Looking to protect your paint from various weather conditions, potential animal accidents, people in general, or just looking to have your paint last a long time?
If you answered YES to any of those questions, you'll want to read this article in full!
We'll take a look at what is ppf, it's pros & cons, and how it compares to ceramic coating.
What Is PPF?
If you have any interest in protecting your car, I'm sure you've heard of auto paint gurus telling you about PPF.
You just don't exactly know the specifics behind what PPF really is & why it's such a huge help in protecting your car.
PPF, an acryonym for paint protection film, generally helps keep your car looking the best it can for as long as possible.
Being a multi-layered film that covers the car, it helps keep either your stock, or after-market paint jobs protected and constantly shining.
With cars growing in price, the last thing you'd want is for your car to depreciate in cost due to your paint job.
With cars becoming more expensive for the past few years, the last thing you'd want is for your car to depreciate due to your paint job.
Which is why many car owners have been leaning towards adding a paint protection film for their vehicles
Different Types Of Paint Protection Film's For Your Car
If you're anything like me... when you're given multiple choices, you're stuck wondering which is the best for my car.
I can't tell you which one to use, but I can help point you in the right direction to make the decision a bit easier!
- Clear PPF:
Also known as clear bra ppf, it's one of the most common of the bunch. Being the most used type of them all, clear PPF provides an almost invisible film with high-end protection without you vehicle's appearance being altered.
- Matte PPF:
Do you have a beautiful matte-finished car? Your best bet is opting for the Matte paint protection film to maintain the unique matte look while still being able to protect it.
- Gloss PPF:
The gloss paint protection actually enhances your gloss paint job, giving it a polished and fine-tuned look.
- Self-Healing PPF:
A more advanced form of PPF is the self-healing paint protection film. With the ability to heal itself from minor scratches, swirl marks, exposure to weather, and other issues that may arise while owning your car... It's basically considered magic!
As you can tell.. there's definitely a handful of different choices to help protect the paint on your car
Still curious as to what PPF actually is? Suntek's video helps explain exactly what Paint Protection Film is, and why you should consider it:
Special thanks to Suntek's professionals for making this amazing video to explain what PPF is in detail!
Pros & Cons Of Using PPF
I'm sure you can already tell the what the pros are for protecting your car's paint, but let's look at a few more examples as well as some cons of PPF wrapping
The main question you might want to know is Is Paint Protection Film needed?
The answer is subjective & based on how much you really care for your vehicle's appearance & safety.
I personally have my car wrapped in ppf to help protect the paint. Knock on wood... but I have had nothing but a great experience!
As well as plenty of compliments of how much my car stands out due to the shine of the protection film
As stated in the above pictures, here's a few issues that ppf helps protect your car from
- Rock Chips
- UV Ray Damage
- Bird Droppings (Arguably the worst of all)
- Road Grime
- Water Spots
- Scratches & Rust
Of course, this doesn't guarantee your car will be protected from any boulders that stand in your way
But it's an ease-of-mind that when you're traveling behind other vehicles, you don't need to worry about those small rocks chipping your paint job away
Not Everything Is Perfect - The Cons Of PPF
With every amazing invention with tons of pros to purchasing, there's always the cons.
The most common & significant disadvantage to paint protection film wraps is the tendency to turn yellow over time
Now WAIT! Don't just close the page without understanding the reason why
This may not even be important to you after you read the below:
What Causes PPF Yellowing Over Time?
Although paint protection films protect your paint from UV rays & oxidation, the film will still yellow over time
This is due to the film primarily being exposed to the sunlight
But...
It's better than your paint being exposed & turning yellow/dimming down
What's even better is that most companies like Imperial Works, that are experts when it comes to clear bra installation in the Greater Sacramento Area
Tend to back their ppf installations with up to a 10 year warranty!
So if yellowing film was pushing you away...
You've found your solution!
Paint Protection Film Costs
Now the most significant disadvantage to ppf is definitely the cost
It does get quite expensive when installing any clear bra film
However...
You usually have the option to install piece by piece, as opposed to wrapping the whole car at once
This is definitely a HUGE plus, as the price of installation will heavily depend on multiple factors such as:
- The size of your vehicle
- The make of your vehicle
- How much you'd like to be wrapped
- Which wrap you decide to go with
So in the end, the cons have it's own pros
The question you'll need to answer, is if the pros outweight the cons
Difference Between PPF & Ceramic Coating Your Vehicle
You may have heard about ceramic coating cars
And now you're wondering what's the better choice, deal, etc...
Both paint protection films & ceramic coating are very similair in protection
As installing either one will be adding value to your vehicle
One of the main similarities are definitely reducing the damage that UV exposure and acidic contaminants would do to your precious paint job
So what's the differnce & which one is better?
- Paint Protection Film is thicker than Ceramic Coatings
- As I stated in the article earlier, Paint Protection Film self-heals, which is a HUGE plus
- Ceramic coating DOES NOT eliminate the risk of swirls marks, water spots, etc...
Now it may seem as if I just bashed on ceramic coating...
However, that's not the case!
Ceramic coating IS equipped with hydrophobic clear coat, where as most paint protection films aren't
The ones that are, still can't compete with ceramic coating
Applying ceramic coating to your vehicle is also more cost efficient as you're not applying a film
Instead, you can coat your whole vehicle to obtain all the benefits that ceramic coating has to offer!
Want a more in-depth comparison video between paint protection films and ceramic coating?
Take a look at Chicago Auto Pros side-by-side comparison of paint protection films vs ceramic coating
The decision is entirely up to you & what fits within your needs!
Final Thoughts:
To conclude this article...
PPF definitely has it's pros & cons just as everything else does
If you can look past the cons, this can definitely increase the value of your vehicle
By ensuring the protection of the paint underneath the film itself!
Looking to install paint protection film on your vehicle? Just a simple google search of "ppf near me" will do the job!
Interested in ceramic coating your vehicle in the Greater Sacramento Area?
Take a look at my services above to help protect & keep your vehicle looking brand new!
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