How to glue the protective film on the sills of the car

How to glue an anti gravel film on a car

To protect the paint coating is often used anti-gravel film. This material allows avoiding different damages to the paint, protects from scratches and chips. Practically all sorts of the films decrease the degree of the car body burning in the sun. Besides, the driver may glue the anti gravure film himself, as it does not require a special box and complex equipment.

Variety of Antigravian Film

You can find a variety of films on sale, which allows you to choose the best option. All protective films are divided into three groups.

• PVC;
• Polyurethane;
• Hybrid.

The simplest solution is a film made of PVC. This material is inexpensive, while quite reliable protection from damage. The disadvantages include the weak extensibility of the film. Rarely does it stretch more than 150%. This limits the possibilities for gluing complex areas of the car body.

More expensive is the polyurethane film. It protects from damage less, but stretches well and perfectly protects from ultraviolet light. Almost all polyurethane films are completely transparent and almost invisible on the body.

Hybrid films have a mixture of PVC and polyurethane. They combine the characteristics of both previous types of material. They are expensive, that is why not all the drivers willingly use this material for trimming a car.

Also hybrid films and less often polyurethane films have a special top layer. Which provides self-tightening of small damages.

What film to choose

If you decide to wrap the body of your car with an anti-gravel film, you will have a question about what material to buy. There are many options, and without expert advice it is very difficult to deal with this. Let us consider several options.

For partial wrapping of the body. For example, PVC-film is used on the sills or the hood. Such a decision is due to the high protective properties that such a film demonstrates. In this case, there is no need to paste complex sections of the body, that is, high viscosity material is not required. In addition, such options are usually cheaper.

For full body wrapping a polyurethane or hybrid film is better. Due to the high viscosity, this material can be glued even on the most curved elements of the car. The result will be an even and beautiful finish.

It is also necessary to take into account the thickness of the film. All popular manufacturers supply the material with a thickness in the range of 100-210 microns. Here you need to be guided by the main tasks that you face in the process of wrapping the body.

Thickness	Transparency	Protection
100-140 microns	Almost completely transparent. Almost invisible on the body. Used when you want to make a finish that will not be visible.	Protects only the smallest stones. Resists reagents well. Does not protect from UV fading at all.
140-180 microns.	If you look closely, you can see this film. Often made with a matte finish.	Protects the paintwork well against almost all threats. Almost all films with this thickness retain UV well.
180-200 microns.	The film is visible even if you don’t look closely. This can reduce the attractiveness of the exterior, to maintain a spectacular exterior often made with a glossy effect.	The most reliable anti-gravel film. Some materials are not even afraid of attempts to scratch the body with a nail. They retain up to 100% of UV rays. Usually they are used for finishing of the thresholds.

You should also remember that there are decorative anti-gravel films. They may have a certain color or repeat some texture. In some cases, it is just a black film, which can be used to finish some elements of the body.

There is one more nuance to consider. All anti gravel films are sold in large rolls of 12 to 50 meters. It may happen that the chosen film for your car will be sold only in large rolls, while for your car 10-15 meters of the material will be enough. In this case, you will need to look for a store that will be willing to sell you the film in a single piece.

What you will need for pasting

If you have decided to wrap your own car. It is necessary to prepare materials and tools in advance. Also take care of clothes. Many people do not consider the point with clothes, and in vain. Metal buttons, locks, jewelry can easily scratch the paintwork. Therefore, wear light and comfortable cotton clothing with a minimum of metal and plastic elements.

Be sure to need a construction hair dryer, preferably with the ability to adjust the temperature. It is not advisable to overheat the film to temperatures above 70°C. Overheating will cause deterioration of the performance of the protective film as well as damage to the paint finish.

Prepare a soap solution. Simply dissolve a small amount of liquid soap in a liter of warm water. As a last resort, you may use shampoo or dishwashing detergent.

You will also need an alcohol solution. It is made at the rate of 1 part alcohol mixed with 3 parts water. Usually they recommend isopropyl alcohol, although you can also take regular ethyl alcohol.

From the tools except the hair dryer you will need:

• a rubber spatula;
• sprayer;
• a clerical knife;
• Reusable napkins from a soft cloth;
• A syringe (optional).

