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Westlock Paint Protection

Managing your vehicle’s maintenance is about more than running it in for its annual checkup. Vehicles are constantly exposed to a variety of risks. Unchecked, they accumulate over time and any damage your top paint layer, exposes the underlying metal to the elements.

Fortunately, Westlock, AB is sports a fairly dry climate, so you don’t have the same level of concern about rust as you would if you lived in a coastal city. Regardless, you want to protect your vehicle’s finish, maintaining its appearance and retaining its resale value, so you need to explore techniques available for paint protection.

You Have Options in Westlock

As you begin your search, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the variety of options, products, and manufacturers with a presence in the marketplace.
The good news is that there really are just two preferred options for your vehicle’s finish protection. They are: paint protection film (PPF) and ceramic coating.

Obviously, it is important to understand the differences between the two. To assist you, we’ve compiled a brief guide on for automobile paint protection available in Westlock—options that will keep your car looking like brand new.

Paint Protection Film

PPF is a thin urethane film applied to the surface of your vehicle’s finish. While reminiscent of a window tint, it is applied to the vehicle’s exterior painted surfaces and serves a different purpose entirely. It supplies an additional layer of protection from:

  • Scratches
  • Chips and dings
  • Staining
  • Damage from exposure to UV light

Protection film is a popular choice for consumers, particularly do-it-yourself crowd, because it is relatively simple to install. These products range from fairly easy to very difficult to apply, so do your research if you are considering a DIY application or call a trained PDR Canada professional. The most common films used in the Westlock area are:

  • XPEL Ultimate
  • 3M Pro
  • 3M Paint Protection Film

Ceramic Coatings

Ceramic coatings are hydrophobic polymers capable of binding to paint. The product sheds water, making it difficult for gunk and dirt to adhere to your vehicle. The coating has properties that keep your car cleaner than paint alone.

Washing a vehicle protect by a ceramic coating is almost effortless. Dirt and grime slides off easily. According to Westlock, AB residents that have installed ceramic coatings to their vehicles, they use less soap, water, and effort to get their vehicles clean.
Should you opt for a ceramic coating, you can’t go wrong with Opti-Coat Pro+.

Comparing Paint Protection Film and Ceramic Coating

Both protection options provide their own unique benefits. For example, paint protection film is thicker than a ceramic coating and has self-healing abilities. Breaches in the film will fix themselves.

Paint protection films are best suited to safeguard your paint from physical damage resulting from contact with road hazards like stones, sand, and gravel, particularly in vulnerable areas like your front bumper and hood that continuously fend off rocks and road debris.

On the other hand, a ceramic coating, although offering less of a defense against chips and scratches, provides superior protection from the elements, including UV rays that act as a catalyst for acid rain and pollutants that will damage your vehicle’s finish.

While XPEL and 3M films offer some level of hydrophobic protection, most vehicle owners find that the hydrophobic properties of film to be nowhere near that of ceramic coatings.

Which Should I Choose?

If you can’t decide? Here’s great news! Paint protection film and ceramic coating products are not an either-or-proposition. Why not install both a PPF and a ceramic coating and enjoy the best of all worlds?

PDR Canada offers Westlock residents several protection packages that combine the strengths of PPF and ceramic.
The process is not overly complex. First, we’ll install your choice of PPF film to the areas of your vehicle most vulnerable to damage, such as the hood, fenders, front bumper, and rocker panels. Covering these components with PPF will ensure that your car gets the best protection possible from physical damage.

We follow with a specially formulated ceramic coating to all your vehicles painted exterior surfaces. The ceramic coating will bind to your vehicle’s finish and with the film protection layer.

This combination of ceramic coat and paint protection film will enhance your vehicle’s appearance and provide it with unrivaled year round protection.

Why Not Work with the Best in Westlock, AB

If you are looking into PPF, ceramic coatings, or both, you can’t go wrong with PDR Canada. We offer a range of top-quality vehicle body services right here in Westlock and we stock XPEL Ultimate, 3M Pro, and other high quality PPF brands—all of which include a lifetime warranty. We can also provide window tinting and financing. There is simply no reason to delay protecting the investment you have made in your vehicle.

Don’t settle for less! Get the best at PDR Canada in Westlock. Contact us and see for yourself why we are the very best in the business!