How Long to Expect a Vinyl Wrap to Last and What Can I Do to Extend the Longevity of the Wrap?
You’ve decided to take your gear to the next level with a high-end vinyl wrap.
From revitalizing your old gear to creating one-of-a-kind effects for your entire gear set, there are endless possibilities for using vinyl. But you may have heard some rumors about vinyl wraps that have you concerned about longevity and care.
This is everything you need to know about vinyl wraps and how GunSkins could protect your gear for the upcoming season.
What Are Vinyl Wraps?
The term vinyl has found its way into nearly every industry, from flooring to furniture to automotive. While each of these is made primarily using vinyl, they are quite different.
What is vinyl?
Polyvinyl chloride has many names, such as PVC or vinyl, and it’s been around for more than 100 years. It has remained one of the most versatile materials on the market.
Vinyl wraps have the unique elements of vinyl--its durability and stretchiness, for example--with the convenience of size. Most vinyl wraps come in a giant sheet that’s made of a sticker-like wrap.
It’s important to buy a high-quality vinyl wrap if you want it to last through the thick of the hunt.
Coatings
One of the primary benefits you’ll notice with quality vinyl is its durability. Much of this durability comes from external coatings. While you may not see these microscopic coatings, they are putting in serious work.
UV protectants reduce the wear from the Sun’s harsh UV rays.
UV rays are known to break down surfaces and fade colors. We’ve all left something out in the sun and noticed a loss of color. This can happen to anything. When buying a quality vinyl wrap, a UV protectant usually protects from sun damage.
Additionally, moisture plays a major role in vinyl damage because vinyl can be nonporous. Cheap vinyl, especially, may claim to be waterproof. But is it really?
If moisture seeps into or under vinyl, it will break down the vinyl itself or whatever you have wrapped. A quality water-tight vinyl is essential for your outdoor needs.
Adhesives
There is a wide range of adhesives on the market, each playing a specific role. When a product is designed for a particular use, we can assume the adhesive will match that use.
Consider the difference between a Band-Aid and super glue. Super glue is highly acidic and will burn and dig its way into your skin, ultimately ripping the skin if you were to pull away quickly. On the other hand, a Band-Aid is designed for the skin, and while it may hold well, it can reasonably be removed from the skin.
A poor adhesive could damage the parts if too harsh or fail to stick if too gentle.
Using a quality product will ensure you have the best adhesive for the job.
Have you ever used two-part epoxy? This is called activating an adhesive, which involves a chemical reaction that takes an adhesive from a non-tacky form to a solid bond.
GunSkins utilizes a heat-activated adhesive, allowing you to place and adjust the vinyl, aligning it right where you want it, then heating the vinyl with a heat gun or hairdryer. As you heat the vinyl, the adhesive will activate and tightly bond.
The ability to adjust a vinyl before the final stick will ensure your design is straight and aligned exactly how you want it.
The Key to Longevity
One of the biggest complaints with cheap vinyl is peeling or lifting over time.
If even a small corner begins to lift, dirt and grime will continue to make their way under the vinyl, causing it to lift away.
The best way to combat lifting is through proper prep.
Preparation
Before you install your vinyl, you need to clean and prep your surface.
When you clean plastics and metals normally, you add some conditioner or oil to add protection.
We need to strip this protection away.
If you don’t strip these protectants away, it will contaminate the adhesive on the vinyl and reduce its ability to bond. Even the oils from your fingers can contaminate the adhesives. This is by far the most common mistake when applying any vinyl wrap.
There are a few ways to prep your surface.
Dish soap and warm water is designed to break down dirt, grease, and grime and strip away possible oils. Using a brillo pad, scrub your surfaces to achieve a clean, degreased surface.
Degreasers and solvents such as FrogLube Solvent are designed to clean and strip away grease and grime. Spray FrogLube on your project and let it dry for 2-3 minutes. Wipe the project clean with a microfiber towel, and you’re ready to wrap.