You should also have a sufficient supply of film. You can calculate the amount you need on the material manufacturer’s website. But if you are doing it for the first time, it is better to take 20-30% more. It is a good idea to have some extra, as you may inexperience damage some of the film.

You do not need glue, it is already applied to the film itself. You do not need to use additional adhesive compositions. Soap solution is used as an activator for the adhesive. In some cases, an alcohol solution can also be used as an enhancer.

How to glue an anti gravure film

Before you glue an anti gravure film, take care of a suitable room. It must be bright enough, but without drafts and wind. That is, you will not be able to apply the material to the car in the street. The ambient temperature should be between +11°C … +32°C. In these conditions the film will stick the best

Before you apply an anti gravure film it is necessary to prepare the car. For that it has to be washed. All contaminations are thoroughly removed, especially this refers to tar stains and dried up dirt. If there are “rust spots”, it is better to remove them as well. In general, it is not recommended to apply an anti-grav film on any corrosion spots.

It also makes sense to prepare blanks for the main body parts before you start. This will speed up the process of wrapping the car with the film. In this case, the film should be cut with a small margin, about 2-3 centimeters on each side. Then you will definitely not make a mistake.

The sticker process

So, the tools are already prepared, the car is washed, and the film is cut. Now you can move directly to the most responsible work in the whole process.

1. Degrease the surface of the body. To do this, you can use a prepared alcoholic solution. If you do not do this, the contact of the film with the surface will not be very good. Sometimes there is an opinion that only a painted car does not require degreasing. This is an incorrect statement.
2. We choose a piece of the antigravide film. Prepare it for gluing. To do this, spray the inside of the material with a soapy solution. Preliminarily it is necessary to remove the paper protection from the film, it is better to do it with a helper, especially on large pieces.
3. Place the pattern on the piece you want to work. Make sure that it lies as evenly as possible and without wrinkles. The film will still be moving for a while, you can correct it.
4. Take a hair dryer and heat the surface. At the same time pressing the film with a spatula. This should be done carefully, but fairly quickly. To apply the film to the roof and other large elements of the body, it is better to use help.
5. When you have glued the entire film. See if there are any air bubbles. They need to be expelled. Again, take a spatula and heating the place with a hair dryer, kick out the bubble moving from the center to the edges. In some cases it is easier to pierce the air bubble with a syringe.
6. Wrap the film in the corners. Again we heat it with a hair dryer and on the edges of the part we wrap the material, gluing it at the same time. This is a very painstaking and difficult work, but this way you will ensure that there will be no problems in future use. If necessary, you can pull the film, it stretches easily by 20-30%.
7. If there is any excess film, carefully cut it off with a box cutter. It is necessary to act very carefully not to damage the lacquer coating of the car.

The same procedure is repeated with the other body parts. The most difficult thing is to finish the doors, they have handles, which interfere quite a lot in the work.

Useful tips

Despite the apparent simplicity of the process, gluing the film is not so simple. There are many nuances that you need to know and take into account. That said, drivers and auto mechanics have accumulated a lot of experience in finishing bodies with artigravia films. Below we will give some useful tips that you will definitely be useful in the process.

• In some cases, the area to be laminated has no restrictions in the form of gaps. In order not to make a mistake, you can use masking tape. Glue it along the line of restriction. This will allow you to orient yourself and not make a mistake when placing a piece of film.
• If you glue the car without an assistant, you may have trouble removing the paper protection from the film. In this case you can do the following. Apply a soapy solution to the body. Remove the paper from one edge of the film and glue this part to the body and press a couple of magnets. Then little by little we take off the paper and at the same time glue the film. Do not forget to heat the body with a hair dryer.
• When flattening the film with a trowel, hold it at an angle of 45°-60° with respect to the surface. It will be more effective this way.
• Special attention should be paid to the curves of the body. They are smoothed not only with a spatula, but also with a soft towel. Such an action will help avoid wrinkles.
• You should start wrapping from any point convenient for you. Some drivers try to place the film as clearly as possible, and then press from the center to the edges. In practice you may use other variants of the decision of this task.

When choosing a film, you should not choose a different thickness. A common mistake is to use a thicker film on the sills and a thinner one on the top of the body. In this case, scuffs will form rather quickly at the joints and the antigravide protection will serve much less.

