Watch Protection

The condition of paintwork varies from vehicle to vehicle, however typically, we require your vehicle for 5-6 working days. This allows for us to correctly prepare the paintwork and carefully install the PPF and provides adequate time for film curing and final QC process.

Even if a car is Brand New, delivered straight from a dealership, there will be some minor scratches/swirl marks present on the paint, and hidden surfaces may require extra attention. Our Paint Correction process will improve your vehicle’s paint finish, and whether you choose Ceramic Coating or Paint Protection Film, your vehicle will look significantly newer, shiner and glossier than the moment you collected it from the dealership. For customers who are opting for Paint Protection Film, your brand-new vehicle will also benefit from a layer of self-healing urethane, which will make your new car look new, for a lot longer, helping to maintain the vehicle in the future and adding to its value upon resale.

Cars are always exposed to various elements, so much so, that it is becoming very hard to keep the paint in pristine condition. Physical damages are quite common no matter how much you take care of your car. There are also chemicals you must watch out for, like acid rain, bird droppings, and even coffee. The good news is that there are a lot of products on the market that can help you protect your car. For example, we have Paint Protection Film (PPF) and Ceramic Coating among others.

How do you know which one is better for your car? Let’s investigate the differences between Paint Protection Film vs Ceramic Coating below.

Paint Protection Film

Paint protection film (PPF) is a urethane film that goes over any painted surface on your car’s exterior. It has been around since the mid-1950s, and later, it became popularly known as the clear bra. When first introduced to the automotive scene, it was a thick, heavy material that couldn’t conform to the delicate and complex lines of a vehicle. Its limited placement and thick material led to its moniker “Clear Bra.” The PPF we have today is thin and has extreme malleability, so it can be manipulated to conform to any edge and curve. This makes the material invisible to the naked eye.

The benefits of PPF:

The main purpose of a PPF is to act as auto paint protection. It protects the underlying paint while also preserving its aesthetics. As such, it looks as pristine as ever.

Prevents Damage: The film takes on the scratches, dust, and damages caused by flying debris and rocks. It’s not easy to damage, as well, as it’s resistant to impact and corrosion. Most types also have a self-healing topcoat. This means that minor scratches and damages will heal over time. The elastomeric polymers revert to their natural shape after damage. Sometimes, you must apply heat to get the film back to its original, flawless state.

Prevents Fading: A paint protection film also helps protect your car’s exterior from the sun. Exposure to the sun oxidizes the paint, leading to fading and yellowing. The film prevents that from happening as it becomes the barrier between the paint and the sun’s UV rays.

Prevents Other Types of Damages: Without some sort of protection, your car is also vulnerable to risks like: Acid rain, Mineral deposits, Acidic contaminants, Bugs, Water spots, Swirl marks from washing and more, however with PPF, it is durable even to the risks above. Finally, it is hydrophobic, so water and mud will slide right off your car, easing your cleaning process.

Ceramic Coating

This is a coating of liquid polymer that coats the exterior of the car. It binds itself with the car’s paint to form a hydrophobic surface and a thin layer of shielding. It can bond even to the glass, wheels, chrome, and even plastic trim. The ceramic coating fills the tiny pores in the paint. This levels the microscopic jaggedness in the paint layers.

Benefits of Ceramic Coating:

When it comes to benefits, car ceramic coating doesn’t lag. The bonded layer is durable and protective, as well.
Prevents Damage: The coating also improves the hardiness of the paint. As such, it makes your car more resistant to minor scratches and marring. However, note that most products on the market don’t have a warranty for scratches and damages. It also makes the car resistant to chemical damages. It can protect against chemical stains and chemical etch marks caused by acidic contaminants.

Prevents Fading: The ceramic coating also acts as a sunscreen to protect the paint from harmful UV rays. It also prevents oxidation, which then prevents fading and yellowing. This keeps the car paint vibrant and full of life.

