Before applying a vinyl wrap to a vehicle’s painted surfaces, we advise our clients to do a little bit of preparation. Dedicating extra time to clean your vehicle correctly can save any wrap company hours of prep work, reducing your total cost. Here are a few things you can do to prepare your car for a vinyl wrap.
First, clean the surface with mild detergent and water the day before or at least several hours before dropping it off. All parts must be completely dry before installation, including under-body molding, wheel wells, and seams, to remove all hints of dirt, wax, and tar.
NOTE: Dirty vehicles will result in a cleaning fee of $75 per hour added to the final invoice.
Dry it thoroughly with a microfiber cloth. By washing your car 24 hours before it is wrapped, any areas you may have missed should also be nice and dry in time for wrapping. It is ready if the bodywork squeaks when you run your finger along it. But if it feels greasy, you will need to rewash it. It is worth taking the time and trouble to do a thorough job to ensure your new wrap looks fantastic.
Protectants and waxes, and any other product that forms a barrier can interfere with the wrap’s ability to adhere correctly to the vehicle. Wax makes the surface very slippery, and vinyl doesn’t want to stick or stay attached to slick surfaces.
Pay particular attention to ridges, edges, and seams as these areas are often neglected and may carry the most dirt and grime. To clean hard-to-reach edges, wrap a lint-free towel over a squeegee and proceed to swipe multiple times. Each swipe should be done with a clean portion of the towel until the towel shows no dirt on the swiped edge.
It’s essential to inform us about any spots that might have rust, peeling paint, or other issues that could affect the finished product. We encourage our clients to have our wrap technician see the vehicle in-shop to find potential problems and to have those areas repaired before installing a wrap.
Preparation is vital for a seamless wrap application. Following these steps in preparing your vehicle for a vinyl wrap will ensure the application is top-notch, with results that can quickly attract thousands of eyes on your car.
Examples include, but not limited to: ladder racks, awnings, bed covers, etc. If your vehicle has accessories that could impact the installation process, please be sure to remove them prior to your appointment.
We need access to the body of the vehicle to wrap it effectively. Please don’t leave anything in the way that will hinder the process.
Services style vehicles please double-check that all rivets, screw heads, latches, etc are firmly tightened prior to brining your vehicle to be wrapped. We will not be responsible for checking fasteners prior to beginning the application process.
If you want to keep the manufacturer emblems, please remove them. If we remove them and they break or get lost, we will not replace them.
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