It is better to take the material based on your tasks. If you drive a lot on forest and gravel roads, protection should be maximum. For urban use and highways, you can get by with a thin film (100-120 microns).

Besides the gluing process, there are some nuances of the film maintenance for the first time.

• You should not wash the car within 24 hours after gluing the body. During this time the film will completely stick to the surface. For the same reason you should avoid going out for about a day, if you observe subzero temperatures there.
• After wrapping it is useful to wipe the body with a soft cloth soaked in alcohol solution.
• Do not use shampoos with abrasive elements for a week.
• It is not advisable to polish the bodywork with abrasive pastes. Polishing can be performed only by preheating the treatment area with a construction hair dryer, using soft polishes.

If you do everything correctly, the protective film will last 7-10 years, it depends on the usage and manufacturer of the material.

We glue the polyurethane protective film ourselves.

The wear and tear of the car as it is exploited is a quite natural and natural phenomenon. All sorts of obstacles and factors negatively affect the condition of the vehicle.

Quite often it is the body that suffers, since it is exposed to road dust, debris, gravel, and so on. This results in chipping, scratches, and damage to the paintwork.

The vehicle’s sills are also among the vulnerable areas of the vehicle. They are constantly in contact with shoes, the soles of which may contain abrasive particles (sand, dirt, debris), all kinds of chemicals used in winter, and not only. Sills also wear, rub and scratch.

But the motorist can protect them by wrapping the sills with a protective film. It is quite an effective means of protection, available to everyone.

The concept of armor film

If you want to emphasize the protection of the thresholds, then you will need to use a special protective material.

Many people quite often associate the armor film with a vinyl film, with the help of which the wrapping of car thresholds is performed. But these are not exactly the same materials. Vinyl refers rather to the number of decorative coatings, since its strength is noticeably lower than the polyurethane coating.

There is also a carbon type of film, but only some varieties have sufficient protective properties. Most of them are used only in the interior and are not suitable for outdoor use.

Armor film is a transparent anti-gravel film that effectively protects all the most vulnerable areas of the body. It has no effect on the exterior appearance, preserving the pristine color of the sill. But at the same time, it covers it with a protective, durable layer.

Special high quality anti gravure film wrapping of thresholds allows to increase the level of protection of paint coatings noticeably against all kinds of damages, starting from ordinary dirty footwear and ending with women’s sharp heels and insignificant mechanical impacts on the coatings.

Types of car armoring

There are now two types of car armor:

• vinyl: cheaper;
• Polyurethane: more expensive and modern.

The main task of the anti-gravel film is to protect the car coating from corrosion, scratches and other “troubles”. The protective anti-gravel films are divided into two types: polyurethane and vinyl. The vinyl films were the first on the market: their structure reminds of the plastic, they can change their size when heated up, after that they become firm and rigid. The polyurethane films are closer to rubber according to their characteristics and composition: when heated they can stretch significantly, and then take their original size. Naturally, the sales leader is the polyurethane armor film.

What are the main advantages

If you are still in doubt about whether you need a film wrapping to protect the sills of the car, it is worth taking a look at the main advantages of such a solution.

To begin with, you need to understand how the armor film, made on the basis of polyurethane, prevents damage to the paintwork. This is due to the properties of the material to dissipate energy when struck. That is why polyurethane is widely used for protection of the most vulnerable parts of a car, including headlights, hood and sills.

In addition to mechanical protection, the thresholds are protected against infrared radiation. Together with it creates protection from UV rays and aggressive chemicals, actively scattered on the Russian roads during the winter rains.

If you have a new car, and you bought it just before the winter, then it is a good reason to put a film on. It will protect the paintwork and keep your car looking pristine. As the coating wears out, it is simply removed and replaced with a new one.

Therefore, the main advantages of using polyurethane protective films include the following points:

• effective masking of damages;
• Protection from ultraviolet and infrared radiation;
• preservation of the saturation of the original paint coating;
• protection against mechanical damage;
• property not to stand out against the background of the original paint;
• possibility of replacement as wear or necessity;
• long service life when observing the technology of application;
• easy removal procedure;
• affordable to every motorist application;
• adequate cost.

These are more than weighty advantages that encourage many motorists to take advantage of the unique features of the armor film.

