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Tinting Windows
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08-11-2006 7:36pm#1
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When you buy a roll it usually comes with those little plastic card things, but i'm sure a credit card would be fine. A drop - literally - of washing up liquid mixed with water in a spray bottle for lubrication. Clean the windows like your life depended on it before hand. Then repeat.
Take your time and if possible do it in a garage out of the elements.0 -
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Just been looking on the interweb there found a good artice for anybody else thinking of doing this.
Window tinting was once associated mainly with stretch limos carrying celebrities or crime bosses trying to maintain anonymity. Now it's fairly common as a factory option on many vehicles. More than just a vanity indulgence, window tint does actually serve practical purposes. It helps keep the inside of the vehicle cool so the AC doesn't have to work as hard. It protects interior vinyl, upholstery and leather from damaging ultraviolet rays. It serves to make the window more shatter proof. Finally, it serves a security function in that it makes it more difficult for would-be thieves to peruse the inside of your parked vehicle for valuables, cellular phones, radar detectors, stereo system, etc.
You may choose to have window tint professionally installed as an after-market feature, but it's also possible to install yourself. Whether you're selecting a shop to do the job professionally or doing it yourself, be aware that there is wide variation in quality of window tints. The high-performance types may eliminate as much as 99 percent of UV rays, and they may come with a lifetime warranty. Low-cost, low-quality tint generally comes with no warranty, may have a purple appearance, and is likely to bubble or fade.
Preparing the work area: One of the most troublesome factors when installing window tint is free-floating dust. Particles that get sealed between the tint and the glass are there permanently and may be a source of damage. This is a job best done in a closed, controlled area -- as dust-free as possible and away from the elements.
Tip: Wet the floor of the work area before you begin the installation. Keeping the floor surface wet will help prevent additional dust particles from being stirred up into the air.
Materials:
Window-tinting film
Spray bottle
Rubber squeegee
Single-edged razor blade
Distilled water
Mild soap (or mild dishwashing soap or baby shampoo)
Lint-free cloth
Butcher paper or craft paper
Pencil
Make a template of the window using butcher paper. This template will later be used to cut the tint film. Roll the window down just slightly (so that you can trace the top edge) and trace the outline of the window carefully on the butcher paper to yield an accurate template. It may be helpful to use tape to hold the paper in place while tracing. Leave about an extra inch of length at the bottom of the template so that there will be enough tint film to tuck below the window gasket. Once the template is cut, double-check it against the window to make certain that it is accurate.
For cleaning the glass, fill a spray bottle with a solution of 1/2 teaspoon of mild soap to one quart of distilled water. Wash and dry both sides of the window thoroughly.
Clean away any remaining debris from both sides of the window by lightly scraping the glass with a razor blade. Use caution not to scratch the glass.
Wash and dry both sides of the window again until you are certain both surfaces are completely clean. Use care to clean all the way to the edges and into the corners around the window gasket.
Using your template as a guide, cut the window-tinting film with a utility knife (figure A). To save time, you can cut the film for two corresponding windows (e.g., driver-side front and passenger-side front) at the same time, using the same template. Just be aware of which way each piece of film is facing when you cut.
The film comes with a clear backing on it to protect the adhesive. You'll need to pull away this backing to install the tint.
Tip: To make it easier to separate and pull back the backing, in one corner of the tint place two pieces of tape facing each other on either side of the film. Then pull the pieces of tape away from each other so that they function as pull tabs (figure
, allowing you to easily separate the backing from the film.
With the backing removed from the film, wet the adhesive surface with the soapy solution. Also wet the inside surface of the window with the same solution.
Carefully move the film into position inside the window (figure C), being careful not to let the film get creased or doubled over onto itself. The film should adhere to the glass fairly well with the soapy solution. You may want to temporarily tape the corners for added holding while you apply the tint to the glass. Spray the film once again with soapy solution.
Use the squeegee to remove the soapy water and bubbles from underneath the film while simultaneously smoothing the film onto the glass (figure D). Take your time and be careful and methodical for this step. Be careful not to press so hard with your squeegee that you stretch the film. Also, do not lift the film to remove bubbles. Instead, squeegee them gently to the edge and release them.
Trim away any extra film hanging over the window edges using a new razor blade.
Keep the windows rolled up for at least three days to allow full curing.
Important: Before considering this installation, check your state's restrictions on the degree of tint that's permitted. Also note that some states have separate regulations for the degree that's permitted on the rear and rear-side windows versus the front. Look for these in a specific section on lighting regulations in the motor-vehicles section of your annotated state code. The state regulations will likely reference and expand upon regulation No. 205 of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.