Improves Appearance: Some car owners use ceramic coating mainly because of aesthetic purposes. With one application, the paint turns into a deeper and richer colour. The car also becomes shinier and glossier. The hydrophobic coating also keeps your car look good between washings. It helps the car look clean for longer periods. When it’s time to wash it, it’s much easier to clean.

So, Paint Protection Film vs Ceramic Coating?
Now that we know what both are, how do you choose between paint protection film vs. ceramic coating? Both have almost similar qualities, but they have key differences.

Protective Features: Both options protect your car from UV rays and chemical damage. But, only on is better at protecting the paint from physical damages. The Paint Protection Film is the better choice if your main concern involves scratches, chips, and light abrasions. Ceramic Coating can prevent these things to some degree, but the malleability and self-healing properties of the PPF make it more able to prevent damages to your car. It’s also better at preventing swirl marks and water spots. If this is also a concern of yours, then it’s clear which one is the real winner here. However, the hydrophobic characteristic of ceramic coating has no parallel. Some PPFs have a hydrophobic clear coat, but it’s not to the level of a Ceramic Coating. Your car stays clean for longer and it’s easier to clean.

Aesthetics: As we’ve said before, some people use a Ceramic Coating to improve the appearance of their car. The coating helps the paint more vibrant and shinier, so the car becomes more eye-catching. PPF can still help preserve the look of your car, though, and because of its protection, the paint takes longer to degrade, maintaining its lustrous shine for a longer time.

Longevity: Between the two, Ceramic Coating is the more permanent solution. If done right, one application is all you need to enjoy its benefits for the duration of your car’s lifetime. Still, it depends on the quality of the product. However, with PPF, you might have to redo it two or more times if the film itself sustains damage.

Wouldn’t it be great if you were to take advantage of the best of both worlds? The good news is that you can. If you don’t want to choose between Paint Protection Film vs. Ceramic Coating, you can do both. This way, your car will have the best protection against all elements and risks. If you need car ceramic painting services and more, don’t hesitate to contact us today to go over your options.

We offer packages that offer coverage on various parts of your car. We offer our Basic Impact Package, which covers the most prominent part of the vehicle, a Frontal Impact Package, protecting the foremost parts of the vehicle and our all-encompassing Full Vehicle Impact Package, covering every exterior colour-painted surface of the vehicle. We find most customers either will protect their vehicle with the Full Vehicle Impact Package or combine the Frontal Impact Package with a Ceramic Coating for the remainder of the car, offering them a greater level of protection without breaking the bank.

Whenever you’re getting to know someone or something, it’s helpful to get some background information. So how about a little bio on the technology behind Paint Protection Film (PPF), or as it is commonly referred to, Clear Bra. Automotive Paint Protection Film is a transparent, urethane material. Urethane technology was developed during the Vietnam War, when U.S. helicopters were crashing due to damage on the leading edge of rotor blades. The military worked with 3M to develop a technology that would be lightweight, but resilient, and could be replaced at the fraction of the cost of replacing an entire rotor blade (or a crashed helicopter for that matter).

In the 1970s, the military expanded its use of urethane films to the noses of fighter jets, and because the technology has been so successful and efficient, 3M still manufactures a variety of urethane films for military and aerospace purposes to this day. Materials in aerospace have changed over time, with leanings towards Solvay process materials to help with design and sustainability nowadays, however, some older materials are still used due to their success, such as urethane films.

In the 1980s, NASCAR saw how urethane technology could be beneficial in protecting the front half of race cars. Advertisers pay a lot of money to get their decals plastered on the front of fast cars, and I’m sure they weren’t too keen on those decals getting peppered by rock chips.

During the 1990s, urethane films became available to the general consumer for automotive protection. Since then, the technology has been continually refined and improved, and has been enthusiastically welcomed across the automotive industry. Today Paint Protection Films are OEM approved by virtually all automotive manufacturers.

