minty

And like usual here's Tom to poo poo all over ppf.  Go Tom go

I just tuck the film behind them using a flat blue card

Anyone that leaves any film on for ten years is asking for trouble IMO.  I recommend replacing it after about five, after that amount of time is get progressively more difficult to remove without having to scrap it off.  Why manufacturers want to warranty their film beyond five years is a mystery to me  Why should this product have a longer warranty than the car its applied to????  Because everyone else does?  I only offer a two year warranty and after twenty years, it has never cost me a deal.

^^ What he said ^^ you get the best of both worlds then, less wastage, easier to apply and still able to wrap whatever edges you see fit.
 
Steve

I typically do a hybrid bulk kit, to save film.  Smarter way to save $$ and cut film waste. I would load up Premium Shield Software, and highlight the points on the pattern I want to extend, giving me the ability to wrap and tuck where i want.  

We are a busy PPF shop in Canada and have been paying our employees hourly only.  But we are wanting to start paying with commissions or a bonus structure and are looking for help in a structure that works for installer and also for us the employer.  Thank you! 
 

Well I think he shut it down 9 years ago. 

I have covered 4 round marble tables and they are holding fine, been a few years now.
Steve

I have covered 4 round marble tables and they are holding fine, been a few years now.
Steve

Can't we all just be friends? 

Lol that's going last ahhahah I am leaving an entire day just for that. I sat there envisioning how it will go on for quiet a bit. I got a pretty good plan

Too many variables to give an accurate answer. What coating, how well the car was prepped fist, where all the curing conditions for the coating met etc. In the long run though I will offer no warranty if covering a coating. And to be honest you would be wasting your coating to do so. A bit like painting the walls before plastering.
Steve
 

I'll be the one to say it. I'm sorry Guest Adam, but this isn't a DIY product. I understand that you don't want anyone else touching your car except you. I'm sure it's something you value very highly. But just like taking your car to get a tune up or fixed, you take it to a mechanic that is trusted and has experience most likely. Installing PPF on vehicles is not like installing a screen protector on your phone which is flat. It takes months and years to hone in on this craft which is why I tell everyone it isn't a DIY product. If you value your vehicle as much as it sounds, I would do your research and hire a reputable installer that will meet your expectations. Youtube University is not something that will get you the finished product you nor any of us would want for our own car. I think you got the responses on this post because it undermines all the hard work and time us professionals have invested into being good, if not great, at installing PPF. I don't think anyone is trying to insult you either, more just warn you that this is going to be an expensive experiment that will end up costing you much more money and time than we all think you want to spend on it. Good luck with the install. 

Maybe no one else will tell you. Don't waste your time sanity and money. Pay to get it done.

That is an option from Toyota, and if it's anything like the dealer near me, installed by some body shop guy. The price they charge per panel is ridiculous. I'd find one without the film and pay a PPF shop to install a brand.

I switched from Xpel to Suntek and i like it. I did go from XPEL Ultimate to Suntek Ultra though so maybe a bit of apples and oranges as i never tried the Ultimate +. As mentioned above there is a lot that comes into play with choosing who to go with. Software pricing and CS are big. I know XPEL in the US are great and loved dealing with the guys there. Was a different story over hear though, i wont go into it too much but it was more about selling film so setting up installers as direct competition in the area wasnt a concern instead of growing current installers business. In the US i believe you dont have that issue as country distributors are more concerned with the bottom dollar since they have an investment riding on it.
 
As far as the software goes, Truecut has come leaps and bounds. I am very impressed with the newer patterns and its getting easier to use. Not as easy as i found DAP but for the price i dont mind taking some extra time to tinker and i expect it to get easier over time. Suntek have also teamed up with creaform3d to implement new 3D scanning technology. the machine used looks pretty wicked and if they say it will be even more accurate then thats exciting. Bottom line is they are constantly trying to improve all aspects so i have no issues sticking with Truecut. 

Using IR lamps to help cure the film is one that is risky depending on how you look at it. Speeding up the cure process does help with delivery time and handing it off to the customer but if you try to speed up the natural cure process, especially when there are excess moisture spots that will disappear but haven't yet, you'll get dry spots or air bubbles in the film. It's best practice to let it naturally cure. It's like losing weight. If you lose too much weight fast, you'll have stretch marks and excess skin and it won't look good. Best practice is to gradually lose the weight. PPF is like skin when it comes to how pours the surface is. Best to treat it that way in my opinion.

I once tried curing the ppf in direct sunlight, won't be doing it again, any fluid bubbles can boil and leave a mark. My advice would be to let it cure naturally in a warm environment.
 
Steve

no feeling quite like wading up $100 worth of film just to toss it in the trash to make you question why you're doing what you're doing. 

Same here, have done 3 or 4 full Range Rover hoods including the latest SVR with the vents. I find some make the mistake of trying to wrap too much film round the edge which makes it more prone to fingering as you wrap it round. 7/8mm works well in my experience and won’t creep back. 

If I was a business owner, I'd test any and all films myself.  The problem with forums is that you don't know the conditions that were involved in any of the situations, the size of the sample set, or any agendas involved. 
 
Give every film a fair shot, install them side by side all on your own car (and family/friends/neighbors)  and see how they hold up long term, before making a purchasing decision.  Your reputation and customers deserve a thorough review.
 
I'm not discounting any of the feedback shared on the forums, but if the success of my business hinged upon something (like the long-term expectations of a primary product offering), I'd want to have full confidence gained through adequate personal experience.

Thank you guys for all your tips and recommendations. I ended up going to a pro who used a single piece of film and custom cut it to fit. I am extremely happy with the results! Lesson learned, find the proper PPF shop to do your job correctly the first time around. There truly are too many fly-by-night hacks in this industry due to its lucrative nature. 

I've never heard of such a thing as only offering 60" rolls!?
 
You can purchase a slitter, but that could be somewhat expensive if you aren't doing a lot of volume.

Putting film on a waxed car makes it easier to squeegee out bubbles, easier to lift the film for debris, and removal years later is much easier...especially full hoods.  Just don't put wax in the door cups or areas where stretched film has to drop down like the hood scoops on a Mustang.