Vehicle wrap

[Odilian Gosselin]

How To Prepare Your Vehicle For A Vinyl Wrap Or Decal

 

[White Haus]

Are you referring to surface preparation?

https://sdgmag.com/features/prep-you-wrap

 

[jwilde]

My biggest thing is get it cleaned. Anything on the surface such as dirt, bugs, tar will bump beneath the vinyl.
Don't use any detergents with wax or ammonia.
You have to pay special attention to the areas that you normally don't, like door jambs, inside the gas cover, the wheel well flange... The inclination is... It's washed and looks good, but in reality those areas that you don't see are the most important ones to clean as those are where your vinyl edges will be and most likely lift.

We use a primer 94 in some cases, but keep some in the can. A lot of people use the heck out of this stuff and it will show if you do. So if you do use this, use it sparingly and regardless of use or not be sure to post heat your high stretch areas.

I like to get it indoors the day before so everything can acclimate (no matter the climate you're in).

 

[Jester1167]

My biggest thing is get it cleaned. Anything on the surface such as dirt, bugs, tar will bump beneath the vinyl.
Don't use any detergents with wax or ammonia.
You have to pay special attention to the areas that you normally don't, like door jambs, inside the gas cover, the wheel well flange... The inclination is... It's washed and looks good, but in reality those areas that you don't see are the most important ones to clean as those are where your vinyl edges will be and most likely lift.

We use a primer 94 in some cases, but keep some in the can. A lot of people use the heck out of this stuff and it will show if you do. So if you do use this, use it sparingly and regardless of use or not be sure to post heat your high stretch areas.

I like to get it indoors the day before so everything can acclimate (no matter the climate you're in).

I require the client to take it through the car wash the day before and then drop it off the night before. Just Like jwilde it goes inside to acclimatize the night before. It will take a minimum of overnight for the seams to dry out. I typically start some of the disassembly the night before as well.

We ask the clients to do the cheapest wash WITHOUT wax, rain-x, or tire shine. Rain-X and tire shine are a pain to get off and will add hours to your cleaning schedule.. Vinyl will not stick to either and wax isn't helpful as well.

Just because the client washed it doesn't meant its clean, and it's far from it.

What cleaner you use depends on the contaminates left behind. I usually start with the harshest solvents or chemicals required first and work my way down. Tar and grease can be removed with solvents or a citrus based degreaser. I start with these because they leave a lot of oily residue. Heavy wax minor tar and bug guts you can use Prepsol. Next, dirt and bugs come off best with soap and water. Avoid soaps with extra additives like smells or lotions, were taking contaminates off not putting them on. The last cleaning step should always be isopropyl alcohol. Do not use denatured alcohol! It contains additives to make it undrinkable. Those additive are manufacture specific but mostly petroleum based and leave an oily residue behind.

As jwilde said, pay close attention to the seams and edges. If your going to push the vinyl in there it has to be squeaky clean. Through all the cleaning steps you have been pushing contaminants into those cracks. Putting a squeegee in a rag works well for hard to reach areas, also, open up doors clean the edges and jambs, hood, trunk, gas cap...

Also it is always a good idea to clean beyond the areas you are installing vinyl. otherwise the dirt can migrate, ending underneath the vinyl. If you have an air compressor you can blow out any water or dirt in the seams before the final cleaning.

 

[Odilian Gosselin]

Are you referring to surface preparation?

https://sdgmag.com/features/prep-you-wrap

Thanks for the link. I learn more about the vinyl wrap