If you’re going to wrap something around your fine new vehicle, you’ll want to know not only where it came from, but what it is exactly. Let’s talk a little bit more about what’s inside a sheet of Paint Protection Film. The key ingredient is urethane, a powerful and versatile polymer made from carbamate links. As a compound, it has unique attributes: It is lightweight and transparent, like plastic. But unlike plastic it is not brittle or susceptible to tears and cracks. It has a high resistance to impact, abrasion, and corrosion. It is also incredibly flexible and can return to its natural shape after being stretched or disfigured. Given the polymer’s diverse and advantageous attributes, it has a wide variety of industrial and recreational applications. Urethane is used in the household caulk with which you line your bathroom tiles, because it seals spaces from moisture and prevents the growth of mildew or fungus. It can also be found coating boats and underwater cables to prevent damage. It is used in various sporting equipment parts, from football pads to surfboard fins. Its strength and resistance to wear and tear makes it an ideal component for manufacturing and mining equipment. As we mentioned earlier, urethane is still used to protect various parts of military and aerospace equipment.

The applications of urethane as a polymer are broad, but today we are talking about your car, and for the benefit of your car, urethane serves as a central ingredient in a clear film around 8 mils (0.008 inches) thick.
In addition to the central layer made up of urethane (or polyurethane), a quality Paint Protection Film has at least two other layers. First, the top is lined with clear coat made up of elastomeric polymers. As we mentioned above, this is the part that enables a good film to heal itself from small scratches. But it does much more. The clear coat on a good film will have a low surface energy, which prevents organic compounds, like bugs or bird droppings, from bonding with the film. Second, the bottom is lined with an acrylic adhesive that is designed to be flexible, so that it can be stretched and wrapped around every contour or your vehicle; durable, so that the film will not detach over time; and invisible, so that it will not affect the look of the paint.

After being properly applied, Paint Protection Film is invisible to the naked eye and does not inhibit the depth and clarity of your factory paint. But what about over time? If you’ve done some reading around the Internet, you may have encountered individuals documenting defects that have appeared in their Clear Bra after a certain amount of time. Some people who have purchased an after-market Clear Bra have noted yellowing, blistering, and peeling. For you to make an informed decision, it’s important to know what’s behind each of these de-generations and what you’ll need to do to avoid them.

Yellowing
An early complaint against Paint Protection Film was that after time it began turning yellow, which, of course, has a significant impact on the look of a vehicle’s paint, especially for white cars. This complaint was particularly prevalent when Clear Bras first started being applied to consumer automobiles. After researching the matter, film manufacturing companies found that the yellowing effect came from the adhesive that was used to bind a film to the body of a car. UV exposure was oxidizing the adhesive, which lead to discoloration. Upon this discovery, companies began researching alternative adhesives, and began using the acrylic adhesives that are found on most Clear Bras today. This newly developed adhesive is UV resistant and will not oxidize or discolour. This effectively resolved the discoloration concern for Paint Protection Film. Today, if you put a sub-standard film on your car, it may use an inferior adhesive and lead to discoloration. But all quality professional film manufacturers, like XPEL, use a more recently developed adhesive that does not discolour due to UV exposure.

Blistering
A Clear Bra is said to “blister” when small air bubbles are found underneath the film. The blistering effect has everything to do with the quality of application. Typically, an air bubble occurs because a contaminant is trapped under the film, creating separation between the body of the vehicle and the Clear Bra. Overtime this can lead to growing bubbles under the film. A proper application process includes paying hair-splitting attention to the vehicle’s surface before any film touches paint. This includes washing, claying, and polishing. Moreover, a professional application centre creates a controlled environment where the air can be filtered to remove contaminants that could potentially get trapped underneath the film. Thus, a sub-par film and unprofessional application can lead to blistering. But when a quality film is properly applied by an experienced technician, the risk is at most, very minimal.

Peeling
Peeling is, of course, when the edges of a film begin to peel away from the paint. It can result from a sub-standard film or unprofessional application, but it is often the result of improper care. Specifically, if you are using a pressure wash to clean a car with Paint Protection Film, it is important to stay at least 12 inches away from the film, and particularly from any exposed edges. If a pressure washer is directed at the edge of a Clear Bra, it can begin lifting the film, which leads to peeling.

