After stumbling through the window tint sticky and quite bluntly, finding a dearth of actual beneficial window tint information, I figured one was in order.

First off, what is window tint?

Window tint, for our purposes, is a film that is applied to the interior of the glass in our automobiles. This film is constructed of multiple layers. These layers included layers on the outside that protect the interior of the film from scratches and such and prevent shattering, a water-activated pressure-sensitive adhesive and with interior layers that block UV radiation and do the actual tinting. Now I am going to be discussing optical-grade professional automobile window tint, and not flat-plane residential-type or cheapo generic Autozone/Pep Boyz window tint.

Why tint?

Besides the pleasing aesthetic reasons, there are tangible benefits to tinting your windows. By blocking almost 100% of UVa and UVb radiation you are not only keeping yourself and the interior cooler on hot days, you are preventing the damage that UV radiation causes to your skin and to the interior plastic, upholstery and leather which can crack, fade and become brittle over time.

Did you know that America has the highest instance of melanoma-type skin cancer of the world? And do you know where we get most of that melanoma cancer? On our left arms. No lie. Americans own and drive more automobiles than any other nation and we invariably rest our arm on the left window sill. We find ourselves driving for hours, many times for the shear pleasure of it. And we get cancer on that arm. Window tint can help prevent that cancer by blocking almost 100% of the cancer-causing UV radiation.

What types of film are out there?

Yous have basically 3 types of window film: dyed, metallized, and hybrid. As you might guess, the dyed film uses dye (or carbon) to do the tinting, the metal uses metal to tint and the hybrid uses a combination of both to do the actual tinting. Each has their pros and cons as we shall discuss. Those are the mainstream types. You also have a newer specialized type called ceramic.

Dyed window film:



Dyed window film as mentioned, uses a layer of dye to do the tinting. This dye actually absorbs the light energy and turns it into heat. This heat is then transfered to the glass and is then radiated off the glass by the air passing over it as you drive. Because of this transfer effect, you should never install dyed films on high end cars that have double-paned glass. The reason for this is because they have a vacuum between the layers of glass. Because of the vacuum, the heat will not transfer. This in time can, in more arid locations, result in a buildup of heat in the glass and cause a failure of the seal, releasing the vacuum and causing the window to form condensation on the inside. This type of glass is found on top of the line Mercedes and Maybachs to name two.

Dye is preferred by some because it has a true black appearance with almost no reflectivity, unlike metalized films that have a shiny charcoal appearance. It also will not interfere with any kind of radio signals as metal films can as mentioned below. The dye though, will over time, tend to turn purple and delaminate.

Carbon-based film is rather new on the market and is a type of dyed film. It uses carbon atoms instead of a traditional dye giving it exceptional optical clarity with reduced nighttime glare and a true black appearance many desire.

Metallized film:

Within the realm of metallized films there are two types called deposition technology (vacuum coating/metallizing) and sputtered technology (advanced metallizing). In both there is a deposited layer of metallic particles on the film, giving it a reflective coating. Metallic films control radiation through reflectivity. What that means is it rejects heat by reflecting it before it can be transferred through the glass, unlike dyed film. Just because it uses reflectivity does not mean it has to be mirror tint. Some metallized films have more visible reflection than others, and overall they are more shiny and reflective than dyed film, but the reflectivity is of the heat, not the light. And just because it's metallized doesn't mean the film looks like metal flake paint; you can't see the individual particles. Metal films can sometimes interfere with radar detectors, radio antennas, cellphones, portable navigation units, portable sat radios systems and the like.

In deposition technology, the film is drawn through a tank containing metal ingots--usually aluminum or nickel-chrome, and occasionally copper. A vacuum is created by reducing the pressure in the tank, which is then flooded with argon gas and the ingots are heated. The heat causes the metal to give up particles that migrate to the film's surface. The density of the metal deposition is controlled by the speed of the film through the chamber.

While deposition technology works well and is relatively inexpensive, it has its limits. To be effective, the metallized coating must be fairly thick, as the particles are relatively large. What this means at a practical level is that it produces a darker, highly mirrored surface. And second, the list of metals that can be deposited evenly is fairly short, which means fewer product options.



Sputtering technology is more complicated. Sputtering is also done in a vacuum chamber, but the metallizing is achieved at the atomic level. In brief, electromagnetic fields direct streams of ions from a chemically inert gas (usually argon) toward the metal. This ion bombardment, which is often described as "atomic billiards," causes groups of atoms to dislodge in small bursts and scatter uniformly across the film.

