DIY Vehicle Graphics Removal
There are many reason why you would want to do a car wrap removal. If you are ready for a new car wrap but you would like to save money on the removal, or your work truck wrap it’s starting to look a little faded, burned or the film show signs of cracking, lifted edges, or you just want to sell your old commercial vehicle. Whatever the case is you’ve come to the right place, we will give you the Do’s and Don’ts on How to remove vinyl graphics from your vehicle. there will be factors that will determine the difficulty of the car wrap removal.
- How long has the vinyl been on the vehicle. The longer the vinyl has been on the vehicle, the harder it will be to remove. it is also important to know that, the longer it’s on, the more likely it is to leave adhesive residue on the vehicle. In our experience if the graphics have been on the vehicle for less than four years, it should not be extremely difficult to remove. However, if the vinyl has been on the vehicle for too long, it might be a good idea to leave it out to the pros.
- Vinyl Quality We only use 3M Cast (High Performance) vinyl in all our commercial wraps. That gives us the luxury of a clean removal for 4-5 years. Some companies use calendered, economy or non-brand name vinyls that can make removals extremely difficult.
- Weather / Temperature Don’t remove your car wrap under cold temperatures. Usually cold weather will harden the vinyl and it will chip off in small flakes. This will complicate the removal process unnecessarily. A warm weather (above 70 degrees recommended) will make the vinyl come off way easier.
Recommended Tools and Supplies
- Heat Gun or Handheld Infrared Heat System
- Quality scraper with plastic Razors
- Rapid Remover
- Microfiber towels
- 70% Isopropil Alcohol
Heres a short video from 3M, our preferred vinyl brand for vehicle wraps.
DIY steps for how to remove car wrap.
Step 1: Apply Heat
Choose the area (Try to stay under 2 sqft) where you would like to start and apply heat to the vinyl according to vinyl manufacturer specifications (3M recommends about 150°F).
WARNING Make sure the heat source isn’t in one spot for too long or too close. you don’t want the vinyl to bubble or burn. Be aware you are assuming the risk of burning the vehicle surface and damage it permanently.
Step 2: Pull vinyl off
Start from a corner is always the best, peel the edge of the material and slowly pull at a low degree angle. This helps to prevent the vinyl from tearing or breaking apart.
Step 3: Heat and Pull
If the vinyl is coming off without breaking, keep your pulling pressure, on. a low angle, while heating the upcoming area.
Step 4: Clean up adhesive residue
There may be some adhesive residue leftover from the vinyl wrap. For those cases we recommend Rapid Remover. This will make the process easier. Apply some rapid remover to the remnants of the adhesive and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then wipe it out with a microfiber towel to avoid scratching the paint. You can use a squeegee or a scrape, but this might increase the risk of scratching or partially damaging the paint during the removal process.
The car wrap removal process requires patience, the right tools, and a little elbow grease. Please let us know if you have questions, we will try to answer them. And don’t forget to share your pictures and give us your feedback
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