How It Works

Q: I’d like to have my boat shrink wrapped but what are the benefits to having the boat wrapped as opposed to just putting a blue tarp on it?

A: If you’re talking about transport, this material is going to

• hold up much better in that long journey.
• It deters against theft
• It deters against animals coming into your boat and making a home in there
• and it also protects the obvious, against sun, rain, and weather along the way

Q: How does your shrink wrap work? Do you put the object on like a huge bag and then suck out all of the air? Could you tell me what shrink wrapping actually entails?

A: Shrink wrapping is actually a customized cover made specifically for your item. The technician will pad and protect any sharp protrusions, or any valuable or fragile elements that you choose to leave in place. A piece of large plastic fabric is laid over the object, a perimeter band, a belly band, and other tethers will be used. Then the shrink wrap will be tucked into place using those tethers and bands and after everything is nice and secure, the technician will come by with a propane heat torch and heat the plastic, causing it to shrink into place, and causing it to tighten down all around your object in a secure way.

Q: How long does shrink warp last? – Do I have to replace it in six months or how robust is this material?

A: The material has a twelve-month U.V.I. protection which guarantees twelve months from degrading from the sun. We have seen shrink wrap last much longer than that, but we can guarantee you up to twelve months.

A: Generally, it takes anywhere from four to eight hours to wrap a boat.

Q: Can I put some boxes inside or store some things in my boat that I don’t want to put in the truck? Can I put those in the boat and can the technician work around that while he shrink wraps the boat?

A: Yes, we absolutely can do that. If you would you like access to these items while it’s wrapped, we can install a zipper access door for you, so that you have access into the wrap without cutting it or hurting the integrity of the wrap.

Q: What are the factors that determine the cost of an onsite shrink wrap order?

A: The main factors are these:

• The dimensions of the item to be shrink wrapped, including height, width, and length
• Any protrusions or sensitive areas that need protection
• The location, the travel distance, of the shrink wrap order
• Please measure the item and give us a phone call – we’re glad to help you figure it out.

Q: How is the shrink wrap kept in place during driving on a journey?

A: We use a combination of:

• Doing a high-quality job during the shrink wrapping
• We use a thick nylon strapping to run around the perimeter of your boat
• We use a belly band that runs underneath the bow of the boat which will hold the wrap on, sort of like a shower cap
• If desired additional protection would be to tape the entire perimeter to the actual hull, preventing any air gaps along the journey

Q: “I’m from the military and we have a very odd project that we would like help with. We have these oversized boxes, and they have some pieces of metal that are sticking out of them but we’re going to need to have them shrink wrapped for transport across the country. Do you think that your company could handle this? I can’t provide you any pictures at the moment.

A: Yes. With over ten years of experience, Olympic Shrink Wrap has wrapped

• Aircraft
• marine vessels
• space equipment
• buildings
• construction equipment
• gas plants
• scaffolding
• and endless other examples.

We literally have experience in all fields and are confident that we can wrap anything you need done.

Q: I have seen shrinkwrap put on boats before at a dealership. Is this the same type of shrink wrap that you guys install?

A:  I can’t be sure of what you’ve experienced, but as a company we use an above standard ten mil thickness wrap that holds up to twelve months of UV protection. Also it’s bigger than the industrial standard for the purpose of preventing against breaks from sharp corners or anything that might hit it along the way.

Q: I used to live on the East coast and I’m familiar with shrink wrap. We would pull our boats out each year for the winter and winterize them using shrink wrap. However now I am on the West coast living here in California and the winters are by no means as harsh as back East. What is the reason for having my boat shrink wrapped? Why do you think it would be a good idea to have my boat shrink wrapped?

A: it’s true that the east coast has more harsh weather conditions during the winter, but here in southern California we face other conditions and problems. Most importantly, we have:

• really harsh conditions
• high winds
• rain
• shrink wrap is a great theft deterrent
• shrink wrap helps protect your investment from animals and birds
• shrink wrap is a great visual deterrent for transporting or shielding sensitive items

Q: I have a large industrial compressor or a big piece of machinery that needs to be transported across the country. I’m thinking about using a blue tarp which seems to be a lot cheaper than shrink wrap. Can you tell me why it would be better to use shrink wrap? It seems that I have a big hurdle to get over to tell my manager why we should spend the extra money to have it shrink wrapped by your company.

A: The blue tarp that you’re suggesting could potentially shred and show up looking very weathered and very unprofessional. With shrink wrap you are investing in your customer who is receiving the item on the other end. By using shrink wrapping you are ultimately telling your customer that your item is important, it is valuable, and therefore we have spent this time and the money to have it specialty packaged to deliver your product straight to you in the best condition it could over such a long journey.