Admit it. You want tint for your car because it looks awesome. Have you ever seen a nice car — or for that matter a not so nice car — rolling down the street with tinted windows and thought “eh, not for me?” Of course not. You wouldn’t be reading this if you had. You’re here because you’re ready to join the ranks of the cool and shady. You’re ready to be the guy cruising down the avenue turning heads. You’re ready for tint.
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But are you really ready? There’s a lot more to car tint than you might think. If you get a run of the mill tint job thinking your car is going to look badass, you may be severely disappointed. Before tinting your car, ask these questions:
Price is almost always a consideration, so let’s start here. Window tints are not prohibitively expensive, even for higher end brands. Average prices range from $100 – $400 to tint your whole car. But it’s best to be honest with yourself and your budget before you purchase. If you’re only willing to spend $100 or less, you may be better off spending that money elsewhere (like on 100 tacos at dollar taco night). Lower end tints are cheap — but they look cheap too, which totally defeats the purpose. Don’t be that guy.
There’s a reason the rich and famous don’t shop for clothes at Uncle Frank’s House of Slightly Irregular Sweatpants (not a real place to my knowledge, but you get the point). Quality counts. Quality shows. Buy cheap tint and people will know. You don’t want that. Tint should be considered as an investment. You want a product that lasts years, not months. Spend a little extra for quality. You won’t be disappointed.
If you buy tint without a warranty, and they start to peel and crack the first time a seagull decides to use your car as a toilet, you’re not going to be happy. And god forbid a pelican takes aim at your windshield. Those things are savage. Many window tint brands offer a warranty at no extra cost. Buying warrantied tints not only covers you for faulty materials, it gives you confidence that the tints you’re buying are high-quality. After all, businesses don’t like losing money. If they offer a warranty, that likely means they are confident in their product – and you can be too.
Technology is amazing these days. You can press a button on your and 30 minutes later, someone shows up at your door to bring you something — food, beer, a ride to the party. Window tint has technology too. Not “I can post to Instagram by tapping my windshield” technology (yet), but important technology nonetheless. Some tint offers UV protection that help make your car literally cool, so you can ease up on the gas-guzzling air conditioner. Some offer precision machine-cutting to ensure your tint is perfectly placed on your car windows. And some even offer protection from glass shattering during an attempted theft, or from those rotten neighborhood teenagers pelting your car with a rock. (You should call the police if this happens. Seriously.)
Brand matters. There is a reason the world’s most popular brands — Apple, Nike, BMW, Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbeque Sauce — got so popular, and it’s not just slick marketing. The world’s best brands back it up with quality and performance. Do some research into a few different brands before buying tint. See what others have to say about them. Ask your local auto body shop. Find a brand that you are confident in before making a purchase. You can start your research here.
Consider these questions before you tint your ride, and you’ll be confident in your purchase — and a bit more confident in general. After all, window tint has that effect on people.
View the Solar Gard line of automotive window tint products to get familiar with what’s out there. Additionally, Solar Gard endorses hundreds of dealers (“Pros”) all over the world who can help guide you and give you the piece of mind that you’re getting the best product for your vehicle.
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Window film is a thin, multi-layered polyester material that incorporates the many different layers to control different properties, including Ultra-Violet (UV) light, heat, glare, and privacy. Window film comes in a variety of performance levels and shades.
The many benefits of window film include eye comfort, UV protection, aesthetics, and increased safety, privacy, and energy savings.
Film percentages stand for light transmission, or the amount of light that is allowed through the film. The lower the percentage, the darker the film.
No. In most cases, window film is installed on the inside of the glass. This allows for maximum durability. On vehicles, the window tint is hand-cut on the outside of the glass, then installed on the interior of the glass.
The moisture that remains between the film and the glass after installation can cause a hazy, streaky, blotchy appearance. It takes several days for the adhesive/film to completely cure. The remaining moisture will evaporate through the film; depending on the type of film, this process may take a couple of days, or even a couple of months. When the water evaporates completely, your windows should have excellent clarity.
After window film installation, wait a week before cleaning the inside of the window where the film was installed. After a week, use a window cleaner without ammonia and a soft cloth or rubber squeegee. We recommend foam cleaners because they do not streak, and are usually ammonia-free. Never scrape the film with any type of blade or clean your tinted windows with anything abrasive, as it will scratch the film.
The window film used by Glass Tint USA has the technology to make film color stable, thus carrying a lifetime warranty that guarantees no color change. This means that our window films do not turn purple like the cheap films sold in other shops or auto parts stores. Please see our Lifetime Limited Warranty for more information.
Damaged window film cannot be repaired, but the damaged piece of film can be removed and the glass can be retinted.
No, window film does not prevent glass from breaking. Window film does increase the safety of the glass; due to a very aggressive adhesive, the film helps to hold the pieces of broken glass together. In the event the glass breaks, due to an auto accident, a person running into it, or an attempted break-in, the glass will shatter, but in most instances, the film will help keep the glass together.
Yes, window film adds a degree of shatter resistance to the glass areas of your home, building, or vehicle. These films bond to glass and help hold dangerous glass fragments in place, should breakage occur due to accident, natural disaster, or illegal entry.
Yes. The same sun that brightens a room’s interior can be detrimental to fabrics, furnishings, artwork, and rugs. Ultraviolet rays are the main cause of both fade and deterioration. Window films can screen out 99% of the damaging UV rays that can fade richly colored furniture, tapestries, and artwork. Heat and light also play a part in fading, but using window film to block nearly 100% of UV rays will increase the life of your personal property for years.
Yes. Window films give a clear view to the outside. Depending on the degree of privacy desired, you can select films that prevent others from looking in during the daytime.
