Paint protection film Lincoln, known as PPF as well as other names are used for a fantastic product that revolutionized the world of automobiles over fifteen years ago. In the last 10-12 years, the films have become very attractive with regard to texture, application as well as overall performance and endurance. The majority of films made by reliable brands have been able to provide excellent anti-UV and self-healing characteristics over the past decade, and the last couple of years, we’ve seen improvement on stain-resistant properties, a simpler installation (which results in less marks when installing) and hydrophobic properties. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the film? Here are some ideas I’ve had after working on the film for around 8-9 years…
I’ll begin with the negatives since I believe they’re more of a debateable and subjective issue than”con “con” however I’ll mention them nonetheless. Let me go over the pros and cons. The two things I am talking about are maintenance and aesthetics.
As far as aesthetics go, PPF will never look as clean, deep, and free of texture like paint. It’s typically 6-8 mil thick , and is basically an object of plastic, which is why it’s bound have some texture. However, certain films on the market (such as the old “regular” Suntek C) have a better appearance with regard to texture than others, therefore the difference between painted and unpainted paint isn’t much.
Additionally, there are times when film cannot be wrapped around certain crevices in the paint, which means that parts of it appear. This is evident on silver vehicles based on my personal experience. A skilled installer will put those edges as near to edge of the panel as they can (sometimes just to the curvature on the edge) and then it will disappear.
In the end, these are controversial cons… It’s part of the material, so if you’re looking to protect yourself, you need to take care of it. However, a good installation using a quality film can make you forget you’ve got film in your vehicle within days. I’d like to compare this with actual glass in cars. For instance although however clear windshield glass is, it’s not as clear through it like you could without it, but you require glass to shield against wind and elements. It’s not an issue with the film; rather, you have it on your vehicle to perform a particular task and it does it effectively.
Another issue is the need for maintenance. If you suffer scratches, staining or other similar defects on the paint, these could remain there for a long time. If you find such flaws in the paint, they could often be polished and repaired, and the paint will be restored to the condition it was prior to the defect. This could be considered an omen, however the film acts as a sacrifice layer in order to guard against scratches or scratches or other damage.
You must also be cautious around the mentioned edge of your film when performing all sorts of maintenance. One of the most common issues I’ve encountered is when using an air pressure washer close to the edge, as it could cause it to lift, particularly when it is angled directly into the edge. A bit of common sense can solve the problem. Apart from that, edges are likely to accumulate polish, wax, etc. So you might have to seal them off or be near certain products.
I’m not able to think of anything else that could be considered a negative to PPF. But, there are certainly benefits.
Advantages:
I’d love to claim that there are numerous advantages, but there’s one… there’s the film, and it does what it’s designed to do extremely effectively. The most obvious is the fact that there aren’t any rocks chips, and the “peppered” appearance on the front or rocker panels. There’s also the fact that it guards against scratches that can happen every day like kids riding along the road on bikes, putting things in the trunk, or simply opening the door too wide and hitting the wall. Additionally, it has specific applications, such as the use of it on delicate interior trims that can scratch easily, the areas of the engine bay where wires or hoses can rub paint and the headlight lens protection to avoid the lens from yellowing (along with chips, of course!). Other uses for film can be found in various locations around the car, in which things like door sills can rub against the paint, window trims will rub against to the upper part of the doors, and roof racks to prevent scratching when objects are moving up there.
There are a myriad of applications 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 specific areas on all of the above , or all of it and it does an outstanding job of keeping the surface in excellent condition. On bicycles , it aids enormously when cables rub and popping up from below, chains slamming the frame, etc. On my motorcycle , it’s fantastic everywhere but especially in the tank, where your legs rub against the sides and top when filling it up.
We’ve also done several installations on table tops using costly materials that require protection from the elements, carbon fiber pieces, as well as expensive home appliances to shield the paint from scratches from the use of.
Overall I’m a huge advocate of PPF and would highly recommend to anyone looking for any subject. There is of course a price to be considered and this is usually the thing that guides the coverage of a vehicle owned by a client however, any film is certainly superior to none.
