Possible for noobs to apply window tint?

Jayne

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Pro shop wanted $1k to tint the windows in my van. A pre-cut film kit and all the tools I could want cost about $50 (total) on Amazon.

Is it possible for a mere mortal to install tint with the install kits? The van windows are big, but pretty square and easy to get at (cargo van, no seats in the back) which made me think it's easier than trying to crawl around in the back of a civic.
 
Regular size 4 door cars run around 300 bucks for the top of the line 3m tint. You can do it. Just set aside an afternoon and some patience and some beer. At that price id order 2 in case a goof up occurs.

Overall its pretty easy. Just tedious work.

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Maybe shop around at a couple more professional shops and see what their prices are?
 
Maybe shop around at a couple more professional shops and see what their prices are?

Doing that too, but wanted to see if DIY was an option.

People at work have been paying $750+ for SUVs, but they also don't cut their own lawns so they're used to paying top dollar for everything.
 
Wild.
Around here cars (yes, car not SUV) are under 200. So it's wild to think its 5x as much for an SUV/Van
 
Yes....buy a roll and practice on something you dont care about. If you have a scrap piece of glass or plexiglass.....that would be awesome. Use plenty of soapy water and work from the center to the outside. With pre cut pieces....the only difference between a professional job and an amateur job is how many air bubbles you leave. Lots of soapy water will make it easy to straighten out if its crooked.
 
Guy i went to high school with does it. If you’re not against driving to Guilford county check out Concepts Unlimited Window Tinting on Facebook. He does cars, office building, gas stations and does a damn good job. He’s tinted several for me and everyone around here uses him.
 
All tint is not created equal. The good stuff is more expensive and that $50 Amazon job will likely not last like quality tint the shops use. A better tint(like Llumar or such) will not peel/lift like the cheaper stuff and will filter more UV and such. I tinted the great room windows of a beach cottage and it was not hard ... but not easy either. As said before practice before you start the real job. Also clean lint-free windows are a must cause you can get 99.9% of the air bubbles out but a little speck of something ain’t gonna be squeegeed out. I was lucky and messed with a couple smaller windows first so the tint I messed up and had to throw away was minimized.
 
Yes. I helped a buddy tint the windows on one of my cars a couple decades ago, as a learning experience. A few years later, I did another car myself.

I'm sure there are youtube videos which show how.

You don't need precut film...but I can definately see where that'd be handy.

Some tips:

- If you're doing it outside, do it on a calm day. You don't need to be bothered by the wind blowing while doing this.

- Clean your glass. Clean it good, because nothing sucks more than doing a great job only to discover you left a spot of bug guts stuck to the inside of your window halfway towards squeegeeing your film down.

- Do it in a dust/dirt free environment. I'm not talking "clean room" cleanliness here, but if you want to do this in your garage, then maybe right after you just ripped a bunch of wood down for your new cabinet face project isn't the best of ideas.

- When you're done, do NOT roll windows up and down for a while. You want to make sure your film adhesive has completely dried.


My own experience is that the back glass in cars is the most difficult. But since you're doing a van, this won't be a problem.
 
Pro shop wanted $1k to tint the windows in my van. A pre-cut film kit and all the tools I could want cost about $50 (total) on Amazon.

Is it possible for a mere mortal to install tint with the install kits? The van windows are big, but pretty square and easy to get at (cargo van, no seats in the back) which made me think it's easier than trying to crawl around in the back of a civic.


That pricing is ridiculous. Way more than what it should be even for good quality ceramic.

If you are willing to drive to Burlington, the guys at Suntamers are excellent. Quality work, very reasonable pricing, and generally just great people to do business with. It’s a two man operation, so they get booked out a bit. They’ve probably done 6-8 vehicles for us over the last ten years. Recommended without hesitation.
 
Make sure what you are looking to install will pass inspection. We had our service trucks done when they were purchased and after a few years they changed law and they would no longer pass from being too dark. We had to razor blade them off to get inspected.
 
Wild.
Around here cars (yes, car not SUV) are under 200. So it's wild to think its 5x as much for an SUV/Van
I had my 4-door truck done, including a windshield stripe, for under $200 just a couple months ago.
 
It shouldn’t be that hard. I’ve done windows at home and also a ‘79 C10...mostly flat windows. And added another layer to my camper shell.

I have no idea why such a large number of people do their own and evidently have no idea you’re supposed to spray the windows down first. That’s the only way I could even imagine you could get the number of bubbles I see on various vehicles.
 
Oh...a couple other things...

Take a look at NC window tint laws and be sure you're within them. Apparently it's an inspection item.

https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/emissions-safety/Pages/window-tinting.aspx

Quality of tint:

If you don't want the window tint to change color on you within a few months, do NOT buy the dyed tint. It's the cheapest and, as "cheap" would imply, WILL have fade issues. Ever seen cars with that purple looking window tint? Yeah, it started out a shade of black.

