How does a wrap compare to a more traditional roll-and-tip or spray paint job?
Well, in the world of marine, in certain applications it can be a really quick and cost effective way to get the finish you are after. There are a couple of things you need to know though.
Here is a short video centred around vinyl wrapping a Cavalier 37 yacht for the owner of the the company that ended up doing the video for us.
- Vinyl boat wrapping Pros:
- It’s quick – This yacht was wrapped in 1 day. This can be very beneficial if you have a commercial boat and instead of having the boat down for months in a paint shed, the wrapping works can be done quickly with minimum or no downtime as we work around your schedule.
- Low amount of toxin release – not spraying paint into the air which then needs to be captured and filtered
- It’s cheap compared to a comparable paint finish – to get a nice metallic paint finish like this would require a blue paint then a few coats of a good clear coat over the top to seal, protect and give it depth. That would take time, and like they say, time is money when you are paying for hard stand in a compliant marine spray shed big enough to accommodate the boat. Especially a yacht, where you will probably be up for the cost of derigging it as well go get it to fit in the shed.
- It can be easily patched if damage occurs.
- It has a long expected lifespan of up to 7 years, but we suggest around 5.
- It is reversible, meaning the vinyl can be removed and replaced down the track if you want a different colour, or just want to get the same look but fresh.
- Cons
- You need to be a little bit more careful than with a pure gelcoat. Vinyl wraps are softer than gelcoat, so you will need to use fenders, fender covers and a bit of care.
- Doesn’t last quite as long as a single colour solid paint if professionally done.