In sum, the complaints against Paint Protection Film do arise from real-world situations. However, as we have outlined, these situations have specific causes that can be averted. By choosing Approved Detailing for your PPF application, using XPEL Paint Protection Film, and properly care for your protected vehicle, then the risk of defects like yellowing, blistering, or peeling are minimal, and if any of those things do occur, you will be covered by our lifetime warranty.

There seems to be a lot of confusion between Paint Protection Film and Vinyl Wrap (colour changing wraps). Vinyl Wraps are used to change the aesthetic appearance of a vehicle. In most cases, Vinyl Wrap is used to change the colour of the car or adding additional graphics, without the need of repainting the entire car. Vinyl Wraps offer customization and the ability to stand out from the crowd but is much thinner than paint protection film.

PPF is a much thicker, and heavier version of Vinyl Wrap. Vinyl Wrap is a lighter substance and that is much more forgiving to install. PPF, on the other hand, is typically crystal clear, is much thicker, and self-heals when light scratches occur. Paint Protection Film was designed to protect the original paint. Think of a large screen protector for your car. It does not enhance the aesthetic of your car. However, in recent years, PPF companies have started to develop “fashion PPF” which will turn the colour of your car into a matte, satin, metallic and carbon fibre finishes and, increasingly, in coloured finishes.

PPF is around 8-12 mils thick whereas Vinyl Wraps are somewhere around 4 mils providing the car with little to no protection. Also, in terms of warranty, we offer our PPF with a lifetime warranty against yellowing and cracking. Colour change wraps on the other hand, do not offer the same longevity or warranty, as typically they only last 3-5 years depending on how you take care of them and what climate you are living in. In the UAE it is very common to only see vinyl wraps last 3 years because they are constantly parked outside in the harsh sunlight.

Anyone who’s purchased a Tesla knows the rumors are true; they are rock chip magnets! In our extensive years of working on Tesla models, we have found two things that always see us suggest to our customers that they protect these cars with PPF and Ceramic Coating. First, The paint is soft! Some say that it’s because they’re manufactured in California where the paint laws are stricter, but no one really knows. (Except Elon!). Whatever the reason, Tesla owners find their cars get rock chips much easier and swirl marks from improper washing can be visible after their very first wash. Paint protection film and Ceramic coating help act as a barrier to keep these things from happening. The second thing I’ve found is Tesla owners keep their cars looking new for a long time! These aren’t vehicles to be bought and sold after a year. They are long term investments that, if cared for can last 15+ years. Plenty of our clients have come to us after driving their previous car for 10+ years and enthusiastically say they want to double that with their Tesla. For these people the decision to have PPF and ceramic coating installed is a no brainer! They want to make sure that it looks like the first day they bought it into even the next decade.

A beautiful feature Tesla offers is their all-white interiors, which is truly stunning however, at the same time, also very scary to maintain! Although they are stain-resistant, that only goes so far. After seeing clients returning to us with blue seats from blue jean dye transfer, marks from dropped lipstick, and lines from pens mark in the back seat, we knew they needed protection. The solution we found was ceramic coating the seats and plastics. Ceramic coating designed for interiors impregnates the fibers, cracks, and crevices of leather. You won’t be able to tell any protection is on surfaces, but most stains will not be able to mark the leather. Any issue that would normally require professional cleaning to remove would instead, only require a baby wipe to remove.