-VB-0 -
Volvoboy wrote:Just been looking on the interweb there found a good artice for anybody else thinking of doing this.
Window tinting was once associated mainly with stretch limos carrying celebrities or crime bosses trying to maintain anonymity. Now it's fairly common as a factory option on many vehicles. More than just a vanity indulgence, window tint does actually serve practical purposes. It helps keep the inside of the vehicle cool so the AC doesn't have to work as hard. It protects interior vinyl, upholstery and leather from damaging ultraviolet rays. It serves to make the window more shatter proof. Finally, it serves a security function in that it makes it more difficult for would-be thieves to peruse the inside of your parked vehicle for valuables, cellular phones, radar detectors, stereo system, etc.
You may choose to have window tint professionally installed as an after-market feature, but it's also possible to install yourself. Whether you're selecting a shop to do the job professionally or doing it yourself, be aware that there is wide variation in quality of window tints. The high-performance types may eliminate as much as 99 percent of UV rays, and they may come with a lifetime warranty. Low-cost, low-quality tint generally comes with no warranty, may have a purple appearance, and is likely to bubble or fade.
Preparing the work area: One of the most troublesome factors when installing window tint is free-floating dust. Particles that get sealed between the tint and the glass are there permanently and may be a source of damage. This is a job best done in a closed, controlled area -- as dust-free as possible and away from the elements.
Tip: Wet the floor of the work area before you begin the installation. Keeping the floor surface wet will help prevent additional dust particles from being stirred up into the air.
Materials:
Window-tinting film
Spray bottle
Rubber squeegee
Single-edged razor blade
Distilled water
Mild soap (or mild dishwashing soap or baby shampoo)
Lint-free cloth
Butcher paper or craft paper
Pencil
Make a template of the window using butcher paper. This template will later be used to cut the tint film. Roll the window down just slightly (so that you can trace the top edge) and trace the outline of the window carefully on the butcher paper to yield an accurate template. It may be helpful to use tape to hold the paper in place while tracing. Leave about an extra inch of length at the bottom of the template so that there will be enough tint film to tuck below the window gasket. Once the template is cut, double-check it against the window to make certain that it is accurate.
For cleaning the glass, fill a spray bottle with a solution of 1/2 teaspoon of mild soap to one quart of distilled water. Wash and dry both sides of the window thoroughly.
Clean away any remaining debris from both sides of the window by lightly scraping the glass with a razor blade. Use caution not to scratch the glass.
Wash and dry both sides of the window again until you are certain both surfaces are completely clean. Use care to clean all the way to the edges and into the corners around the window gasket.
Using your template as a guide, cut the window-tinting film with a utility knife (figure A). To save time, you can cut the film for two corresponding windows (e.g., driver-side front and passenger-side front) at the same time, using the same template. Just be aware of which way each piece of film is facing when you cut.
The film comes with a clear backing on it to protect the adhesive. You'll need to pull away this backing to install the tint.
Tip: To make it easier to separate and pull back the backing, in one corner of the tint place two pieces of tape facing each other on either side of the film. Then pull the pieces of tape away from each other so that they function as pull tabs (figure, allowing you to easily separate the backing from the film.
With the backing removed from the film, wet the adhesive surface with the soapy solution. Also wet the inside surface of the window with the same solution.
Carefully move the film into position inside the window (figure C), being careful not to let the film get creased or doubled over onto itself. The film should adhere to the glass fairly well with the soapy solution. You may want to temporarily tape the corners for added holding while you apply the tint to the glass. Spray the film once again with soapy solution.
Use the squeegee to remove the soapy water and bubbles from underneath the film while simultaneously smoothing the film onto the glass (figure D). Take your time and be careful and methodical for this step. Be careful not to press so hard with your squeegee that you stretch the film. Also, do not lift the film to remove bubbles. Instead, squeegee them gently to the edge and release them.
Trim away any extra film hanging over the window edges using a new razor blade.
Keep the windows rolled up for at least three days to allow full curing.
Important: Before considering this installation, check your state's restrictions on the degree of tint that's permitted. Also note that some states have separate regulations for the degree that's permitted on the rear and rear-side windows versus the front. Look for these in a specific section on lighting regulations in the motor-vehicles section of your annotated state code. The state regulations will likely reference and expand upon regulation No. 205 of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.
-VB-
that's what i meant to say:D
make sure you put the tint on the inside as well - met a few people who put it on the outside:rolleyes:0 -
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Honestly? Yeah I think it would look crap. Especially from the inside if the side glass was any way dark. Get the rear done too.Volvoboy wrote:Do you think it would look ok with the sides one and the rear not?
Car is a navy almera.
thanks
-VB-
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