If you ask a window tinter about getting some window tinting done, whether it be residential or commercial, and theyll tell you there are a few things you should understand to ensure you make the best decision for your particular environment and application. The number one and undoubtedly the most crucial thing you need to understand about window film is the difference between good window film and bad quality film. And this is why: Good quality window film will last for the lifetime of your windows whereas poor window film will only last a few years, depending on the rigours of your environment.
HOW TO GAUGE WINDOW FILM QUALITY
The only way for a novice to discriminate between premium quality and low quality film is price and guarantee. When inquiring with a supplier, be sure to ask how long the film is guaranteed for. If it’s less than 12 years don’t buy it. And also look out for the shady operator who offers you a guarantee on cheap film and hikes the price, to make it appear like it’s good film, but will either not be around, or simply do nothing if you get back to them because your tint has spoiled.
Here’s the tip, (and by the way I’ve found this to be true with most things in life), if your only motivation in getting quotes is looking for the lowest possible price, then you will naturally gravitate towards the bad product and the real price you pay will be in 2-3 years when your windows start to blister, fade and/or peel and just look horrid. Be warned, the cheapest price is usually just a crap product! You can find lists of authorised installers on industry websites like the International Window Film Association, or look for an installer that offers a lifetime guarantee and has easy to confirm testimonials like this one.
REASONS FOR INSTALLING WINDOW FILM
There are a number of benefits you can get from window tinting, and each particular film you use will package some of these benefits, so the first thing you need to identify is the most important reason for installing window tint. Lets look at each advantage in a tad more detail so you can more completely the most appropriate solution for your circumstances. The core benefits of good quality tint are:
- Heat Rejection
- UV Rejection
- Privacy
- Style
- Impact Safety and
- Security
Lets look at each in a little more depth.
Heat Rejection: Premium window film rejects heat by blocking as much as 73% of Total Solar Energy through windows. That’s cool!
UV Rejection: Premium window film eradicates up to 99% of IR radiation from penetrating your windows. And as a bonus, it also prevents 93% of glare, which massively improves for your view and makes things look really cool!
Privacy: The right film will also provide daytime privacy, enabling everyone inside to be cooler, enjoy the views, and at the same time have total privacy from onlookers during the day.
Impact Safety and Security Films: These specialist films stop glass from shattering on impact. Safety films are designed to withstand the force of human impact, while security films can withstand a bomb blast without shattering. Since the collateral damage from accidents where windows are broken comes from shards of glass flying like shrapnel, or large sections of glass dropping like a guillotine, the major issues around safety are prevented. It also stops your windows from becoming a soft and easy entry point for criminals, because both the impact and noise required to gain entry is so noticeable thieves, would rather just move on in search of an easier, ‘softer’ target.
Style: Good quality window film also adds style to windows; and for many people it’s the aesthetic charm that tinted windows add that is the major reason for their installation.
ISSUES RELATED TO THE DARKEST LEGAL TINT
The next point I want to discuss is relevant to car/vehicle owners and it concerns installing the darkest legal tint on your car or truck.
Regulations in different countries and states are different, so check your local laws, but where Im from the darkest legal tint legally permitted on a vehicle is one with a VLT (visible light transmission) level of 35%, on all vehicle windows (excluding the front windscreen, which is not allowed to have any window tint except for a visor strip across the top). So here’s the critical point. Most vehicles already have a slight tint in the glass in their front windows, so this should be considered when adding tint to a vehicle. Here’s what I mean.
If the factory installed windows on your car already block 30% of light, when a film with the “darkest legal tint” of 35% is added to this glass, it will emit only 35% of light into a window that is already only emitting 70% of light, so the final VLT reading will be calculated by the addition of both tint ratings.
This is really important because if a driver by mistake fails to comply with tinting laws, the result can be a fine. But even worse, if a vehicle is involved in an accident and its illegally dark windows are considered by the court to be a contributing factor, this could mean the cancellation of your insurance policy, leaving you exposed to the full financial implications of the accident. And if that’s not bad enough criminal charge could apply if property is damaged or people are injured.
The final thing to remember is that by modifying a vehicle with illegally dark windows, the vehicle is deemed unroadworthy, which means you can’t drive the car again until it has been put through a roadworthy test, in which case the illegal tint will have to be removed. That’s why the combined VLT of both the glass and film really should be considered when you’re selecting the appropriate tint.
Summing up the critical points of from this article, when it comes to tinting windows, make sure you use a good quality product and that your installer has the expertise to be able to offer you the best solution for your situation, otherwise youll end up with headaches.
