Guest post: Protecting your car from summer heat
The Summer is upon us. The beaches, the woods and mountains, and of course the long road trips with the brutal sun beating down on a car’s paint. The summer heat, while great for getting out and about, can also be damaging to a car’s paint. There are many different things that can damage your car’s paint, not least of which is the sun. The UV rays from the sun act on paint in a similar fashion to the way they do on a person’s skin. Just as sunburn can turn skin red, so can the sun discolor paint. However, a paint protection film can do just what the name implies and protect a vehicle’s paint from the effects of the summer.
What is Paint Protection Film?
Paint Protection Film (PPF) is a clear, high quality urethane film that is applied to a car’s paint coat in order to protect it. In many ways it is like the screen protector one would put on their smartphone screen. It can protect paint from scratches, dings, the unfortunate bug splatter, and of course the damage caused by the sun’s UV rays.
How does it protect the paint from the sun?
Paint Protection Film has ultra violet stabilizers that allow light to pass through naturally, letting the color of the paint shine at its best, while at the same time blocking UV light from damaging or discoloring the paint. To borrow from the example about sunburn above, the PPF is like sunscreen for your car. It keeps the sun from fading the paint prematurely. It also happens to have the bonus of keeping the paint from small scratches as well.
How is PPF applied?
PPF comes precut to fit on specific areas of the car. That way installers don’t need to cut the material anywhere near the car, which prevents damage from occurring during installation. It is most useful in areas where impact with small objects are most likely, like on the bumpers and hood of the car, but the sun can damage paint anywhere on the car, so installing it over the whole body keeps paint color consistent everywhere.
Is Paint Protection Film necessary?
It depends. There are plenty of other ways to protect a car from the effects of the sun, the simplest of which is to park it in a garage, or in a shady area. But a garage hides the car, and shady areas are prone to sticky sap dropping from trees or troublesome birds leaving their mark. PPF will allow for a car to be left in a more visible place where it can be seen by the world. Many cars already have a clear coat of paint that can provide some protection, and waxing a car regularly also provides protection from the sun and scratches, but must be reapplied much more often. Still, to keep a car looking its absolute best for the longest with the least amount of effort, Paint Protection Film is a must. And doubling up on PPF and a good waxing keeps a car looking even better.
Paint Protection Film protects cars from dings, scratches and the heat of the summer sun. It is a must have to keep cars looking their best all summer long, and well into the seasons that follow.