The practical benefits of sputtering are that 25 to 30 different metals can be used including stainless steel and titanium and the metallized coating is much thiner and thus lighter. It's possible to sputter metal in a layer one-hundredth the thickness of a human hair. Different metals are chosen to subtract specific bands of radiation from the solar spectrum. The result is a highly heat reflective layer with very little mirror effect, heat absorption or color shift. Because sputtering is more expensive, these films occupy the high end of the price range.

Then finally you have Hybrid Film:




To further complicate the average consumer and occupy the market, many films contain both dyes and reflective metals. By combining dyes and metals in various proportions, the negative effects of each can be reduced without sacrificing performance. A good example is gray dye and titanium coating. If used alone, dye would darken the film significantly, while the titanium would produce a highly mirrored surface. When paired together, less of each can be used, but it results in a film that is relatively light and non-reflective.

This point is significant, if only because it dispels the notion that the darkest films reject the most heat. In most cases, dark films are chosen because they offer greater privacy. Thus you need to read the chart provided from the manufacturer of the film to compare properties.

Hybrid window films are the biggest selling type of tint on the market today.

Ceramic Films?

Another film type is ceramic. This is used mainly when a vehicle uses antennas that are embedded into the glass. Metallized films can interfere or attenuate signal reception of the radio or navigation unit and such. It is also used when someone uses certain radar detectors or certain types of cell phones. Metallized films sometime block the radar or cell phone signals coming through the tinted glass on certain models. It's weird, some are effected and some aren't. Ceramic is high dollar though. Huper Optik is one of the major producers of ceramic tint.

Now you know WHAT is out there, now you have to decide WHERE to get your windows tinted.

When deciding where, here are some things to remember:

Everybody wants a lifetime warranty. And a lot of tint shops claim to offer a lifetime warranty. Ask them who is giving the warranty: them or the manufacturer of the film. There's a reason you want to ask.

Tons of cheapo and fly-by-night places will say they give a lifetime warranty and use a generic Autozone/Pep Boyz or Home Depot tint and either hope you never come back, you sell the car before you have a problem, or they go out of business next year and you're stuck swingin' in the breeze.

Reputable places will use high end film and the manufacturer is the entity who will be providing the warranty, which is what you want. They often will be nation-wide warranties which are great if you ever move out of state.

Any and all of the companies who make high end film give extensive and professional-looking warranty paperwork, so don't accept just the receipt as your warranty. And they should provide you with the serial numbers for the rolls of tint they used on your car. That's right. High end window film always has a serial number on each and every roll, just like a VIN on a car.

And just because they say they use Llumar, 3M, Solar Guard, Suntek or other expensive sounding film, ask which model or grade. Even the best companies make cheap or inexpensive film. Make sure you get the high end grade. Insist on it. Request the type of window tint that fits into your budget and works with your circumstances, i.e. cellphone usage, type of radio antenna and the other things we've already discussed.

Also ask if they computer cut their patterns. Today, any decent window tint shop uses a computer aided machine to cut precision patterns that ensure precise straight edges that are exact to your windows. No more razer blades cutting on your windows.

How dark is dark? Is 5% lighter than 35%? What is Limo tint?

You have two different measured properties of film, opacity and reflectivity. The opacity refers to how dark it is and reflectivity means how much light is reflected back at you. This is a different measurement than heat reflectivity or heat rejection.

The numbers are given in percentages and on opacity that number refers to how much visible light is allowed to transfer through the film and many times is called VLT, or Visible Light Transmittance. So a 35% VLT film blocks 65% of all visible light and allows only 35% of visible light to transfer through. So, that means a 5% VLT film blocks 95% of all visible light and only allows 5% through. So 5% tint is darker than 20% and 5% and 20% are darker than 35%.

5% tint is generally referred to as limo tint.

A film with a 20% VLR or Visible Light Reflectance, only reflects 20% of visible light, while an 80% VLR tint is a mirror tint that reflects back 80% of light. You will notice on the legality chart that most states will only allow a maximum of 20% reflectivity, meaning mirror tint is illegal in most all states. Some states require the tint to have little to no reflectivity. Again this is the reflection of light, not heat.

What's legal and illegal?

When looking at the chart, notice that many states have different laws for cars and trucks/SUVs. Many laws were made before trucks, vans, and SUVs became so popular and back then most were just work vehicles. Work trucks many times had campers with no windows and panel vans had only front door windows. Because of this trucks/SUVs many times can have any darkness they want on any window behind the front two doors, up to and including just painting them out with black spray paint. For this reason, you used to see a lot of conversion vans with blinds and curtains on the back windows.

