PPF is an interesting one... you get going, line up your first panel and start squeegeeing it down. At first, it looks like you'll get done in 20 minutes, it's a breeze, you think to yourself. Swish swoosh with the squeegee, the moisture disappears and the film is going down just great until... the edges!
The reality is, fitting the main bulk of PPF is super simple, it's large panels like bonnets and fenders that you can get fitted super quick, BUT, it's the edges that take the time. So today, we'll share some top tips to getting your edges stuck down easily.
Tip 1 - Come back to it!
We can't emphasise this tip enough... you don't have to finish a panel before you move onto the next one. In fact, we'd recommend you don't do this. Get the main part of your panel down, squeegee out all of the moisture to the edges so you leave the wrap around bits overhanging. It should look something like this >
At this point, spray the sticky side with tack solution to wash away the slip and then just let it chill... move onto another panel for a while and let it dry out. You can even leave it a number of hours before coming back to it. When you do, you'll find it's dried out, it's stick and it's ready to be stuck down for good.
Get back to it, folding it over using a squeegee or a cloth to finish it off.
Tip 2 - Use some heat
If you're in a hurry or just not one to wait, a good way of speeding up this process is by introducing a small amount of heat to the party.
You can use a heat gun or hair dryer on a low setting to gradually warm the film. This essentially achieves the same thing as leaving it to dry, but it speeds up the process.
Lightly heat the film and then use your squeegee to wrap around the edges like below.
Tip 3 - Use your microfibre!
The microfibre contained within the application kit is lint free, which is really important and super useful. It means that you can dry the wet side of the film without a worry about leaving fibres underneath. Use your microfibre to help dry the edges off and it'll speed up the process.
A second useful tip for using your microfibre is when you're squeegeeing 'up hill'. When you're pushing moisture out of the film in a vertical direction, it's hard to stop moisture just running back down to exactly where you squeegeed it out of and this is where the microfibre comes in. Wrap your squeegee in the microfibre cloth, when you get to the top of the squeegee stroke, hold your squeegee in position allowing it to absorb the moisture that just came out from under the film. You'll find that these edges stick much better.
So... we hope these tips help you get those edges down. If you have any questions, you can reach out to our team any time by emailing admin@diyppf.co.uk or calling us on 0333 305 1322
Safe driving, see you on the next one!