Clean-Trimmed Edges
Once you get your vinyl aligned, heated, and right where you wanted, you need to trim the edges and corners.
Trimming vinyl with a dull blade creates non-smooth rough edges. As the blade begins to dull, it grabs and pulls at the vinyl causing small tears.
Instead, change your blades often. Breakaway blades are a great option for cutting vinyl, creating the potential for a new edge often.
Rough edges are less likely to seal and bond well, creating the risk of lifting over time.
High-Quality Vinyl
When wrapping your gear, it’s important to use high-quality vinyl.
When using a GunSkins wrap, you receive a water-sealed, high-performance wrap designed to last for years in the field.
GunSkins utilize a matte lamination, removing the shine from their camouflage, allowing you to blend in. This coating creates UV and moisture protection, holding up against scratches and impacts.
While GunSkins wraps utilize heat-activated adhesives, they are designed to take the heat and abuse associated with a gun barrel. Rated up to 230 degrees Fahrenheit, the wraps will not fade, lift, or become damaged during your hunt.
Are you planning to wrap old gear? Scratched barrels and world wood run a risk of rust and further damage. GunSkins is a non-porous, waterproof wrap that will protect your equipment while bringing new life to worn, old gear.
Cheap vinyl adds a design on the surface. When cheap vinyl is scratched, it often shows the white underlayer.
Scratches are going to happen. GunSkin wraps use a multi-layer, deep-colored process, ensuring your color remains, even when scratches happen.
Wrap Anything
While GunSkins were designed to wrap and protect your guns, these high-performance wraps can be stuck to nearly any hard gear for a high-end hunting gear experience.
Hunting calls? Bows? GPS? Ammo Boxes? Your cell phone case?
Wrap them all.
Camo is just the beginning. With new unique designs for you to choose from--whether you’re looking for something rugged and natural-looking or something patriotic and flashy--you’ll be sure to find a wrap to match your lifestyle.
Do you carry every day? Are you tired of the same old black pistol and basic holster? GunSkins brings a custom, one-of-a-kind touch to your everyday carry. From accent wraps to full gun covers, GunSkins is sure to elevate your boredom to beauty.
Proper Care
With proper care and cleaning, you can expect GunSkins vinyl to last up to five years.
GunSkins wraps are waterproof, scratch-resistant, and UV coated, so you can continue cleaning and oiling your gun and gear after every hunt with confidence.
Cost
What would you pay to protect your guns?
Ceramic coatings, paints, and powder coats can be expensive and limited to materials.
Apply GunSkins wraps to any material at just 15% of the cost of a coating such as Cerakote. You could wrap a gun grass or wooded for early fall at those prices, swap to winter camo through the cold months, and back to green grasslands by spring and still save money.
No more sending your parts off to get re-coated or repaired. Wrap your gear at home and make life easier.
Removal
GunSkins wraps are designed to seal, protect, and bond with your equipment.
But what if you want to remove it?
GunSkins are designed to be changed with the seasons. Simply heat the wrap with a heat gun, and the heat-activated adhesive will return to a more liquid state, allowing you to remove the wrap.
Once the wrap is removed, scrub the gear down with soap, warm water, and a brillo pad.
You’re then ready to wrap your gear in the next pattern or oil everything down to a new finish.
Warranty
We all love warranties.
We have tested our product through and through, and truly believe in our wraps to the point of giving every customer a Limited Lifetime Warranty.
This means if your wrap ever fades or fails during normal use, you’re covered.
The Power of Performance Wraps
GunSkins wraps have been developed, designed, and tested to withstand the weather, abuse, and determination of the hunt.
Your gear needs to keep up and hold up to your season from scratches and dings to the sudden terrible weather. Performance wraps are a valuable tool at your disposable. So if you’ve never tried them, give them a shot. And if you’re a longtime “wrapper,” then try something even better with GunSkins.
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