Paint Protection is one of the leading services in the automotive aftermarket industry. It is criminal to have a nice, shiny, new car with perfect paintwork, only to take one trip down the road and have any stones or debris flick up and ruin it by scratching and marking the surface. Therefore, we install Paint Protection Film on cars, trucks, bikes, or any other applicable vehicle or item, to prevent this and keep your car looking as fresh as the day you got it. The film itself can be installed on any panel, on any vehicle, either cut from a template or wrapping the full panel. There are several steps before the installation itself that people take for granted, but it is the work of our Approved professionals that carry out these steps that give you such a high-quality paint protection kit for your car. As obvious as it may sound, these paint protection kits must be designed and tested first, and this is done by using a node plotter to map out the panel surfaces of the car. The body panel is measured and drawn out, before being mapped with the node plotter on a digitized mat. This mat is linked to a computer that remaps the image onto a specially designed piece of software for paint protection film and vinyl cutting. From there, our designer can edit and tweak the design, after each application, until they have the perfect shape to the film that fits the lines and contours of the car, motorbike, van, or any vehicle it may be for. Once it has been perfected and adjusted correctly, it is cut, ready for installation.

The excess paint protection film is removed to leave just the necessary panel pieces on the backing sheet. This is a process called ‘weeding’ and is a popular term among installers and those who regularly cut vinyl. Once the core panel pieces are left, they can be applied to the car, providing of course, that the car itself has been prepared properly for paint protection film installation. One of the big issues that installers face when applying the film or vinyl to a painted surface, is any silicone residue or particles. A degreaser is used to remove this, ensuring that the body panel surfaces are clean and smooth with no lumps or bumps that will be visible under the film for its entire life. Once the degreaser has been sprayed over the vehicle and it has been prepared for installation and dried, the film solution can be sprayed over the area where the paint protection film will be applied first. This is a soapy solution, that ensures the film is not damaged in any way when it is installed onto the panel. It also allows some slip, so the film can be moved into place before being squeegeed (pressed with a rubber tool to remove all moisture between the adhesive and the paintwork) into a permanent shape and position. Once the film has been installed on the paint surface, a squeegee is used to remove any air bubbles from underneath it. This will be done by moving from the middle of the film, towards the outside of the film applying a small amount of pressure, just the weight of a hand. Once the film has been fully installed, a heat gun is used to set the ‘memory’ of the film. All protection films have a memory, which means unless it is heated and set again after it has been installed, it will try to return to its original shape, causing possible lifting and peeling from the body panels. After that, it’s done! The vehicle should be left for 24 hours before going back out on the road, to ensure the film remains in place and has time to settle. Once settled, the vehicle is cleaned to remove any residue or hand marks that appear during the whole process, remembering that the film can be treated like any painted surface.

You now have a paint protected vehicle with a virtually invisible protective layer between the elements and your valuable paintwork. In theory this makes the work sound easy, until you start installing and complex curves and perfect lines become a part of the equation. That’s why you should always leave it to our Approved Detailing.

XPEL Ceramic window tint is a type of tinting film that can be applied to any window type. Ceramic window tint is comprised of carbon properties and nano-layered ceramic properties. The result? Blockage of 99.9 percent of the sun’s harmful rays, as well as up to 96 percent of IR heat. Unlike other types of window film tinting, it doesn’t conduct heat, and it’s not made of metal. As a result, XPEL Ceramic window tint provides the benefits of durability, infrared light-blocking, UV blocking, and glare resistance, with the option of applying it without darkening the actual appearance of your window glass.

When taking drives longer than a half-hour you’ll notice major differences. Some drivers even report rarely using their air conditioning once they have ceramic tint. Ceramic tint also makes your car windows both more durable and shatterproof. This characteristic will help protect you and your passengers from stray rocks, golf balls, baseballs, and injuries related to shattered glass during car accidents.

Advantages of XPEL Ceramic window tinting include:
1. Temperature control
2. UV and glare protection
3. Privacy
4. Signal stability
5. Varying colours

Keeping your car’s interior cool is about more than just ensuring your seats don’t give you nasty back-of-the-leg burn when wearing shorts. Of course, not all window tinting is created equal. When it comes to a superior product, Ceramic window tinting represents your best option. Here, in more detail, is what you need to know about the advantages of XPEL Ceramic window tint.

Temperature Control
Tinting has been shown to significantly reduce the heat that filters into your car, thereby offsetting the “greenhouse effect.” This effect also holds true when it comes to driving around in your vehicle. Even on a sunny day, you and your passengers are less likely to feel the heat penetrating your cabin. As a result, you’ll use less petrol via air conditioning to cool off your car.