Metallic or "metalized" film does not fade like the dyed film. On a physical safety aspect, it also increases shatter resistance of your window glass (meaning it'll help hold the glass in place instead of exploding all over the place if broken). It's great a blocking UV and heat, and reduces glare. However, it may reduce radio signals within the car somewhat...meaning you might have a little poorer cell phone reception.

Hybrid films have both dye and metallic components. They hold their color pretty good, but will eventually change...it takes longer.

Carbon window tint has a matte finish. Pretty good at blocking IR and does not fade.

Crystalline tinting, which is something I just learned about, is clear, but provides IR and UV blocking.

Ceramic window tinting, another newer type I didn't know about until now. This will not block signals, like metallic tinting can. Gives shatter protection, blocks UV up to 99% and IR up to 50%, and resistant to fade and glare.

If you want to practice, buy some of the cheapest tint you can find and have at it. The technique for installing it is identical, regardless, so why waste money on the expensive stuff to learn on.
 
Take a look at NC window tint laws and be sure you're within them. Apparently it's an inspection item.

I'm driving a cargo van model that has windows, but this same van can be had with no windows (that I'm going to tint). Should be interesting to see if "windows + dark tint == illegal" but "windows made out of sheet metal == OK"! I would not put it past the .gov.
 
I'm driving a cargo van model that has windows, but this same van can be had with no windows (that I'm going to tint). Should be interesting to see if "windows + dark tint == illegal" but "windows made out of sheet metal == OK"! I would not put it past the .gov.


Not at all. Just like lights. If it is there it has to work. If not required to have 35 clearance lights then you are good to go with whatever is required.
 
Not at all. Just like lights. If it is there it has to work. If not required to have 35 clearance lights then you are good to go with whatever is required.

Best I can tell it's 35% on the side driver/passenger windows and no restrictions on the rest.

They explicitly call out a total exemption for themselves of course.
 
Best I can tell it's 35% on the side driver/passenger windows and no restrictions on the rest.

They explicitly call out a total exemption for themselves of course.


They have a machine that measures the amount of light passing thru the window. Not sure about how much is allowed.

No joke about exemptions for them. Couple of days after our trucks wouldnt pass I saw a couple of black SUV's with gov tags and you couldnt see inside either one.
 
No clue where your located but those prices sound like highway robbery, my Tahoe cost me $250 or 280 iirc, 5% on front and 20% on the rest.. 7 windows total including the backglass. Suntek film iirc and lifetime warranty from a shop in Fayetteville.

If you do it yourself, buy GOOD quality tint. It makes a HUGE difference on the install as well as end result.

Legal on suvs/trucks/vans = 35% on the driver and pass side front windows, you can spray paint the rest black if you want to.
 
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Oh...a couple other things...

Take a look at NC window tint laws and be sure you're within them. Apparently it's an inspection item.

https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/emissions-safety/Pages/window-tinting.aspx

Quality of tint:

If you don't want the window tint to change color on you within a few months, do NOT buy the dyed tint. It's the cheapest and, as "cheap" would imply, WILL have fade issues. Ever seen cars with that purple looking window tint? Yeah, it started out a shade of black.

Metallic or "metalized" film does not fade like the dyed film. On a physical safety aspect, it also increases shatter resistance of your window glass (meaning it'll help hold the glass in place instead of exploding all over the place if broken). It's great a blocking UV and heat, and reduces glare. However, it may reduce radio signals within the car somewhat...meaning you might have a little poorer cell phone reception.

Hybrid films have both dye and metallic components. They hold their color pretty good, but will eventually change...it takes longer.

Carbon window tint has a matte finish. Pretty good at blocking IR and does not fade.

Crystalline tinting, which is something I just learned about, is clear, but provides IR and UV blocking.

Ceramic window tinting, another newer type I didn't know about until now. This will not block signals, like metallic tinting can. Gives shatter protection, blocks UV up to 99% and IR up to 50%, and resistant to fade and glare.

If you want to practice, buy some of the cheapest tint you can find and have at it. The technique for installing it is identical, regardless, so why waste money on the expensive stuff to learn on.

You can do it yourself but as others have stated practice with cheap film before you go for it.

I cannot stress enough the difference between cheap film and good film. Lumar, 3M, Suntek and other major brands do not sell their best films, the ones that do more than just darken your windows, to the DIY market. Their direct to consumer stuff is lesser grade or they don’t sell it at all direct to consumers. Also a lot of the time the warranty is void if not installed by a professional. The more you pay for the film the more ambient heat rejection and IR heat rejection you get. DIY stuff is at the bottom end of the spectrum. Even the Pro versions have different levels of performance.

