Paint protection films are a great way to protect the paint of your car from scratches, dings, and other everyday wear-and-tear. Unfortunately, many people don’t know how to safely apply a paint protection film on their vehicle without professional help. This can lead to serious consequences such as an uneven finish or bubbles in the film that causes it to peel off prematurely.
In this blog post, we will discuss how you can safely apply a paint protection film to your vehicle without needing any professional assistance. We will cover what tools and materials you need, step-by-step instructions on how to prepare surfaces correctly before application, and go over some tips for getting the best results.
Before doing anything else, it is important that you have all of the necessary tools and materials ready before attempting to apply the paint protection film. These items include a clean cloth or sponge to wipe away dirt, dust and debris; scrub detergent; an adhesive promoter (optional); masking tape; razor blade (only if pre-cut kits are not being used); squeegee or soft plastic credit card; and lastly, the paint protection film itself.
The first step when preparing for applying the paint protection film is cleaning the surface of your vehicle thoroughly with water and detergent using a clean cloth or sponge. This removes any dirt, dust, oils and waxes that could prevent proper adhesion. Once done with this step you should let the area dry completely before moving on any further - do not use any heat sources like hair dryers or towels!
Next, you have to ensure you are using the right tack and slip solutions for your PPF installation. Not having the right amount of each may make your installation more difficult. The tack solution helps get your PPF to stick to the paint and the slip solution allows you to glide across the PPF while using the squeegee.
Once everything is prepped and ready it’s time for application! Depending on whether you are using pre-cut kits or not you may need either just a squeegee or both a squeegee and razor blade depending on which method needs more attention: if pre-cut kits then start by peeling off small sections such as top corners as these tend to be tricky due to shape limitations but with patience should still be manageable; otherwise begin by laying out full pieces at one time then trimming down any excess material afterwards with razor blade afterwards which may require more fine adjusting than done initially due to shape limitations again – just remember safety first!
After all of the above steps have been completed allow plenty of time for new paint protection films's safe curing process which typically takes anywhere from 24 - 48 hours before washing again in order for complete adhesion/curing effectiveness - after which point enjoy your hard work!