The amount of time varies, depending on your type of vehicle. A complete car can take 2 to 4 hours. Full-sized trucks generally take between an hour and an hour and a half. A set of front doors usually only takes 30-45 minutes. If old aftermarket film has to be removed, that can add anywhere from 30 minutes to half a day.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Kingfilm.
Yes. Glare not only can cause eye fatigue, but it can also be dangerous when driving. It reduces the amount of light allowed through the film, therefore allowing you to see better and not stress your eyes.
We recommend that you leave your vehicle windows rolled up for at least 24 hours after window film has been installed. This allows the film to cure and adhere to the glass before the window is moved.
In most cases yes, depending on how old the film is and whether or not a color stable film was used.
Old film will need to be removed before installing new window film. It is always best to have the old film removed by a professional, as the rear defroster can be easily damaged. The process does add 2 – 4 hours of labor, and there is a charge for the removal. We recommend dropping your vehicle in the morning and let us call you when the job is completed.
As long as it is factory window tint, which is a color in the glass, then after market window film can be installed directly on the glass. Aftermarket window film has many more solar benefits than factory window tint. Aftermarket window film rejects 99% of ultraviolet rays and between 35%-60% of heat, depending on the film level used. Plus, adding aftermarket tint over factory tint can give you more privacy for storing personal items in the back of a vehicle.
No, window film nor the car’s rear defroster will be affected.
Glass Tint USA only installs window film on vehicles inside our clean, air-conditioned facility. This way we have complete control over the environment we install window film in. This is how you receive the most quality job.
Missouri allows for a 35% light transmission on the front doors of any vehicle registered in Missouri. They allow any level of film behind the front doors and along the top of the front windshield, down to the AS-1 line. The percentage does vary by the state where your vehicle is registered.
Yes. However, having this level of window film on front doors is not legal in Missouri. Vehicle factory window tint is usually 26%-15% film level. Missouri law states that the front door legal light transmission is 35%, which is lighter than the rear window of your factory tinted vehicle.
Yes. As long as it is factory window tint, we can install window film directly on the glass. Factory window tint’s color is actually a pigment in the glass. Aftermarket window film also has many more solar benefits than factory window tint. Factory tint only rejects part of the UV rays, and only rejects a small amount of heat. Aftermarket window film rejects 99% of ultraviolet rays and between 35%-60% of heat, depending on the film level used. In addition to these benefits, darkening factory tinted glass will give you more privacy for storing your personal items in the back of the vehicle.
Window film creates a more comfortable environment through consistent climate control by eliminating “cold wall” and “hot wall” problems. Rooms stay more comfortable in the summer and winter, be reducing “hot spots”, no matter where the sun is shining.
In summer, window film reflects the hot sun, reducing heat gain and lowering air conditioning costs. In winter, window film retains heat — up to 15% — to reduce heating costs. This year-after-year reduction in energy costs can yield an impressive return on investment.
“One-Way Film” is based on lighting, not the film itself. The side that is the brightest is the side that you can see. During the day when it is bright outside, you can see outside. At night, if you have lights on inside and no lighting outside, then it reverses.
No. The adhesive is meant to adhere to glass only. Window film should only be applied to glass surfaces that have a smooth finish. Plastics, Plexiglas, or Lexan contain too much oil for the film to adhere properly for a long period of time.
More than just an invisible bra for cars, Paint Protection Film can help protect many areas of your vehicle from scratches, dents, stains or swirls caused by road debris, rocks, bug droppings, and other environmental elements. Paint protection film is an 8 mil, clear polyurethane film. This virtually invisible film will not alter the color or design elements of your vehicle.
Your vehicle is one of the most expensive purchases you will make. Keeping your vehicle looking new and protecting it with a quality paint protection film from a company you can trust is important.
XPEL is synonymous with quality in the paint protection industry. No other brand has such an extensive design and testing process. XPELs construction provides many features, advantages, and benefits over other films. XPELs entire line of films is tested manually. The self-healing technology and seamless fit in our XPEL ULTIMATE line changes automobile protection forever. XPEL ULTIMATE line uses special elastomeric polymer technology in its clear coat that allows the film to HEAL ITSELF from minor scratches or swirl marks in a matter of minutes. The clear coat has excellent stain and scratch resistance, making it easier to clean and more difficult to scratch, ensuring that your vehicle looks newer, longer. It has excellent durability and exceptional clarity with virtually no orange peel, making it the clearest film in the industry and virtually invisible on the vehicle. It is manufactured in the USA.
The highest quality of automobile protection begins with a perfect installation. A plotter is used to cut patterns to the individual car, based on XPELs Design Access Program (DAP) Software. This software allows us to offer our customers the most customizable and precise coverage in the industry. The vehicle is prepped (detailed). The Paint Protection Film has an adhesive on the product and is then installed on the vehicle, using an alcohol based solution.
Paint Protection Film can be professionally installed on any areas of your vehicle that are most vulnerable to damage to protect your vehicles finish from scratches, chips, stains and other damaging elements. You can protect rocker panels from stones and debris kicked up by tires; hoods, bumpers and mirror backs from flying debris (gravel, bug acids and tar); door handle cups and door edges from rings, keys, belt buckles and purses; or full hoods, trunks and roofs from bird droppings and tree sap.
We strongly recommend that Paint Protection Film be installed by a Certified Installer. They have the training and experience to make sure you receive an installation that is fit perfectly to your vehicle. In addition, the warranty is valid only if the film is installed by a Certified Installer.
Caring for your Paint Protection Film is easy.
Yes, the film has a patented adhesive that allows for removal without damaging the paint.
The paint protected by the film fades at the same rate as the paint left exposed, so there is no difference in appearance.
For more information, please visit Automotive Window Tint.