Of course, the result depends a lot on the right material and the observance of the technology of application. Because of this, some drivers find it easier to give the car to the car service, where specialized professionals will perform all the necessary manipulations.

How to glue an anti gravel film on a car

A car is absolutely new and it is set a task to keep this novelty. We will use polyurethane Suntek PPF. I want to say a few words about this material, but I’ll probably do it at the end of the post.

Regarding the car: We have many auto body protection kits that include different risk areas. As a rule, customers, when choosing the areas of pasting, based on their past experience of owning a car and know where and how much it is damaged. On this Subaru decided to get the maximum protection package. It includes: – Protection of the front of the car (hood, bumper, fenders) – Protection of the front elements (mirrors, headlights, pillars near the windshield) – Protection of bump zones (inside sills, bottom of the trunk lid, the area under the handles) – Other protection (a strip on the roof over the windshield, door edges, strip on the door) In fact, steeper protect the car possible only if you cover it entirely. But here the price is already biting. So, why in general I decided to give up everything and write this post. A protective film is one of the most practical and effective segments of automobile styling. It REALLY protects, it REALLY does not harm the body and it REALLY is not noticeable on the body. So while decorative auto vinyl is a very individual trend, protective films – I recommend installing on every new car. Especially considering the sad paint finish of modern cars. So, let us go. As always, a car goes through four stages: Non-Contact Wash, necessary reinforcing, cleaning wash, degreasing. Then we start the wrapping from the hood. Why? I don’t know. Used to do it this way. The face of the car, everything. We pull the film, kick out the water and leave it to dry in this way. This is the technology of polyurethane wrapping. By the way, I will lay out a detailed process of wrapping a car in a protective or decorative film later. Someday. Probably. While the hood is drying, we are going to switch to other parts. I try to do the parts which require film tensioning first. So we do the mirrors next. While you are shocked at what is going on in the picture, I will explain. The mirror is not rounded, but has a well-defined rib. The Suntek film is elastic enough that tightening the mirror from one piece is more than realistic. But I belong to that school of kung-fu polyurethane, which firmly believes that to overstretch the film, and the more protective film – is an act of foolishness and not worthy of respect. Judge for yourself – let’s say the mirror catches a stone on the highway. Quietly laid film will work perfectly well and most likely will not even break through. The film stretched like a string will surely get a hole from this stone. And this hole in addition will also increase in diameter, due to the tension. That’s why you don’t need an accordion, right? Leave the first segment to dry, then cut it accurately along the rib and set the second piece.

What you’ll need for the job

Each manufacturer may have its own recommendations regarding the application and application of protective films for sills and other areas of the car body.

But most of them have common principles and the same approach to organizing the process. If gluing your car sills armor transparent film by your own hands, you will first have to collect a list of necessary tools and materials.

For work you basically need a set consisting of:

• armor translucent film itself;
• Paper for cutting blanks (if the shape of the threshold is complex);
• rubber spatula;
• utility knife;
• sharp scissors;
• water sprayer;
• detergent;
• Dry, clean, lint-free rags.

Professionals quite often use the dry method, which does not involve the use of a soap solution. But this method requires a fairly powerful construction hairdryer.

The dry method is not recommended for self-painting. It requires extreme accuracy, experience and skill. A beginner may not be able to cope with this, and correcting a mistake will be quite difficult. You will have to redo everything again. Therefore, the main emphasis will be placed precisely on the wet method.

Tools and materials needed to install the film.

The materials used to clean the surface are described above.

Mounting solutions:

Soap solution.

Composition of the solution: about 3-4 drops of Johnson’s Baby shampoo or other baby shampoo per 1 liter of water.

The soap solution is designed to facilitate the positioning of the anti-gravel film on the parts. The solution also allows you to work with the adhesive side of the protective film: it reduces the risk of leaving fingerprints on the adhesive and eliminates the static electricity under the film, so as to avoid dust adhesion to the surface of the part. The soap solution also makes it easier for the squeegee (working tool) to slide over the surface of the film and avoid scratching the film.

Alcohol solution.

