FlexiShield BHP — the base film in our PPF range

FlexiShield BHP: the base PPF film in our range, 191 microns with an 8-year manufacturer warranty. Where it has a limit, and when to choose differently.

A stone kicked up by another car's tyre chips the paint on the leading edge of the bonnet, and the chip doesn't heal itself. A neighbour's door handle leaves a scratch in a car park; a bag leaned against the boot edge cuts through the colour coat down to the metal. None of that reverses on its own — the only way back is a respray.

FlexiShield BHP is the base film in our PPF range: 191 microns thick, with an 8-year manufacturer warranty. It's the film every car gets unless you pay extra for a thicker layer or a matte finish — not because it's a lesser film, but because this is the thickness and warranty the manufacturer offers as standard. We install FlexiShield film under a certification issued by the film's manufacturer abroad.

How it differs from the films next to it

A micron is a unit of thickness; film is often also measured in mils, where one mil is roughly 25 microns, so BHP's 191 microns works out to just under 8 mils. Of the three FlexiShield thicknesses we install, BHP is the thinnest and carries the shortest manufacturer warranty. One step up is FlexiShield WSH: 203 microns, 10-year manufacturer warranty. At the top sits FlexiShield WSH Pro: 216 microns, 12-year manufacturer warranty. Set apart from these is FlexiShield BHP MAT — the same family, just with a matte surface instead of gloss, carrying a 7-year warranty. The difference between BHP and the thicker lines isn't in how well it's installed or how well it bonds to the paint. It's simply how much material sits on top of the paint, and how long the manufacturer stands behind it.

Where it has a limit

An 8-year warranty tells you how long the manufacturer stands behind the film, not how much of an impact the film can absorb. A stone off the motorway can hit at any point across those eight years, and it's the 191-micron thickness, not the warranty, that decides whether it gets through. We give a two-year warranty on our own workmanship; the manufacturer's warranty covers material defects only, not the stone chip itself.

The film doesn't repair anything already in the paint. A scratch or a faded patch that's there before installation stays there, hidden under the film rather than fixed. And the film isn't completely invisible: you won't notice it across the panel, but up close, at the edge of a panel, you can see where it ends.

When to choose a different route

Do you cover a lot of motorway miles, drive on gravel, or load the car often? More resistance comes from FlexiShield WSH or FlexiShield WSH Pro — a thicker layer is harder to tear or scratch through. Want a matte finish instead of gloss? That's FlexiShield BHP MAT. Only dealing with one spot, such as a door sill or the boot edge? Partial PPF protection covers that on its own. Want ceramic protection added on top of the film? We apply it following surface ceramic protection. For the full picture of where each film belongs on the car, see PPF film.