Anyone tinted windows themselves???

[rash_decision]

Hi, has anyone tried applying window tint film themselves?? Like for the first time, and if so, how difficult was it?? I watched a couple of clips on Youtube and the guys make it look fairly easy.

[sawman]

I used some stuff that didnt use glue a year or so ago, had to spray window with a soapy solution and apply just like the glued on stuff. I'd say the 3rd window I did was close to professional, with no bubbles etc, but I probably had a couple of goes at the first window. As there was no glue I could take it off and have another run. It stayed on the car for 18 months till it was sold, Its a bit like putting wallpaper on - the major difficulty I had was access to the windows - i was doing the rear windows in a 3 door!

[BLUETHUNDER]

I have. Ideally you want a dust free enviroment for best results. Depending on the curveature of the film,then a lot of heat shrinking can be involved. For film then dont use that cheap halfords st. But a quality film from llumar or beckart.

[mrmr96]

If you're going to do this then at least make sure that you buy decent quality tint film. All too often the 'home made' tints I've seen have a kind of cheap purply look to the film, as if they've been made out of Quality Street wrappers! If you use the pro film and pro technique then there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to do this yourself. However I've always saved up a bit more and paid a professional to do it for me.

[koolchris99]

i did it myself on my golf and it was tricky.. not impossible, but i wouldnt reccommend it.

i fked up one side window and had a big crease in it, which looked st.

[rash_decision]

I think I'll give it a go! My nephew want the side windows tinted on my Sister's car. It's not a particulalry fancy, and far from expensive car so it's worth a shot! I will buy decent tint though, I'm a great believer in "you get what you pay for!".

[AV12]

Hmmm, not the kind of thing which is good for a tryer.

Good to give it a go but...your windows...are your windows

Everytime you see that bubble you'll grit your teeth!

[steveo3002]

harder than it looks if your anywhere near fussy

you'l want the trims off so you can get it on all the edges , and back screens are hardwork because of the shape

anyone know where you can pro quality film ?

[halo34]

rash_decision said:

I think I'll give it a go! My nephew want the side windows tinted on my Sister's car. It's not a particulalry fancy, and far from expensive car so it's worth a shot! I will buy decent tint though, I'm a great believer in "you get what you pay for!".

I am hoping you mean rear side windows - if its front as well be very careful about the level of tint and falling foul of the Law!

[AV12]

OP post your tinting work so we can tell you we told you so see how you got on

[.Mark]

I used to do this for a living on conservatories and banks and shops etc, and also bomb proof tinting on various high security places. On a window pane that you can walk up to it's a tricky job to get perfect, on a car it's even harder.

• Make sure the glass is clean - I mean really clean, not just give it a wipe, use a glass scraper.
• Take the glass out/off if you can.
• Don't put the film right to the edges, leave 2mm or so around the outside.
• On really curved glass you'll need to do it in more than one piece, overlap 2 bits and cut over them to get a perfect match.
• Take your time.
• Pay a pro to do it.

Seriously, it's hard to get right, and you think you've got it right and in 2 days it looks like a dogs dinner and in a couple of months it'll peel. Take your time, lots of time.

Good luck.

[mrmr96]

.Mark said:

*Don't put the film right to the edges, leave 2mm or so around the outside.

Why? It would be fine on the tail gate but that would look crap on the rear side windows when they are wound down. The guy who tinted my last car was a professional and did car tinting for a living. He put the film right to the edge of the glass (at the top anyway) and finished it off with a file so that the edge PERFECTLY followed the edge of the glass. It looked perfect when the windows were part way down, no stty edges etc.

[.Mark]

mrmr96 said:

.Mark said:

*Don't put the film right to the edges, leave 2mm or so around the outside.

Why? It would be fine on the tail gate but that would look crap on the rear side windows when they are wound down. The guy who tinted my last car was a professional and did car tinting for a living. He put the film right to the edge of the glass (at the top anyway) and finished it off with a file so that the edge PERFECTLY followed the edge of the glass. It looked perfect when the windows were part way down, no stty edges etc.

Well, it's been a fair few years since I did it, and I've no doubt the file has moved on since. The things is/was that at the very edge there is a chance of it lifting and therefore starting to peel if caught, leaving a gap reduces the chances of that happening.
Maybe I was a little overstating the gap and you could indeed go less, what I should have said was 'in my day they didn't go right to the edge etc. etc'
I doubt though, the smallest gap would be very noticeable day to day. Great though if the technology allows it to butt up to the edge these days.

[mrmr96]

.Mark said:

mrmr96 said:

.Mark said:

*Don't put the film right to the edges, leave 2mm or so around the outside.

Why? It would be fine on the tail gate but that would look crap on the rear side windows when they are wound down. The guy who tinted my last car was a professional and did car tinting for a living. He put the film right to the edge of the glass (at the top anyway) and finished it off with a file so that the edge PERFECTLY followed the edge of the glass. It looked perfect when the windows were part way down, no stty edges etc.

Well, it's been a fair few years since I did it, and I've no doubt the file has moved on since. The things is/was that at the very edge there is a chance of it lifting and therefore starting to peel if caught, leaving a gap reduces the chances of that happening.
Maybe I was a little overstating the gap and you could indeed go less, what I should have said was 'in my day they didn't go right to the edge etc. etc'
I doubt though, the smallest gap would be very noticeable day to day. Great though if the technology allows it to butt up to the edge these days.

I imagine he used a file held at about 45 degrees (i.e. on the corner of the glass effectivly, not straight over the top) and stroked upwards, i.e. with the nap of the film towards the edge of the glass. This would make a microscopic chamfer (sp?) so it faded out across the width of a hair to the edge of the glass. Nothing to get caught on.

[.Mark]

mrmr96 said:

.Mark said:

mrmr96 said:

.Mark said:

*Don't put the film right to the edges, leave 2mm or so around the outside.

Why? It would be fine on the tail gate but that would look crap on the rear side windows when they are wound down. The guy who tinted my last car was a professional and did car tinting for a living. He put the film right to the edge of the glass (at the top anyway) and finished it off with a file so that the edge PERFECTLY followed the edge of the glass. It looked perfect when the windows were part way down, no stty edges etc.

Well, it's been a fair few years since I did it, and I've no doubt the file has moved on since. The things is/was that at the very edge there is a chance of it lifting and therefore starting to peel if caught, leaving a gap reduces the chances of that happening.
Maybe I was a little overstating the gap and you could indeed go less, what I should have said was 'in my day they didn't go right to the edge etc. etc'
I doubt though, the smallest gap would be very noticeable day to day. Great though if the technology allows it to butt up to the edge these days.

I imagine he used a file held at about 45 degrees (i.e. on the corner of the glass effectivly, not straight over the top) and stroked upwards, i.e. with the nap of the film towards the edge of the glass. This would make a microscopic chamfer (sp?) so it faded out across the width of a hair to the edge of the glass. Nothing to get caught on.

[ooo000ooo]

Make sure the window you are tinting is wound right up. After spending a couple of hours one summers day, in the sauna that is a people carrier, doing what looked like a fantastic job only to find out that one window was down a tad and looked pretty crap when wound up fully i could have cried