Car washes, PPF, & ceramic coating - why it's bad for your car!

PPF vs. Vinyl Wrap: Unveiling the Differences and Making the Right Choice for Your Vehicle

Professional ceramic car coating - how does it work?

Ceramic coating and PPF offer dual protection from the elements. These treatments simplify maintenance while guarding against rock chips and scratches.

Are you caught in the dilemma of choosing between vinyl wrap and clear bra, also known as paint protection film (PPF) IN THE Copperas Cove/Killeen/Harker Heights area? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dissect the distinctions between these two automotive enhancements, shedding light on their purposes, thickness, protective capabilities, durability, and more. Join us as we navigate the world of PPF vs. vinyl wrap, helping you make an informed decision for your vehicle’s appearance and protection needs.

Sort of. If you search for “clear bra near me” or some other location-based search, such as “clear bra Killeen TX,” you might get some search results or discussions about Xpel, a brand of paint protection film. Xpel is a great brand! You might hear some people say “Xpel it!” to new car owners, but, in general, they mean “clear bra.” In the English language, this is known as a “proprietary eponym,” or you might hear it called a “generic trademark.” If you’ve ever applied a Band-Aid instead of an adhesive bandage, moisturized your lip with Chapstick instead of lip balm, thrown away trash in a Dumpster instead of a trash bin, or wiped away tears with a Kleenex instead of facial tissue, you know what we mean. If you’re interested in this sort of thing, you can see more examples here. Xpel is very similar to this in that the company Xpel has become synonymous with “clear bra,” “paint protection film,” or “PPF.”

We are going to give you some pointers when you pick up, and we also include the note included below. In addition, we have dedicated aftercare sections of our website to provide you with product recommendations and instructions. You can also view the video we created below that teaches you how to care for both ceramic coatings and paint protection film (clear bra).  Aftercare Instructions Please avoid washing the car for 3-5 days as the PPF is drying, and for another 7 days, avoid scrubbing hard as the ceramic coating cures. You may notice small water spots under the film as the film dries. This will go away (usually) as it is exposed to more sun and just naturally. Due to the fact that PPF is a wet-apply method, this is common. Please avoid trying to press down or move the water during this period. Letting the moisture evaporate naturally results in a better final appearance. We heat treat the edges on all PPF to attempt to avoid any lifting. In some cases, we try to anticipate where body panels might flex or what might be likely to lift and trim away or apply extra heat. If you find some edges are lifting over the next two weeks (this is the industry standard), please make note, and we will trim everything we can at once. We use computer software and a large plotter to print most of our body panels. We make every attempt to ensure uniformity and the smallest amount of imperfections as possible. We spend hours trimming, scanning, and doing what we can to ensure a near perfect delivery. Rest assured, if we wouldn’t want it on our own BMW i8, we won’t let it leave our shop. With that said, if you are dissatisfied with any portion of the installation, please do not hesitate to reach out so that we may discuss solutions for you. We are a small business, and our relationships are the most important part of the job. On lighter-colored vehicles, dirt will begin to accumulate on the edges of the PPF. The dirt is also there on darker vehicles, but it just isn’t noticeable. The ceramic coating helps with this cleanup process, but a great tip is to use a clean, soft-bristled toothbrush to lightly brush the edges if they become too unsightly. Using a pressure washer closer than 3ft away, especially near the edges, or with a narrow tip (25 degree or up is preferred, 0 or 15 degree could cut the PPF if the pressure washer is powerful enough and placed too close), could damage the PPF, get water under the film, or lift the edges. Automatic car washes with brushes will scrub the ceramic coating off the film and will damage the PPF!! We do not recommend even touchless car washes for PPF as you have no control over the degrees of spray, the chemicals used, etc. To clean the vehicle regularly we recommend using rinseless wash. We use Americana Global products (americanaglobal.com) and use code HHCC10 to receive 10% off for however long you use their products. Rinseless wash comes in 32oz or other containers, and we recommend diluting it one ounce to one gallon, so you can get 32 gallons from one container. All films are self-healing, meaning smaller scratches and imperfections will improve or go away entirely with heat (from the sun, etc). The films are thick, and will prevent most rock chips. However, the film is a sacrificial layer and could be damaged by a large enough piece of debris at a high enough speed. Final Thoughts Lastly, you have chosen to protect your vehicle as much as possible! The film will last over 10 years (most automotive clearcoats are only rated 10-15 years on their own), it won’t yellow, and you should have no issues. However, the film is not impervious to water spots, bird droppings, and other things like sap. Try to remove these as fast as possible, especially within the first few weeks. If water spots do not come out in the future, you can try a mix of vinegar and water.

2022 Dodge Charger Ceramic Coating Process in Copperas Cove/Killeen/Harker Heights

Rock chips or debris that penetrate the paint protection film, bird droppings/bug guts/hard water spots that are left to etch into the clear bra are not warrantable items, nor are wash damage items such as cutting the film with a pressure washer, taking it through an automatic car wash, or lifting the edges with a pressure washer. The clear bra/paint protection film is designed to be a sacrificial layer for your paint. It IS possible that a rock or other piece of debris, traveling at a high enough rate, could penetrate the film. This is fairly rare, but depending on driving conditions, road construction, and mileage/stance of the vehicle, is possible, and not warrantable. Other items are at fault to the owner of the vehicle, and not warrantable, although Harker Heights Ceramic Coatings makes EVERY effort to work with clients to fix/repair damage to the clear bra/paint as cheaply and painlessly as possible.

Our Fort Cavazos (Fort Hood) soldier brought us his brand new Honda Civic for ceramic coating to make it a lot easier to clean up. Ceramic coating does not stop rock chips or scratches, but it DOES, in a way, provide some swirls resistance in the sense that it requires less effort (which in turn lessens the pressure on the paint). The post 2024 Honda Civic Ceramic Coating Process in Copperas Cove/Killeen/Harker Heights appeared first on Harker Heights Ceramic Coatings.