Window Tinting 101

A note before you go any further: Some states have laws regarding tinting! Here in Missouri you can have your back window as dark as you want but the side windows can only be a certain darkness! Also, you can only tint the FRONT windshield 5 INCHES from the top and this may be as dark as you want! This brings me to another point….understanding tint darknesses! Tint is rated in percentages! The LOWER the percentage, the darker the tint! 5% tint (otherwise known as "Limo Tint") is the DARKEST tint you can buy and looks VERY good on the back window! The percentage coresponds to the amount of light that is allowed to enter the window (IE: 5% tint only allows 5% of light to enter through the window)!! If you live in a state with tinting laws, keep in mind that there is already a small percentage of tinting in your side windows! The side window on my car, for instance, is already at 91% and the laws in Missouri allow for 35% at the darkest! So if I were to use 35% tint then the tinting in my windows would be at 26% which is too dark! I had to go with 50% tint since 3M doesn’t make tint between 35% and 50%! This put my side windows at 41% which was just right for me!

Now that you have a basic understanding of how tint is rated and laws involved, lets get down to the tinting!! Below I have listed the items needed and the step involved! I think I’ve made it pretty simple! Remember, practice makes perfect! Don’t expect your first job to look 100% as good as a tint shop! Practicing on a small piece of glass (broken window, glass coffee table) would be beneficial

Items Needed:

1. Stainless Steel Razor Blades (must be stainless steel…stainless steel won’t scratch glass)
2. A Spray bottle of some sort (a good one to use is something like the ones used for spraying pesticides)
3. A dish soap…WITHOUT a grease cutting agent (grease cutting agents will prevent the tint from adhesing properly to the window)
4. A RUBBER squeegee
5. The tint!! 3M is the best to buy….other tints will turn purple after a few years unlike the 3M tint!!
6. For curved areas of the windows (back windows) you can buy a heat gun and apply a light amount of heat which will kind of "heat shrink" the tint to fit the curve properly!

Steps Involved:

1. Pre-Wash Window
2. In the spray bottle mix water and dish soap to make a soapy solution
3. Spray the OUTSIDE of the window with the solution and take the stainless steel razor blades and scrape the entire window….this will remove all particals of dirt that you can’t see! (Dirt particles will cause little bubbles to form in the tint)! After you’re done scraping the entire window, spray the window with the soap/water solution again!
4. Spray the tint on the NON ADHESIVE side with the soap/water solution and place the tint on the OUTSIDE of the window (NOTE: DO NOT remove the backing on the adhesive side)
5. Squeegee all of the air bubbles out of the tint so that it looks straight like you would want it on the window!
6. Cut the tint to the size of the window while the tint is on there! Cut the tint about 1/4" IN from the outside edge of the window…this is for proper sealing of the tint! This would be the point where you would use the heat gun for curves to make the tinting fit properly on curved windows!
7. Remove the tint after you have it cut to size…spray down the NON ADHESIVE side again and place the tint, non-adhesive side down, onto something…..the hood is a good choice
8. Spray the INSIDE of the window (where the tint will go) with the soap/water solution and scrape the entire window with the razor like you did the outside, removing all unseen particals of dirt! Spray window down again after doing this!
9. Remove the backing from the tint, which should already be adhesive side up, and spray the tint down with the soap/water solution! Place the tint on the inside of the window….adhesive side against the window of course! Make sure you use lots of soap/water solution so you can easily slide the tint around on the window to line it up properly since at this point it’s already cut to the proper size!
10. Once tinting is lined up, squeegee all the air bubbles out and the extra soap/water solution will come out as well! Try not to move the tinting around while using the squeegee because tinting will be hard to move back into place once the soap/water solution has been squeegeed out!
11. (If Doing Side Windows) IMPORTANT: DO NOT roll down the windows for 2 to 3 days! Heat from the sunlight is what activates the adhesive in the tinting! Rolling down the window before the adhesive is properly "set in" may result in the tint ripping or coming off…or air bubbles!!

Now you’re done! Enjoy a cooler, better looking car now! Please make sure your state doesn’t have tinting laws and if it does make sure you abide by these laws! A ticket for not having a window tinting permit here in Missouri is $74! Just a little something to think about!