The composition of the solution: 25% isopropyl alcohol to 75% water. Alcohol solution helps to neutralize the soap solution and activate the adhesive. Alcohol solution should be used on difficult surfaces, on the edges of the film, when stretching the protective film. After fixation of the film with an alcohol solution is not recommended to peel the film, as it can damage the adhesive layer. Also this solution can be used to degrease parts.

Tools:

Rubber squeegees.

Olfa knife.

To be used for trimming the edges of the foil.

Attention: Be careful when trimming the edges of the anti gravel film, so as not to damage the painted surface of the car!

Absorbent Towels.

Lint-free, multi-layer cloths. Used during, and after installation to remove excess solutions.

Insulin syringes.

Used to remove any fluid bubbles that may remain under the protective film.

Caution: Be careful when using them so as not to damage the painted surface of the car!

Reusable wipes.

Pre-Preparation

The mistake of most motorists, who decide to independently perform the armoring of their car sills with a special film, is to ignore the preparatory stage of performing this work.

There are even those who simply wipe off a layer of dust from the sill and immediately begin gluing the material. In the end, there is about the same subsequent picture. The film begins to peel off after a while, air bubbles form under it, it quickly tears and only spoils the appearance of the car.

To properly glue the previously purchased protective film on the sills of your own car, you must first perform mandatory preparation. It consists of several stages:

• If the car serves more than one year, the paint coating could be damaged, it began to flake off. It is better to immediately protect these places, paint and varnish.
• With a fairly complex configuration of the sills, you may partly need to dismantle to get to the hard to reach places.
• Sills very carefully washed and dried. It is desirable to blow out all cracks and gaps with compressed air, so that there is no moisture under the film.
• When you are finished drying, use any degreasing agent. Make sure that it will not damage the paintwork.
• The sills will surely have areas where the film is bent. It is recommended to treat these areas with a primer.

It is recommended to work with films in closed rooms. If it is a dusty garage, it is better to carry out a wet cleaning beforehand, so that the dust settles and does not get on the body elements in the process of applying the film.

You should not apply the armor film in sub-zero ambient temperatures. Each manufacturer has its own recommendations for the optimum temperature for working with the material.

The cost of pasting

The cost of applying the film is based on several factors:

• the price of the film per linear meter with a width of 1.5 m: vinyl – 350 – 1500 rubles, depending on the density and color, polyurethane – 1900 – 7800 rubles, depending on the thickness of the protective layer;
• design features of the car, complicating the process of applying the film;
• the area of pasting;
• the cost of car disassembly and assembly, depending on the amount of work;
• the cost of preparatory work – washing, drying, degreasing.

Thus the cost of applying polyurethane film on the whole surface of the car body – from 165 000 roubles, for one piece – from 5 500 roubles, for a minimal set, especially exposed to damage – from 30 000 roubles. The cost of applying vinyl material on the element – from 3 000 roubles, for the whole body – 18 000-50 000 roubles.

How to glue the armor film yourself

Here is one way to glue the armor film on a car:

Step 1: Clean the headlight glass and your hands. Make sure there are no detergents left on the surfaces. Without removing the headlight cover from the backing, lift it up and make sure you have the correct shape (i.e. slightly oval lenses). If it’s below 65 degrees, you can gently heat the lens with a hair dryer, that will help.

Step 2: Carefully remove the cover from the backing – touch as little glue as possible. Take the adhesive side and carefully place it on the headlight. Move toward the center and smooth out the edges. This is the most important step, as it will have a big impact on the final alignment. Make sure that the maximum allowable edge deflection is allowed. Be careful, the adhesive is pressure sensitive. If necessary, lift and flush with water until the piece of armor tape is evenly aligned. Then apply pressure to the center.

The remainder of the installation will require the use of a hair dryer on low. Drop water on the surface of the lens and with a small, steady pressure squeegee from the center outward, drive around the headlight. Hold the outer part while squeezing. Use both hands if necessary to get the best result. If you leave bubbles, stop, lift the material slightly, rinse again and squeeze with more firm pressure.

Step 4: After you have a few inches of indentation left from the edge, you should squeeze them firmly. The material at the edge will have waviness. You need to distribute everything evenly.

Step 5: Go over the edges of the armor tape with a hair dryer on a low setting and make sure the edges are firmly in place. With a sharp razor knife, gently trim any areas that are offset or overhanging.