When is Paint Protection Film Worth It?
Deciding whether to use paint protection or not is an important decision that you should make at some point for your car. Here are some considerations to guide you with this decision.
An Introduction to Paint Protection
Paint protection products are an invisible film that creates a glossy coat that stretches over your vehicle. The coating serves to safeguard your vehicle from the kinds of regular damage that happen throughout the day.
In general, people consider it more worth it to apply protection to the areas of your vehicle that are more likely to become damaged than others. This includes the front of your car especially, for example, since this is where a lot of damage is going to be hitting as you drive forward.
This includes the hood, side view mirrors, door handles, and other parts of your car where particles are going to be rushing by as you drive.
The truth is, however, that just about any part of your car is susceptible to paint damage to some degree. You can apply protection just about anywhere, including fenders, bumpers, rocker panels, and just about anywhere else. It’s often a wise idea to just paint protect the whole vehicle so that there’s no area you have to worry about.
After all, damage to any part of the car will look bad, and potentially cause problems to other parts.
Advantages of PPF
PPF has many advantages to it that are worth considering to see if you want to try out the protection.
Rock Chips
When deciding when paint protection film is worth it, you should consider some of the strengths of the approach. For example, you get top protection against potential damage threats like rock chips. This means that if you are often in situations where you’re driving on gravel or in four-wheeling type situations where it’s going to be more likely that rocks will be flying at the car, you should consider PPF since it’s unlikely you will find better protection anywhere else.
Excellent Anti-Scratch
This type of paint protection means that it’s much less likely that scratches are going to make it to the paint. Again, you should consider the situation. If you’ve noticed many scratches on your vehicles previously, or if you’re in a situation where your car is prone to scratches, considering this kind of product will certainly be a wise idea.
Self-Healing
Many PPF products can self-heal to a degree. This means that if the film itself sustains damage, it’s possible for some of it to regrow based on the chemical makeup of the film. This can be advantageous in the sense that you don’t have to worry all the time about having to constantly reapply the film. It automatically resists some of the pressure put on it, regenerating to a degree.
Durability
Some films can last for many years. It’s not unheard of for a film to be able to continue protecting your car for as long as a decade. This means that for 10 years you won’t have to worry as much about scratches, chips, or other potential damage to your car and its paint. For many people, this kind of peace of mind can be worth the price of the film all by itself, nevermind with all of the other possible advantages added on top of that.
Other Factors
It can be a dangerous road out there, and there are a hundred potential issues that can cause damage to your paint and behind. One reason why the film is so useful is that it can account for many of the unknowns. You never quite know for sure what’s coming down the next bend, which is exactly why having a strong paint protection film in place to cover just about anything is so useful.
It can keep your vehicle safe from threats that you may not even recognize or be able to imagine first. This way you can be proactive rather than having to react all the time and hope for the best.
When Is Paint Protection Worth It
There’s definitely an argument to be made that paint protection is almost always worth it since prevention is often less expensive than repairing the damage. However, in general, there are some considerations that could increase the urgency.
This depends on how much the appearance of your car is worth to you. Any damage to the paint at any spot is going to affect the aesthetics of the whole vehicle, for example.
It also depends on how much you value prevention over repairs, and how much your car is worth to you in general. This consideration applies to both the sentimental value as well as the material value of the car.
If the car is worth a lot of money, then protecting it just makes good financial sense. If it’s a vehicle you are fond of, then protecting it is also worth it for that reason.
Plus, you should also ask yourself how often you drive on the highway and how much swirl marks or scratches are going to bother you. Driving on the highway is going to considerably increase the possibility of getting hit with pebbles, rocks, and other particles that count as everyday damage to your vehicle.
On top of that, losing potential resale value is going to be a factor as well in your decision as to when to add protection.
Getting Started
If you’ve weighed all of the different factors and ultimately decided that paint protection is the way to go, the important thing is to get started as quickly as possible. The longer you delay in getting started, the more possibilities there are for damage happening before you can get the film in place. Then, you’ll have to fix those first on top of getting the new film.
For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. The faster you contact us, the faster we can get the film applied to your car in order to give it the best possible protection right away, before anything else happens.
- How to Fix Paint Chips On a Car in 6 Steps - August 25, 2024
- Installing PPF on the 2024 Ford Maverick: Elite Window Tinting on Engineering Explained - June 17, 2024
- Choosing Between Paint Correction and Repainting: What’s Best for Your Car? - April 29, 2024