Please note most states also measure VLT as a net effect, which would include any tint included in the factory glass, however light it may seem to the naked eye. A few states, especially Mississippi now for one, actually use a portable light meter to measure tint VLT at the local inspection stations and if you are even a .5% under the limit, they will not pass your inspection. Some states don't bother with it at the inspection station and leave it up to law enforcement to inspect tint violators.

The legal limit in Mississippi is now 28% net VLT on cars. What that means is that if from the factory your glass has a 90% VLT tint and you place a layer of 35% VLT tint on the windows, you would be illegal. The net VLT would be between 25-27%. So that means you have to put a tint on the vehicle with a 38% VLT or greater to be safe.

Because of this, check with your local tint shop and make sure they use a professional portable light meter that has been recently calibrated to ensure legality if your local inspection station or police are adamant about it.

Also make triple sure the shop you choose provides you with any and all legal stickers if required by your state. Localities that require this state the sticker must include information such as the name of the tint shop, the VLT and VLR of the tint installed and a note of some kind stating it's legal, many times citing the actual law code. If you don't have that sticker where the states says you must, then again, you won't pass inspection. Most states make you put it under the tint so it can't be tamped with.

Concerning your front windshield, you will notice on the chart that there is a limit on that as well. Some states only allow you to tint a certain width across such as 4" or 6". Other states will only allow you to tint down to the AS1 line, which on most vehicles is about 4". Within that area, you can tint it any darkness you want, from 35%, to 5% limo, and you can even place a decal or windshield name within that area that is opaque.

Some states have a medical exemption available to those who qualify. You must have your doctor write a letter stating you have a condition that requires you have darker than legal tint or tint on your entire windshield. You then will be required to provide that letter to either your local DMV or state authorities who will then issue a medical exemption certificate or sticker that must be kept in the car at all times so that you can pass inspection or not get a ticket from the police.

If you choose to have tint darker than legal installed, be aware of a few things. The tint shop won't be giving you a warranty, because the manufacturer won't give you one. They have a stipulation on their warranty cards that state all bets are off if it's illegal. You also won't get the legal sticker and you probably won't even get a receipt because local law enforcement can close up a shop if they find out they are doing it illegal. You are pretty much on your own after that.



What's it going to cost me?

I paid $200 for sputtered-metallized film on my 2007 Honda Fit.

Depending mostly on locality, price can very mildly. In Los Angeles, where competition is huge, you might pay between $130-$180 for the same quality job that in a smaller market may cost from $200-$300. It's the number and shape of the windows that make the most impact on price, besides quality of tint. Huge compound curved windows (such as the rear windshield on an F-body) will cost more than smaller flat glass. Honestly, how dark the window tint is, has no bearing on price. Some shops though will want to raise the price for darker tint.

My advice, call around to the best shops in town and take an average. And at most places, price is negotiable depending on time of year (winter time you can get a good price since fewer people are getting it done), number of vehicles (package deals for multiple cars), and other services (maybe you get an alarm installed as well, or a pinstripe, or another add-on they offer).

After the tint:

So now you got the tint, now what. Well please keep in mind, the tint needs time to properly dry and cure. The time needed is dependent on the local current weather conditions.

For most tint you want to wait 5-7 days before rolling down your windows. In really hot, dry climates you might get by with 3 days and in cold wet climates you might have to wait 10-14 days. Listen to your tint shop. They will let you know how long to wait.

During that time, DON'T ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS! Don't even crack them, the tint WILL peel up at the edges if you do. If you smoke, too bad. They have to stay closed. You can open the sunroof, if you have one, unless it was tinted as well.

You will also notice water bubbles or a cloudy haze form after the first few hours. This is normal. The adhesive is activated with water. The glass will completely clear up when it dries and cures. That's a good indicator if the tint is dry enough. The bubbles will all be gone and the glass will once again be clear.

Clean the outside of the windows with whatever you want. But after the tint is dry, you only want to clean the inside with ammonia-free products. Do not use Windex or anything with ammonia as this will damage the tint. Use a soft cloth to dry it instead of paper towels. Even though the tint has a scratch resistant coating, it is not scratch-proof.

Keep your receipt and warranty documents in the glove box. That way you will always know where they are if you need them.

And here are some Window Tint examples: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...ic-thread.html

Other than that, enjoy your window tint! It will keep you cool, make you look cool and protect the interior of your car for a long time to come.

Goodness, I should write a book on this. Wait... I just did.

 

Huzzah! +rep for you, sir!

