Top mistakes new installers make when applying Paint Protection Film

…and how to avoid them

Even skilled detailers and wrap installers can find themselves frustrated when they first start working with PPF. Avoiding the most common mistakes will save you time, money, and a lot of headaches.

Here’s what we see most often – and how to get it right.

1: Skipping proper surface and area prep

Contaminants are probably the #1 cause of wasted time, potential adhesion issues and customer complaints – however, most come from the vehicle surfaces itself.

Solution:

Make sure you spend suitable time prepping the car – pay particular attention to rubber seals, panel gaps & apertures etc. where potential contaminants may be hiding!
Degrease the panels – using a suitable surface prep solution to remove invisible contaminants, paying particular attention to edges and recesses.
Use a clay bar – this helps ensure no invisible surface contamination remains.
Dry surfaces – use a lint-free cloth.

Other causes for contamination are typically from external sources:

Air con or heating blowers – switch these off or divert airflow to avoid dust blowing around installation area
Keep doors closed – and minimise traffic flow around vehicle during installation period.
Ensure clothing is non shedding – there is nothing worse than finding a fibre or hair under the film after installation!

2: Neglecting shop temperature, humidity and lighting

PPF is sensitive to environmental conditions.

Cold shops (<15°C): Reduced tack, more repositioning, film becomes stiffer.
High humidity (>65%): Adhesive blooming, cloudy finish.

Tip:

Maintain an installation area at 18–24°C with less than 60% humidity whenever possible.

Inadequate lighting makes it extremely difficult to see contaminants or bubbles – make sure you have plenty of good quality lighting installed to capture every angle of the panel during application.

3: Incorrect pattern scaling

Even a 2–3% scaling error can cause edges to lift or gaps to appear.

Solution:

Avoid dragging the edges of patterns when moving around on screen
Where possible, calibrate your plotter regularly.
Confirm scaling settings in your pattern software during set up.
Do test cuts regularly to ensure blade sharpness and correct depth of cut

4: IGNORING EDGE SEALING

Some installers assume edge sealing isn’t needed, but for high-impact areas or tight curves, it can make the difference between a perfect install and early delamination.

Tip:

For CovrGard users the use of additional edge prepping or sealing products is unnecessary – but you should still go around edges and folds with the heat gun at the end of the install to promote adhesion.

Some useful 101 Installation tips from our training program

Touching adhesive with bare hands (transfers oils).

During installation training, delegates are advised that they should never touch the dry adhesive as this can cause fingerprints in the surface, and could also transfer oils from their skin onto the glue – which may cause issues at a later stage. Always wet the adhesive before handling. The use of rubber gloves during installation is highly recommended.

Rushing squeegee passes

Whilst we all know that ‘time is money’, it’s a false economy if you rush the squeegee process, as typically things get missed. Our training program shows the importance of using a) overlapping strokes, and b) using the surrounding light to check areas for bubbles and contamination – before moving on to the next area.

Overstretching

‘Read the film’ – when fitting patterns, we always advise to watch the film’s behaviour when stretching. You should only stretch the amount needed to get the film to lay flat. Once it’s flat and in position the film is telling you its time to squeegee into place – overstretching creates poor alignment and creates excess material at edges!

At CovrGard, if you’re new to the industry we will offer a complete training programme to get you on the right track from day one. We provide full sales and marketing support to help you grow at every level.

We’re always looking for more like-minded individuals to join our growing global network – if you’d like to apply to join our network, click here ››