All About Paint Protection Film (PPF) in Midland, MI.

what you need to know about paint protection film

Why would you want paint protection film?

Let's start off with why you would even want paint protection film. If you are someone who loves their vehicle, you want it to stay looking newer for longer, and don't want your paint to be damaged, then paint protection film is for you. Often called, PPF, these films are installed on vehicles to prevent:

• Rock chips
• Scrapes and scuffs 
• Bug splatter etchings
• Scratches and swirl marks

So if you want to prevent these types of damages from happening and want your car to stay looking newer for longer, then PPF is for you.

Are there different paint protection films?

There are many different paint protection films on the market including, Premium Shield, Llumar, Suntek, Kavaca, Xpel, and many others. There are some DIY kits available to the general public and most films are professional only installation. Each brand of PPF has their own levels of paint protection films each with different warranties, thicknesses, and top coat abilities.

In general most high quality films include:

• Adhesive backing to bond to paint
• Soft polyurethane layer for impact absorption
• Top coat that self heals or is hydrophobic
• 5 year to lifetime warranties

There is no "best" ppf on the market. Only the best for you. There are DIY kits out there but I recommend avoiding them, here's why:

Paint Protection Film Installation

Installing PPF is by far the most difficult part to the process. There are many different and expensive components needed to to properly install PPF. It also takes training, certifications, and large investments to install PPF to a high quality. Installing paint protection film starts with:

1. Preparing the vehicle, getting all debris and contamination off of the surfaces.
2. Doing any paint correction and removal of swirl marks/scratches.
3. Pre cutting the film to fit the panels using a plotter.
4. Applying the film. This is the most difficult part, stretching, manipulation, and reducing contamination under the film is what takes years of experience and thousands of dollars of investment.
5. Curing and drying of the film.
6. Last step protection which can include application of sealants or in most cases a ceramic coating.

What to look for in a PPF installer.

There will be many people or shops that claim that they do paint protection film. There are so many different ways that PPF can go wrong including cut paint due to poor trimming, stretch marks, adhesive marks, marring, and air bubbles under the film. These DO NOT go away. It is best to do your research when choosing a PPF installer. Thoroughly vet them out.

• Check out their reviews and reputation
• Look through their pictures
• Do they work on the level of car you have?
• Do you trust them?
• Are they insured? Are they in a clean shop?

What you can expect with PPF

Paint protection film is very resilient, it can handle a lot of abuse. However, it is not bullet proof, very large objects can still dent the panel or if sharp enough can puncture through the film. Your film can still be scratched if severe enough and chipped if the impact is big enough.

9 times out of 10 can expect that your paint stay in near perfect condition under the film, free of rock chips and damage. If you have a self healing film then you can expect most scratches and swirl marks to self heal away leaving a great shine.

The Detail Doc

At The Detail Doc we make PPF easy for you. We use one of the highest quality paint protections films by premium shield. It comes with a lifetime warranty and effective self healing abilities. We ensure an install that is as seamless as possible with tucked edges where possible and high quality in all measures. Contact us for paint protection film services near the Midland, MI area.