Decal or paint? Fresh color - fresh car: all about paint and film!

Nothing enhances a car quite like an eye-catching color. A freshly painted, shiny car has a significantly higher value than a dull, scratched, dented and rusty car. The traditional craft of car painting is in strong competition: car wrapping. Read here everything you need to know about wrapping and painting.

New paint for old cars - the traditional way

Repainting a car is a traditional way of updating a non-repairable exterior finish.

This is an extreme measure when cleaning and polishing will not do anything: holes or dents filled with rust, dull or scratched paintwork and deep scratches are no longer amenable to cosmetic repair . The only option here is partial or complete new paintwork.

• Partial painting aligned wheel arches or other small body elements is not particularly difficult. With careful preparation and a small amount of exercises, even a non-professional will definitely get adequate results. However, let one thing be very clear: do-it-yourself solutions will never be anything but pre-repair .

• Total repaint happens different. First of all, this requires expensive equipment, such as, for example, a spray booth with burners. A flawless finish requires a professional painter, which makes a full car repaint an expensive undertaking. Expect at least 3000 euros for professional painting.

Car wrapping - an alternative to painting

Wrapping a car is the application of a special film to the body of a car. The foil is made flexible by blowing hot air so that it sticks to tricky places like corners. Car wrap sounds easy however, it requires the same skills as painting.

However, wrapping a car has a number of advantages:

– unlimited choice of colors and patterns – adequate paint protection – faster and cheaper painting – the possibility of individual design - the possibility of color effects that are impossible when painting.

Packing costs OK. 30% - 50% of the cost professional painting. The result can be stunning: a dull used car miraculously transforms into a breathtaking beauty with breathtaking effects .

Foil flip flop design is currently available, which is almost unavailable as a paint finish. Even custom designs are possible. . The pattern is printed directly on the roll - it's much cheaper than painting .

Do-it-yourself packaging?

Experts generally recommend using professional packaging services . We are speaking: the proof is in the pudding . The advantage of packaging is that not much can go wrong. If the attempt is not successful, you can always contact a professional.

The situation is different with the paintwork: If you make a mistake here, the repair will be much more expensive.

Before wrapping your own hands, it is very important to read all the information you can and look at all the tutorials that you can find on the Internet. Wrapping requires several tools, none of which are very expensive.

The foil itself is also very cheap: a roll of quality branded foil costs approx. €20 (± £18) . Of course, this price guarantees a DIY attempt. The most important tools for car wrapping is patience, a firm hand, tolerance for disappointments and pride in the result.

When to wrap?

In principle, the use of a full protective coating always makes sense. Keeps the paintwork in perfect condition.

• This makes wrapping a rental car an economical factor: when returning the car, the protective film is removed, and the dealer receives the car without defects, which gives a threefold refund on the cost of wrapping .

• This step is especially recommended for vans: manufacturers often carelessly paint Ducato, Sprinter, etc. , which leads to the rapid development of rust on these worn-out vehicles. The use of a protective film allows you to foresee the moment of return with confidence. Where other delivery vans end up in a landfill packed van can remain in working order for many years.

In addition, wrapping is a quick way to give a car extravagant color pattern . Passionate car enthusiasts have a cheap way to make their car stand out.

• However, there is one downside. . Foil is very susceptible to cleaning. Taking it to any car wash can ruin the whole job. . Scratches cannot be polished off the foil.
• In this case lacquer coating has an advantage . Therefore, wrapped cars should always be washed by hand. . It is very important to wipe the car with a microfiber cloth immediately after washing. In bright sunlight, water droplets act like burning glass, damaging the foil and the adhesive underneath. The second disadvantage of automotive film is its limited durability. After a maximum of seven years, the adhesive loses its adhesive properties and the film begins to flake off. This means a new wrapper.

Supplement - no replacement

Car wrapping is an interesting addition to the paintwork . However, this is not a valid alternative. Although wrapping can save the value of a new car , it cannot add as much value to a used car as a professional paint job can.

Therefore, our recommendation is somewhere in the middle. On used cars, painting and wrapping complement each other perfectly. . Professional painting makes the metal beautiful and durable again. Exposed plastic parts such as the side mirror and bumper can be protected cheaply with a wrap.

A special film that protects the front of the car from rockfalls helps to preserve valuable paintwork . It all depends on what you are trying to achieve. Wrapping and painting are two ways to improve the color of a car that are complementary rather than competing methods.