UV and Glare Protection
Did you know that XPEL Ceramic window tints block out 99 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays? As a result, the interior of your car will last longer without unsightly fading or cracking, and you and your passengers will remain shielded from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Patented Ceramic technology provides heat rejection while maintaining a factory glass appearance. It reduces glare as you drive, and it only allows between five and 50 percent of light to enter your vehicle.

Privacy
Besides shielding you and your passengers from UV rays and glare, ceramic tinting also provides an added level of privacy. The darker colour helps to mask any valuables that you’re transporting in your car. Yet, this added tinting won’t impact your visibility while driving. It’s a win-win for your car, your passengers, and you.

Signal Stability
Did you know that car window tints containing metal fragment can impact the signals you’re able to receive inside your car? These signals include everything from satellite to GPS and cellular service. Fortunately, when you go with XPEL Ceramic window tint, you won’t experience this same type of interference.

Varying colours
Despite all the benefits listed above, when it comes to ceramic window tinting, you don’t have to worry about a massive alteration in your car’s current appearance. You can protect your vehicle from excess heat, UV rays, and glare without drastically changing your window color, and what’s more, you don’t have to worry about the tint fading or otherwise changing color over time.

Ceramic Tint Versus Factory Tint
Factory windows don’t offer the required protection that you need from the sun, even when they come with factory tint. After all, factory tint is just dyed glass. Ceramic tint, however, offers significant protection from the sun and harmful UV rays.

The damage due to exposure to ultraviolet rays is cumulative. In fact, UVA rays will penetrate deep into your skin and accelerate the skin aging process. This could result in the occurrence of wrinkles, fine lines, and skin cancer. UVA radiation is responsible for more than 90% of skin cancer cases in the United States. On the other hand, UVB rays will cause immediate effects like burns, and blisters but don’t cause long-term skin damage.

The damage caused by UVA rays are long-term and not immediately noticeable. That is why most people don’t immediately realize that their skin is being damaged from sitting near the window in a car. Millions of Americans receive a large portion of their sun exposure while traveling in their vehicle. According to AAA, people spend an average of 290 hours on the road per year. However, most of us aren’t aware of just how intense the sunlight can be.

Window glass can effectively block UVB rays, while the windshield is typically treated to block UVA rays. But the car’s rear and side windows will allow UVA rays to come through and do damage to your skin. That is where an effective and high-performance window tint comes in handy. The latest research has revealed that window tinting, and the prevention of skin cancer are closely correlated.

A high-performance window tint will offer all-day skin protection to help prevent skin cancer in the long run. A properly installed quality tint can help block up to 99% of harmful UV rays and provide a long-term solution to prevent the occurrence of skin cancer. Since window tinting is regulated in many states, you should check the laws in your area before tinting your car windows. An alternative to dark tint is clear window film, that is treated with a UVA protectant.

One recent study revealed a 93% reduction in skin cell death when UV exposure was filtered through a UV-absorbing glass. In fact, some window films help block up to 99.9% of harmful UV rays when applied to car windows. That is why you should consider window tinting for the prevention of skin cancer in the long run. It is one of the most effective methods of preventing skin cancer over time.

When you are driving, the last thing you are thinking about is whether your skin is being damaged due to the exposure to harmful UV rays, but they are there, even when you aren’t fully aware of them. UV rays from the sun pass through the windshield and side windows of your car and could cause long-term damage to your skin. This can result in skin cancers in the long run. That is where a high-performance window tint comes in handy. Such a window film can block up to 99.9% of all UV rays and help prevent skin cancer for both drivers and passengers alike.

Most people are likely to develop skin cancer on their left sides of the body since it is the most exposed area to the sun when we drive. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that you apply a high-performance window tint to your car to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun. The latest research shows that window tinting, and the prevention of skin cancer go hand in hand. That is why you need to apply a high-performance window tint to your car to help prevent the occurrence of skin cancer over time.