EDIT: You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Sid 6.7 again.

IOU +rep

 

Datapoint:

We just had all 9 windows and a visor band on the windshield done by a reputable shop for $169...

Ymmv...

 

I paid $200 for mine.

Depending mostly on locality, price can very mildly. In Los Angeles, where competition is huge, you might pay between $130-$180 for the same quality job that in a smaller market may cost from $200-$300. It's the number and shape of the windows that make the most impact on price, besides quality of tint. Huge compound curved windows (such as the rear windshield on an F-body) will cost more that smaller flat glass. Honestly, how dark the window tint is, has no bearing on price. Some shops though will want to raise the price for darker tint.

My advice, call around to the best shops in town and take an average. And at most places, price is negotiable depending on time of year (winter time you can get a good price since fewer people are getting it done), number of vehicles (package deals for multiple cars), and other services (maybe you get an alarm installed as well, or a pinstripe, or another add-on they offer).

 

nice thread,


DIY FTW!

 

I payed $200.00 plus tax ( $211.00 ) for all 9 windows.

 

$130 for 9 windows... i know somebody

 

If you advertise on your photography website for the window tinter it should only cost you about $40 What a blackberry fit looks like with 10% window tinting and an eyebrow...the vinyl is photoshopped in but I did get this done and it looks just about like that.

 

There's a guy here (you should be able to find someone in your area) that removed and replace the tint in my wife's 300m back window (which is large and difficult to do) for $60.
A fit should be alot cheaper to r&r the tint...

 

Not a huge fan of graphics on Fits, but I must say, I like that vinyl dude!

And removal of the tint will have a lot to do with how long the tint has been on there. Leave it on for a month, and you're sick of it, you can have it taken off for super cheap.

Leave it on for 10 years, it'll cost ya, because more than likely the tint will come off in little pieces and leave all the adhesive behind.

 

wish i read this before i got my tint last year. i went to a good place, they did a good job, ive seen the work theyve done on friends cars before i went. theyve done a lot of tint on award winning cars in the area...they used razor blades and ended up making a few little scratches which isnt a big deal but its kinda annoying(nobody notices it but me so i didnt complain or go back). theres also a crease in the tint on my drivers side window about a inch long. where it appears that the tint folded over top of itself or "pinched" . they offer warranty work on thursdays or tuesdays so i just gotta go take off work and get it fixed...never woulda went there if they didnt precut it, didnt know they could do that. annoying haha.

good guide, nice job.

 

wow, awesome write up. learned a lot [;

 

I really don't like 3M, I currently have Llumar on the car. Suntek, is pretty crappy over all unless its the really expensive stuff. Llumar gets better with price. BUT i've yet to find a film that beat madico. That is the best stuff i've found. And i've never been to a shop that had the computerized cutting. I'd believe its possible. But no shop around here has that.

 

awesome thread! answered a lot of my questions about tint.

 

Just had mine done today for $140.00 all windows and front strip, at a local shop in south Tampa. I always get Llumar. It is an awesome tint. It is metal so it will not fade, and comes with a lifetime warranty against all defects. Also all Llumar dealers laser cut their film with a computer for precession. It has preloaded software. I have had nothing but good experiences with it. Still have one car that has been tinted for 6 years and looks good as new. Check out their web site:
LLumar Automotive Window Tint - Films for Your Vehicle

 

Im in the process of looking at tint shops. They want like $335 for Ceramic tint. This place has done tint on 4 of my cars. They do a good job but Im still worried that I get the good stuff, you never really know as a consumer what they are really going to slap on. Im wanting 20% tint. 35% is legal here but in 15 years I've never been pulled over for 20%.

Waht do you suggest.

I want the best quality possible with the best light (heat) reflection. I dont care at all about signals, I only listen to my ipod and dont even use cells in the car.

 

Is 25% tint (the lowest legal in Texas) a dark enough on a VBP? I want to go dark but I can't get a warranty cause the shops want cash for illegal tint. Secondly, the lady I spoke with at one shop told me they don't used metallized film on new cars. Is this true universally or did I speak with a retarded woman?

 

I would think 25% should be plenty dark. I have a nhbp with 35% and it looks good. I would have gone darker now that I have black rims tails and emblems it would look better with the darker tint but I would imagine 25% should be plenty.

As far as the kind certain places do I have no idea.

 

dark tint in the front. darker tint in the rear :P

 

Anyone have the dimensions of the rear window? I'm still waiting for my Fit to arrive but in the meantime I'm thinking about ordering a custom perforated window film. Anyone else have one on their Fit?