A Full Guide To Automotive Window Tinting - What You Will Need And How To Do It.
A Full Guide To Vehicle Window Tinting
Window Tinting, a great way to add privacy to your vehicle as well as keeping unwanted heat away from the cabin.So how is it done and what would you need to get started?
Tools/Equipment
Lucky, window tinting requires very little equipment to get started. These are tools you may have lying around your house however if not, they are very cheap to buy.
- squeegee £5
- heat gun (Do Not Use Hairdryer) £20-£30
- Soapy water in a spray bottle £2
- Small Knife £4
In total, you could be looking at a maximum cost of £31-41 to get yourself all the tools and equipment needed for window tinting. This comes as a surprise to many as people get the impression it takes a lot of special tools and investment to start window tinting on their own vehicles.
Is it difficult?
Window tinting can be very daunting to some as they worry about bubbles, bad fitment ect… However, we believe most people can do a good job, even if it is their first go. So how? As Long as you spend a good amount of time preparing the window and making sure all dust particles are removed then the chances of getting any tinting air bubbles is reduced significantly. We will talk about how to prepare the windows properly soon.
Which Side Is The Window Tint Applied too?
99% of people think that the window tint is applied on the outside however, this is not the case. The tint should always be cut and trimmed on the outside, and then fitted to the inside of the window. But why? Well, the film is a lot more prone to scratches than paint or glass. This means, if you took the vehicle to a mechanical car wash, the tint would be covered in swirl marks or possibly even rip and pull off. Also, most of the time you would be able to see the actual corners of the tint if it was on the outside (the corners should tuck in when applied to the inner glass).
Benefits Of Tinting Your Windows.
To put it simply, Window tinting gives more privacy for you and your family or friends whilst also making the vehicle look better and more sporty. Performance Tints can actually reduce the heat in the vehicle by upto 80%. How? To put it short, they filter out the uv light that enters into the car and removes most of the heat from the rays therefor reducing the cabin heat inside.
How To Tint
1. Firstly, make sure the outer side of the window is clean. spray it and wipe down until there are no dust particles. Although the tint hasn't yet been peeled, This reduces the chances of dust and dirt getting between the film at some point.
2. Roll The glass down roughly 5-10cm so that you can see the top edge of the glass.
3. lay the film onto the glass, ensuring that the film's sticky side is facing you. This is extremely important as the film needs to be stuck onto the inside of the window and if you get the film the wrong way, it simply won't stick.
4. start cutting around the edges, making sure you get the lines as straight and as accurate as possible.
5. Once you have cut the top and most of the sides, roll the window back up fully and finish by cutting the bottom, and anything that remains.
6. Now the window tint is cut, if there are any crease marks simply take the heat gun and shrink them out whilst also pushing down with a squeegee.
7. Now everything is cut and ready to go, let's start preparing the inner side of the glass. Take a razor blade and soap, being very careful, spray the soap onto the glass and scrape the blade across to remove any hard contaminants.
8. Now we have removed all hard contaminants, let's give the window one last wipe down to remove any bits of dust and dirt from the glass.
9. So the tint is cut, and the glass is prepared for the film, let's apply it. Remove the backing sheet from the film whilst also spraying it with the soapy water and stick to the inner side of the window.
10. Now the tint has been stuck down, let's get all the soapy water and bubbles removed. Take your squeegee and start pushing it towards the edges from the middle. do this until all the bubbles have been removed from behind the tint.
11. Finish off by tucking in any edges and trimming any parts where they access tint is visible (assuming there is access).
If you are unsure, give our Chesterfield branch a call and we will be happy to further assist you.
Unit 9 Foxwood View, Foxwood Industrial Park, Chesterfield S41 9RN