How to safely remove vehicle wraps

by all | 28 January 2016 9:00 am

Sign shops and related companies that are equipped to install vehicle wraps also need to be prepared to remove the graphics eventually, at the end of their useful life. This requires a combination of the right skills and the right tools.

Isopropyl alcohol or a degreaser may be used to clean the vehicle before and/or after graphic removal. It is important to wear gloves when handling any chemicals and solutions, to protect the skin from any possible contact damage.

To start the removal process, a heat gun should be used to warm up the edges of the graphic panels. With exposure to steady, high levels of heat, the vinyl should begin to lift up, without any damage to the vehicle’s paint job—but it is important to avoid overheating any plastic parts of the car that could melt, such as the headlights and taillights.

Once the graphic edges begin to lift, they can be slowly pulled away from the vehicle by hand. Gloves should still be worn throughout the process to protect hands from the heat.

The graphics should be lifted at an approximately 15-degree angle and no sharper than a 90-degree angle, so as to avoid leaving any adhesive or residue behind. Again, this work needs to be done slowly. Trying to ‘rip’ the graphics off quickly like a bandage tends to leave behind broken fragments that will then take even longer to remove.

For any residue that is left behind, a razor blade or plastic scraper should prove useful in removing the final bits.

With files from JMR Graphics. For more information, visit www.jmrgraphics.com[1].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/how-to-safely-remove-vehicle-wraps/

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