How To Remove A Vinyl Car Wrap?

Vinyl car wraps are an easy way to change the colour of your car, advertise your business, or provide some protection from nicks, scratches, and environmental damage. Whether it’s DIY or a professionally installed job, you’ll see vinyl wraps popping up all over the place these days, showing off everything from colour shifting beauties to highly visible marketing logos.

One of the attractive features of vinyl wraps is their removability. They’re touted as a temporary option that can be changed or removed at any time to reveal a protected paint job beneath. If you’re wondering how to do this, we’ll walk you through the steps as well as give you a few things to consider before you choose your first (or next) wrap to make this process easier.

A lot of vinyl companies will tell you that their wraps last a decade or more, but they’re actually easiest to remove in the first few years. It’s worth considering this before making the investment because the longer you keep your wrap, the more likely you are to require professional removal services if you don’t want to damage your paint. Keeping a wrap no longer than about five years makes taking it off a significantly easier process.

You should also ask about what kinds of products the company is using to help speed up the wrap process. A good vinyl wrap doesn’t require any primer, and in fact, a primer can make the removal much more difficult, so choose a shop that takes the time to do the installation properly without one. This goes for any DIY job as well.

It’s always a good idea to test removal on a small section of your car so that if you run into problems, you can seek out expert advice. In addition to primer, vinyl quality and age, weathering, and even installation techniques can all affect how easily it lifts.

Start at a corner or seam and use a heat gun to heat a small area of vinyl. Be careful not to hold the heat in one place long enough to bubble or burn the vinyl. Applying heat at a low angle will help to prevent having the adhesive split from the vinyl. You might find that the warmth of the sun is enough to make the vinyl removable, but it’s generally recommended that you work in a shop or garage where conditions can be controlled.

Gently lift the vinyl on an angle of no more than 45 degrees, being careful not to yank it. As soon as you begin to feel resistance, reapply heat. Make sure heat is directed onto the vinyl and not onto the car’s paint, which can discolour or burn. Applying heat evenly avoids hot spots that can contribute to leaving more adhesive behind.

It’s unlikely the vinyl will lift in a single piece but the fewer the pieces, the more smoothly the removal process will go. Work slowly side to side or top to bottom and apply consistent force to avoid tearing the vinyl. A plastic razor or wooden scraper will help lift the edges of the pieces as you go.

Once you’ve removed all of the vinyl, you may be left with a sticky adhesive residue. If this is the case, use a car-friendly cleaning solution like Goo Gone Automotive. Spray the sticky area and let it sit for half an hour or more, then remove the residue with a clean microfibre cloth. A plastic card will help to scrape off any stubborn adhesive.

A final wipe with some isopropyl alcohol on a soft cloth should restore your car’s paint job to its original look. Depending on how long the wrap has been on, you may notice a bit of permanent discolouring. This can happen when a wrap has outlived its life expectancy. Avoid leaving a wrap in place longer than is recommended by the manufacturer of the vinyl.

A fresh vinyl wrap makes your vehicle look like new, but over time, abrasions, lifted edges, weathering and sun damage all contribute to an aged appearance. When it’s time to remove the vinyl, you can use these tips to complete the job yourself, but ask for expert advice if you run into trouble. Professional installers have special tools and techniques they can use to complete a vinyl removal without damaging the paint. Investing in their services may actually save you a lot of money in the long run.

Now you’re ready to start planning for your next vinyl wrap. If you’ve removed your old wrap because of a collision that requires paint repairs, make sure you allow paint to cure for a couple of weeks before applying any new vinyl. This will help ensure that the paint isn’t damaged later on during wrap removal.

Vinyl wraps are an easy way to change the look of your car or advertise your business, but they don’t last forever. Eventually, you’ll need to remove your vinyl wrap with patience and a little elbow grease. Now you know how to make it even easier next time, so enjoy your brand new wrap without worry!

a href= "https://choice.wraps.marketing"Choice Wraps specialize in car wraps and custom vinyl wrap decals. We cater to customers from out of town and are local automotive film enthusiasts in Edmonton.