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When Should I Replace PPF?
PPF doesn’t last forever, but how long can I leave it before it needs to be replaced?

Paint Protection film is the undisputed best way to protect your vehicle’s paint from damage. No matter how careful a driver you are, your car is constantly being assaulted by environmental factors like bug splatter, tree sap, bird droppings, road debris, acid rain, and industrial fallout. Even if your wax-on-wax-off ritual is formidable, wax is soft and doesn’t provide much protection at all.

If you are serious about maintaining the quality of your paint for years to come, PPF is the only answer. While PPF can take a lot of abuse over the years, it will eventually require replacement. Typical lifespan for PPF is 5 to 10 years. Once film has given you all it can, it should be removed and replaced.

Does the Film Need Removal?

Often, we have customers coming into our shop thinking that their film is worn out and needs to be replaced. While these films are usually looking a little worse for wear, more often than not they can actually be brought back to like-new condition. Almost all films can be polished with a mild polish and foam pad to bring back considerable lustre. Polishing can also remove light surface scratches, and self healing films can be activated to have surface damage disappear before your eyes.

Removing Outdated Film

The removal of old PPF should be easy, just peel off (often with a gentle application of heat) like a giant sticker. Other times, taking off old film without damaging the paint can be an absolute nightmare. Usually the difference is due to timing.

If PPF is removed after an appropriate lifetime, it should come off easy; if PPF is left on too long, it will start to degenerate and removal will be a serious chore. A well armed technician facing difficult PPF removal will have in their toolkit a heat gun, steamer, chemical adhesive removal, rubbing alcohol, plastic razors, a clay bar, and any other tricks they can muster.

When you get film installed from a reputable shop, like Diversity Auto Films who has been installing PPF for over 20 years, the technicians will talk you through the expected lifetime of the film. This will help you get replacement on time, and the process will be smooth and quick.

How to Get the Most From Your PPF

There are two things you can do to get the most out of your film: maintain properly and choose quality. Maintenance on PPF is easy. Really, really easy. Simply keeping them clean is your best bet for ultimate longevity. You can use a wax or spray wax if you want, lots of people do this for aesthetic reasons, and it isn’t bad for the film at all.

Quality films will last longer because they have special UV inhibitors built in, which helps them resist breakdown due to sunlight. They also use higher quality adhesives that are strong, but allow easy peeling after years of use. The easiest way to make sure you are getting quality films is to choose a trusted, experienced shop. Diversity Auto Films is here for all your PPF and tint needs, so just give us a shout with any questions you may have, or to set up a consultation.

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