Home renovations - always on our minds and certainly on our 'get 'round to it' list.
The cost, the mess, and inconvenience are always up there too - not only that, when you are renting your home, you might be torn as to whether to invest in someone elses property.
There is an answer, and we are tried and tested fans.
Architectural film 'wrap' is a cost-effective and stylish way to transform a home on a budget, minus the lengthy wait, delays, and the mess of traditional 'handywork'
Our favourite company, and Dubai's biggest, is Creative Wrap - we caught up with founders, British expats, Lloyd Williams and Aaron Mitchell to chat all things 'wrap'
We’re big fans of wrapping here and we had our kitchen wrapped by you too (thank you!) – how long can we really expect it to last?
Realistically a kitchen wrap can last over 10 years if you look after it like you should any kitchen - i.e clean it regularly, do not let grease build up, and make sure you do not cut on the wrap itself.
Any issues related to the actual wrap will appear within 48 hours after installation.
After that, the adhesive on the material will form a strong bond to the original substrate and will not peel nor bubble. In terms of durability, the material is more scratch resistant than materials such as wood, so therefore, you can expect a longer life from your newly wrapped kitchen compared to if you kept the original wooden cabinets.
The Interior Film is non-porous and is therefore stain resistant and completely waterproof. Also it's anti-bacterial. It's basically built to last.
How much approximately, does it cost for the average kitchen to be wrapped?
You can expect a full kitchen wrap for an average-sized kitchen to cost in the range of AED 2500-4500.
Are wrapped bathrooms and shower cubicles really waterproof?
As long as the silicon and sealant is kept in good condition the wrap will remain 100% waterproof for life. When the silicon begins to peel or get moldy, just like in any standard bathroom, the silicon should be replaced. If you do this then yes, a wrapped bathroom is really waterproof.
It says the countertops are heatproof – what does this really mean?
Unfortunately, interior film does have its weaknesses and no interior film is heatproof. With that said, they are heat resistant up to 110 Degrees Celsius.
What’s the weirdest thing you ever wrapped?
One time we were asked for a chicken wrap, unfortunately we couldn’t provide that. The weirdest thing we have probably wrapped is the button and casing for a toilet flusher. We have also wrapped AC control panels and a crazy design on the ceiling of a lift.
You recently added the word “sustainable” to your company name. Why is this?
We have always been focused on the environment and that’s one reason why we love wrapping. Did you know we recycle all general plastic waste, cardboard and backing paper from all our sites?
We are slowly changing our fleet to Diesel Ford Transit vehicles that can do up to 1000km on a full tank, instead of 400km from the same amount of litres of petrol. Hopefully one day we will go fully electric! We have also installed heat rejection film on our showroom windows to reduce the strain on our A/C which in turn saves electricity. On top of all of this is the obvious benefit of wrapping which is that it upcycles existing furniture/doors/cabinets etc. and prevents such items going into landfill. In turn, because no new items need to be created this prevents wood being used, saving trees, saving on greenhouse gasses from the transport of wood from the forest, to sawmill, to end user and so much more. We are sustainable at heart and that’s why we decided to add the word to our strapline.
What is the biggest myth you hear about home wrapping?
It would probably have to be that a wrapping company founded two months ago, with little to no experience can give five years warranty. Also we regularly hear individuals and companies call wrap a sticker or wallpaper, which it most definitely is not.
There are so many wrapping companies now, tell us why we should use Creative Wrap? What makes you different?
There may be so many new wrapping companies, but there are only a few that are true professionals, Creative Wrap being one of them. There is a reason why we are now the largest wrapping company in the world, not just in the Middle East. No one in the world is perfect, however, at Creative Wrap we consistently strive for perfection and in doing so, even if we fall short, we achieve a truly remarkable level of quality and customer service. We have an absolutely amazing team, which are all still personally vetted by our Co-Founders Lloyd & Aaron. After joining, each new member is then assigned to one of our teams where they are immersed in our company culture to ensure that they are trained to deliver our core values that we stand so strongly by. Our core values are; create relationships and support family, quality over quantity, honesty & integrity, over communication and responsiveness, create value, not money, aim for perfection and deliver WOW. This is what runs in the Creative Wrap blood and we know we can deliver on our promises and that’s why we’ve been fortunate enough to be chosen to help our esteemed clientele at places such as Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall to name a few.