadvantages of anti-gravel coating. So far, car owners note only one disadvantage, namely the cost of services to install such protection. So, at partial processing, for example, only bumper, mirrors and stripes on the hood will have to pay about $180, and at full – about $250. You can separately glue protection on the headlights, it will come out to $30-40.
Types of anti-gravel
This protection is in great demand, and is constantly being improved. So, today there are two types of materials used in this direction. These are a film and a liquid product. The first protection can be:
- Vinyl – poorly copes with intensive mechanical impact, has a short life span. Protection does not pass ultraviolet, so when it comes time to remove it, the owner of the car will be very upset to see that the surface of the body has different shades of paint. Such a film begins to turn yellow after a while, which will spoil the appearance of the car. Often vinyl film is used as a car branding when decorating it with stickers.
- Polyurethane – has a higher cost, sometimes several times, but also higher in quality. Such coverage has a thickness of 200 microns, providing an effective protection from small stones, sand, arriving from the road and oncoming vehicles. The film is transparent and almost invisible. Among the undoubted advantages is also the ability to pass ultraviolet light, which allows the original paintwork to burn evenly.
As for liquid products, they are sold in an aerosol can. Such a mixture is easily and quickly applied to the body, which is a definite plus. It is enough just to spray it and wait for it to dry. But there is a disadvantage, namely that it requires skill to apply it. So, when you pour it over the surface of the car, you will get a bump.
It is also very important to follow some working conditions. It is important that the coating is applied in a clean and warm garage. This will avoid dirt, dust and insects. Liquid products have a shorter lifespan than film protection.
How to prepare a surface for the application of an anti-gravel compound
Before applying protection, regardless of the type that has been chosen, you should thoroughly wash the vehicle. It is very important to use auto-chemistry in this case. Only after making sure that there is no contamination on the surface, you can proceed with the work.
How to apply an anti-grav coating
Before applying an anti-gravel coating, the car is prepared the same way as during painting:
- If there are rusty places, they are cleaned up and treated with a rust converter. If necessary, the surface is puttyed and primed.
- The paint is matted with a sandpaper, as antigravior cannot be used on a glossy surface. Sandpaper should be rough, it is recommended to use a size 120-500.
- Scotch is glued to the places that do not need a protective coating.
- The surface is degreased with a special agent.
Next, the spray can must be shaken for 3-5 minutes and applied to the surface. The spray should be at a distance of about 25 cm. Then a layer should dry a little, usually it takes 5 minutes, and then another layer is applied again. It takes a few hours to completely dry the surface. It is allowed to use an industrial hair dryer to speed up the drying process.
If the antigravior was selected with the painted composition, it is required to paint the treated surface. If this requirement is ignored, corrosion will form due to the effects of moisture.
Order of work for wrapping with anti gravure film
The application of polyurethane film for the car body in the wet method implies the following actions:
- Takes cardboard to cut out the necessary molds of the pieces of the treated areas of the surface. The same pieces should be cut on the film, not forgetting about leaving an extra margin on the edges, two centimeters will be enough.
- The surface of a clean car, which has previously undergone preparation – washing, is treated with a soapy solution. For this, it is more convenient to use a hand sprayer.
- On the film has an additional layer, which is called a liner, it must be removed.
- Using the same solution, the film is wetted.
- The protection is placed on the surface, thanks to a slight stretching.
- Using a trowel of rubber or plastic, the film is smoothed. The action should be carried out from the center to the edges, while expelling water, as well as air.
Careful handling with curves will help prevent damage to the material, quality lay the film.
Technology of wrapping a car with anti-gravel vinyl type film is slightly different from the polyurethane type. Here, special attention is paid to the working area, the recommended temperature in the room is 15-30 degrees. You should also remember about good lighting.
It is necessary to glue such a film by heating with an industrial hair dryer. When it is applied to the surface, proceed to smoothing with a squeegee, performing movements from one side to the other. It is better if the work will be done by two people, only in this way will get a good result of pasting at home.
Proper use of anti-gravel coating will protect the car from external negative effects on it.
