Car Customization: Should You Paint or Wrap Your Car?

Introduction

A car’s exterior glimpse is among the primary considerations that matter to a caring owner. Most people are adopting decent maintenance to the exteriors of their cars. Among the aspects of conserving a nice exterior, it comes down to how to coat the car’s body, either through painting or use of a car vinyl wrap.

In the past, people utilized painting their cars, but as time progressed, car wraps were invented. Even though most people have come to comprehend car wraps recently, they were actually invented in the mid-20th century.

So, how can we compare painting a car and wrapping it?

1. Applying

Paint jobs come in varied varieties depending on quality and price. No matter what kind of paint job you want for your car, there are some major steps that are key when painting:

The old paint has to be scrapped off
All paint jobs require multiple coats
Each coat of the new paint needs time to dry for a couple of hours each

Some paint jobs are cheap because fewer coats are used or range with the quality of paint. Most paint jobs performed by experienced dealers may vary for an average of five days for a cheap cost up to an average of three weeks for expensive and quality paintwork.

On the other hand, wraps take lesser time to apply compared to painting. Once your design is finalized, it can take up to three days to install the wrap. Installing a car wrap requires you to wash, and dry the car’s body and then start applying the wrap. When installing a vinyl car wrap, the vehicle should be/have a well-painted surface in good condition. Rough spots/ imperfections inhibit proper vinyl adhesion.

2. Cost

Paint jobs come in varied levels of quality hence the prices vary. In Kenya, a paint job can go for an average of Ksh 30,000 on the cheaper side for an experienced dealer. The costs depend on the application method and the coats applied.

A car wrap can go for a minimum of Ksh 20,000 on the cheaper side for an experienced dealer. Prices also vary depending on the number of output skills directed toward the work.

3. Customization

Customizing a car’s paint job is more hectic compared to using a vinyl car wrap. The process of customization while painting is rather tiring and time-consuming. This is because a lot of processes have to go on the surface that needs customization.

Vinyl wraps give you a variety of customization preferences and are easy to apply once the design is completed. Graphics of any kind can be reproduced on vinyl car wraps and additionally, you can use wraps with perforated decals which can be fitted on the car windows. These wraps can tiny the car’s windows whereby on the inside, the passenger sees a continuous tint while on the outside there are various colors and portrayals. Company vehicles mostly apply this kind of wrap.

4. Removing

Paint is permanent. Removing paint from a car is costly and time-consuming.

A car wrap can easily be removed and the wrap maintains the state of the car’s original paint as to the time the wrap was applied.

5. Maintenance

Paint requires higher maintenance compared to vinyl car wraps. If you don’t wash and cover your car regularly with a protective coat of wax, the paint might wear out faster. Microparticles accumulate in the paint pores and break them down over time.

Car wraps are easier to maintain as they don’t allow microscopic dust to embed on their surface. Just wash the surface normal and wipe it.

6. Durability

The durability of paint jobs varies. Cheap paint jobs may last for a couple of years. Expensive paint jobs might last up to the vehicle’s lifetime if well looked after, maybe with a few minor fading from UV rays.

Car wraps can last for up to ten years if looked after properly. The lasting period also depends on your location and the driving conditions you face.

In most scenarios, people apply car wraps for a minimal period. Perhaps to match the occasion, express a message, or for fun.

Just as there are different shades of car paint so do car vinyl wraps: