As anyone who has every owned a car will tell you, the paintwork never stays looking new for very long. The top layer of paint on every car, the clear coat, is easily scratched by almost everything. Flying debris such as stones are the main culprits for most scratches but even washing your car with a sponge and accidentally dragging dirt over the surface can cause fine scratches as well. Over time these scratches, or swirl marks, build up and are quite noticeable on darker colored cars. To prevent this, some people have a clear film called paint protection film (PPF) applied to the car when new. Here are five myths about this film you probably believe.

Myth #1: Your Car’s Paintwork Needs UV Protection

Reality: Most manufacturers and suppliers of PPF commonly state that it will help protect your car’s paintwork from UV rays. This seems like a plausible claim as we all know how both UVA and UVB rays can cause some painted items to fade. Will UV rays really fade your car’s paint? In fact, your car’s paintwork already has UV protection. The top clear coat of paint on every car will block all UV rays. This coat only fails when it is scratched so in that sense PPF can help by preventing scratches.

Myth #2: PPF Cannot Be Waxed

Reality: PPF is a type of vinyl car wrap that your are probably familiar with. Car wraps are vinyl sheets adhered to a car’s bodywork that give the car a new color or a matt, metallic, chrome or even carbon fiber appearance. As such, many wraps cannot be waxed so people believe that PPF has the same drawback. This is actually false. PPF can be waxed with any natural or synthetic wax, polish or sealant without any drawbacks.

Myth #3: PPF Will Turn Yellow After A Few Years

Reality: PPF can actually protect certain plastics on your car such as your headlights from yellowing and hazing yet some people still believe the myth that the PPF itself will yellow. We can’t debunk this myth entirely as there are dozens of manufacturers offering PPF in a range of prices and qualities. You get what you pay for and buying a film with a 5-year warranty will guarantee it against yellowing. Cheaper films without such as guarantee will not perform in the same way.

Myth #4: PPF Adhesive Will Damage Car Paint

Reality: The reason for applying PPF is to protect paint from nicks, chips, scratches and abrasion. The last thing you would want is to damage your paint. Despite PPFs having been used successfully for years, there is still a myth that they damage car paint when removed. In fact, PPF causes no lasting damage to car paint and can be easily peeled off when it comes to the end of its effective lifespan.

Myth #5: PPF Devalues Your Car

Reality: Far from devaluing your car, applying PPF when it is new is actually a good way to protect your investment. According to one leading supplier of paint protection film in Scottsdale, high quality PPFs will leave the original factory coat of paint in pristine protection and help the car hold its resale value. PPF can be quickly removed if required when you come to sell your car.