There are many different ways to protect your car’s paint. The simplest way is to apply a synthetic wax or paint sealant. This approach protects your vehicle from nature’s elements, including potential chemical damage. You can go one up and get a polymer coating like a ceramic coating.
Another option is paint protection film. It adds protection against physical risks like rock chips and larger pieces of debris. Besides these, there is one more method that people use, considered by some to be rather extreme, but by others as an ideal solution for lasting protection.
We’re talking, of course, about a vinyl wrap. In today’s blog, we’ll dive deeper into the core question: “how long does a car wrap last?”
Vinyl wrapping is a form of paint protection for cars. It involves carefully applying sections of the pressure-sensitive vinyl film to each panel and area of your car one by one. It takes a lot of precision and skill to use it properly. Still, the result is like an entirely new “skin” for the car that acts as a physical barrier between the OEM paint job and the many contaminants and dangers to the paint on the road and elsewhere.
The wrapping process can take anywhere from 1-3 days, depending on the team size. Beyond that, the vinyl wrap also needs time to cure, adding 24 hours. It could take the better part of a week to get your car wrapped up. How long does a wrap last on a car?
The good news is that a well-executed vinyl wrap will last for years, about 5 to 7 years, to be precise. For some people, that might be the entire ownership period of that particular car. After 5 to 7 years, the natural wear and tear on the wrap will begin to show. The vinyl will start to crack, peel and fade in color. It has been bearing the brunt of the sun’s UV radiation for all that time.
A vinyl wrap is an expensive job to have done professionally. It will typically cost at least $2,000-$2,500 and can range up to $10,000 depending on the size of your car and the exact color or pattern of the vinyl film being used. We detail pricing variations in our article - how much does a good car wrap cost ?
It is undoubtedly expensive, especially considering that you could, in theory, do a DIY job for a fraction of that cost, probably well under $2,000. The difference is the quality, of course. What really makes a vinyl wrap last longer on a car is the quality of the application.
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If you want to get seven years out of a vinyl wrap, then using an experienced and skilled professional team is very important. When you factor in the lifespan of the wrap, the amount of protection and potential paint correction cost it can save, as well as its help in retaining your car’s resale value, and the price between $2,500 and $10,000 starts to look worthwhile.
Like anything else in the automotive world, there are pros and cons to getting a vinyl wrap on your car. Below we’ll detail the advantages and disadvantages of these car wraps.
How long does a car wrap last? As mentioned above, it can last for as long as seven years on your car. That’s continuous and consistent protection without any need to top up or maintain the effect beyond keeping the vinyl film intact.
With things like paint sealants and synthetic waxes, their effect tends to last up to a year at the most, which means you have to keep “topping up” your protection while losing efficacy between applications.
Ceramic coating lasts much longer than any self-applied wax, but it can’t offer the same physical protection as the vinyl wrap. A ceramic coating could last up to several years, but all that time, you are still at risk of taking damage from rock chips and similar debris.
A vinyl wrap is so much more than mere paint protection. It’s also a way to give your car an entirely new look. You can go for something quite ordinary, like another solid metallic color, or opt for different patterns, styles, and finishes to change your car's appearance dramatically.
For example, you could go for a pink, glittery Mercedes-Benz S Class or a camouflage pattern Jeep Grand Cherokee, things that the OEM would never offer. 3M vinyls provide excellent coverage with a bunch of color options.
Right now, the vast majority of cars in the world fall into a tiny number of colors --- white, silver, black, and gray. That’s it! For this reason, so many cars on the market end up looking the same. A vinyl wrap helps an otherwise mass-produced vehicle–one among many–stand out as an individual machine and better reflect your personality.
Vinyl wraps don’t just offer the same protection as most ceramic coatings and waxes but also enhanced physical protection from debris that will easily do serious (and expensive) damage to the paint.
Rock chips, in particular, are a danger to the front end of your car, which is why many people opt for front-end-only applications of things like a clear bra (paint protection film). A vinyl wrap offers all the protection your paint needs and, when properly applied, will sit atop the paint for years without doing any damage itself.
One of the most significant factors in getting the best possible price for your used car when selling is the visual impact the buyer receives during their first impression. When you can bring the color as close as possible to showroom quality, then you are more likely able to negotiate a better price, and buyers are generally willing to pay more for a car that really looks like new.
Related: Truck Wraps - All You Need To Know
Vinyl wrap can offer you seven years of paint being covered and shielded from things like UV radiation which can fade the paint over time. On removing the vinyl wrap, you can wash and detail the paint, apply a coat of carnauba wax and suddenly have a car that might be 6-7 years old but still looks stunning. The first indication to the buyer will be, “this guy knows how to take care of a car.”
The main downside to getting a vinyl wrap is the cost. It is an expensive process, and even with the benefits that come with it over the many years that a car wrap lasts on a vehicle, you do still have to be able to meet that initial cost.
An option for a lower-cost route is wrapping a vehicle yourself, but as mentioned above, that can be risky and may only last for a while. Check out our article on sizing guides for buying vinyl for DIY applications.
Whatever level of protection it gives, it can’t offer a total guarantee that the paint won’t undertake any damage. In fact, sometimes having vinyl wrap (or other high-cost professional forms of paint protection) can lead some drivers to be less careful, thinking their paint is essentially impervious to harm. This can increase the chances of damage due to lack of care.
Aside from the cost of getting the vinyl wrap done, there is also a significant risk of it being applied poorly by the auto shop doing the job. Sometimes you need a better installer, even if you thought the company looked legitimate. This leads to bad outcomes for you. Furthermore, when it’s put on poorly, vinyl wrap looks awful, like a smartphone screen protector put on wrongly with its bubbles and inconsistencies. It won’t enhance your car’s aesthetic one bit.
Overall, it’s quite clear that a vinyl wrap is a neat solution to paint protection needs for many cars. Some people live in environments where the threats to the integrity of their paint are more pronounced than others.
For example, dry and dusty environments with dry debris like sand and rock chips in the road are great places to have a vinyl wrap. Another example could be a coastal environment where sea salt in the air can get embedded in the paint and accelerate problems with corrosion. Vinyl wraps can protect against all these things.
For others, it might not be a practical move, but preserving the original paint and bringing an entirely new look to their vehicle can still be a great idea. In a world of mass-produced cars, it can pay to stand out from the crowd, and a vinyl wrap can help you do that. The lasting protection and effect of the wrap make it an excellent investment.
If you have any questions on iridescent car wrap. We will give the professional answers to your questions.