Paint Protection Film clear bra, PPF and many more are names for a fantastic product that revolutionized the auto industry for the past 15 years. In the last 10-12 years, these films have become excellent with regard to texture, application and overall performance and longevity. A majority of the films produced by well-known brands have provided excellent ultraviolet protection as well as self-healing characteristics over the past decade, and over the past few years, we have seen improvements with regard to stain resistance a simpler installation (which results in less marks when installing) and hydrophobic qualities. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the film? Here are some thoughts I’ve come up with after having worked with the film for around 8-9 years…
I’ll begin with the negatives as I think they’re more of an argumentable and subjective matter rather than”con “con” However, I’ll include them nonetheless. Let me go over the pros and cons. These two aspects are maintenance and aesthetics.
As far as aesthetics go, PPF will never look as clean, deep, and smooth like paint. It’s typically 6-8 millimeters thick and is essentially the same as a piece of plastic which is why it’s bound have some form of texture. But, some films on the market (such as the older “regular” Suntek C) are more appealing with regard to texture than others, therefore the difference between painted and unpainted paint is negligible.
Sometimes, film won’t cover certain cracks in the paint, and parts of it appear. This is evident in silver cars based on my personal experience. An experienced installer will create this edge as closely to edge of the panel as is possible (sometimes directly to the curvature that runs along the edges) to make it disappear.
Returning to these being debateable pros… It’s part of the material, so if you’re looking to protect yourself, you must deal with it. However, a good installation using a quality film will leave you unable to remember you’ve got film in your vehicle within a few days. It’s like glass that is on cars. For instance even the glass on windshields is as clear as it is, it’s not as clear through it the way you could without it, but glass is required to protect against wind and elements. In other words, there isn’t an advantage of film; rather, you have it on your vehicle to accomplish a certain task and it does it effectively.
Another disadvantage is the need for maintenance. If you experience scratches, staining or similar flaws within your film might remain there for a long time. If you find such flaws in the paint, they could frequently be rectified and polished, returning the paint to the condition it was prior to the flaws. This could be considered fraud, but the film serves as a sacrifice layer in order to shield against scuffs or scratches and so on.
Additionally, you must be aware of the areas of film when performing almost any type of maintenance. One of the biggest problems I’ve encountered is when using pressure washers near the edge, as it could cause it to rise, especially when it’s angled to the edge. Common sense will quickly resolve the problem. The edges are likely to gather polish, wax and polish. So you might have to seal them off or be near certain products.
I’m not able to think of any other thing that could be considered a negative in the case of paint protection film Lincoln. But, there are certainly benefits.
Advantages:
I’d like to say that there are numerous advantages, but in reality there’s one… you’ve got the film, and it does what it’s supposed to do very effectively. One obvious benefit is that there aren’t any rocks chips, and the “peppered” appearance of the front or rocker panels. It also guards against scratches that can happen every day like children playing next to the car riding bikes, or loading things in the trunk, or simply opening the door too wide and hitting the wall. Additionally, it has specific applications like the use of it on delicate interior trim that could scratch easily, areas in the engine bay where wires and hoses could rub the paint and also the headlight lenses to stop the lens from yellowing (along with chips, of course!). Another use for film include locations around the car, in which things like door sills can rub against the paint, window trims will be able to touch to the upper part of the doors, the roof racks to prevent scratching when objects are moving up there.
Finally, there are plenty of possibilities for PPF outside of the automotive sector. I’ve personally wrapped my personal and clients bikes, motorcycles as well as helmets. It is possible to do the important areas on each of the above , or the entire thing and it does an outstanding job in keeping the surface in good condition. On bicycles , it aids tremendously with the rubbing of cables and popping up from below, chains hitting the frame, etc. My motorcycle has it everywhere, but the most noticeable is on the tank where your legs rub against the sides and top of the tank when you fill it up.
We’ve also done numerous installations on table tops using costly materials that require protection from the elements, carbon fiber pieces, and costly household appliances to guard the paint from scratches from everyday use.
Overall I’m a huge advocate of PPF and would highly recommend to anyone looking for anything. There’s a price to be considered and this is usually the thing that guides coverage for a car of a customer however, any film is superior to none.