Lots of the crappy tints will fade prematurely. They will peel and will scratch more easily. Also if you don’t do the edges right they will collect dirt, look bad and then peel. There is nothing worse than a jacked up tint job. One advantage for you is you are doing a van so there are less or no really hard to reach sections on the rear windshield like on cars. Another thing to consider is that cheap films are harder to work with and harder to remove.

I would look around and get more estimates. I had my M550xi done in Lunar Ceramic Pinnacle for $350. There maybe more film material involved in your van but the install on the BMW would take longer because of the tight lines on the back windshield. I can't imagine a van costing much more than that. Certainly not double.
 
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You can do it yourself but as others have stated practice with cheap film before you go for it.

I cannot stress enough the difference between cheap film and good film. Lumar, 3M, Suntek and other major brands do not sell their best films, the ones that do more than just darken your windows, to the DIY market. Their direct to consumer stuff is lesser grade or they don’t sell it at all. Also a lot of the time the warranty is void if not installed by a professional. The more you pay for the film the more ambient heat rejection and IR heat rejection you get. DIY stuff is at the bottom end of the spectrum. Even the Pro versions have different levels if performance.

Lots of the crappy tints will fade prematurely. They will peel and will scratch more easily. Also if you don’t do the edges right they will collect dirt, look bad and then peel. There is nothing worse than a jacked up tint job. One advantage for you is you are doing a van so there are less or no really hard to reach sections on the rear windshield like on cars. Another thing to consider is that cheap films are harder to work with and harder to remove.

I would look around and get more estimates. I had my M550xi done in Lunar Ceramic Pinnacle for $350. There maybe more film material involved in your van but the install on the BMW would take longer because of the tight lines on the back windshield. I can imagine a van costing more than that.

Yep...like I said at the end of mine for practice!

:p:p:p

I never had any problem removing the cheaper films. The first time I tinted my car windows, it was with the low end dyed film. Turned purple over the course of a single Charleston, SC summer. I peeled it all off and re-did the windows with a much better quality film the second time and had no problems with it for the next 5 years, when I got rid of my car.

Abrasion resistance would be nice, and if you say it makes a difference between what you can buy yourself and a professionally sourced/installed tint, then great. I would consider inspecting/replacing the inner door window seals at the bottom edge of the glass. These are rubber with a felt, or felt-like, layer on them that ride on the inner surface of the glass as the windows are rolled up and down. As they age, the felt become worn and the rubber hardens...which may result in light score marks on your window tint over time. They're not that expensive, and pretty easy to replace.
 
If you REALLY want to go high tech with max cool factor, they make a "Smart Tint", which is a dimmable tint. Starts at about $1,200 and goes up.

A bit pricey for me, and I don't see where there's any guarantees that amount to anything with respect to it actually working. (Pretty much, if you install it yourself and it doesn't work, they can blame it on you and you'd have to buy more out of pocket to do it over again.)

https://shop.smarttint.com/Automotive-Application_b_11.html
 
Yep...like I said at the end of mine for practice!

:p:p:p

I never had any problem removing the cheaper films. The first time I tinted my car windows, it was with the low end dyed film. Turned purple over the course of a single Charleston, SC summer. I peeled it all off and re-did the windows with a much better quality film the second time and had no problems with it for the next 5 years, when I got rid of my car.

Abrasion resistance would be nice, and if you say it makes a difference between what you can buy yourself and a professionally sourced/installed tint, then great. I would consider inspecting/replacing the inner door window seals at the bottom edge of the glass. These are rubber with a felt, or felt-like, layer on them that ride on the inner surface of the glass as the windows are rolled up and down. As they age, the felt become worn and the rubber hardens...which may result in light score marks on your window tint over time. They're not that expensive, and pretty easy to replace.

Better tints are less prone to score marks. Similar to PPF, Paint Protection Films, which most of the high end tint companies also produce. They are not going to take a rock hit like PPF but will resist scratching better than DIY films. I am not saying that you cannot get decent results from DIY products I am just pointing out there is a difference. I have used Lumar on 4 different cars and it has held up well in a few instances outlasting the car. ;)

I also was pointing out that I think the OP is getting a inflated quote. A pro should be able to do this job with high quality ceramic film for half of what he is getting quoted.
 
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There is another factor here, which a shipmate once pointed out to me years ago when we were talking about oil changes. He was headed out to have his oil changed at Jiffy Lube after liberty went down that day, and I commented that I do all my own oil changes...only takes 20 minutes, after all. His point was he had to buy the oil and filter, which involves some amount of time and effort, plus go over to the hobby shop to change the oil because he didn't have what he needed at home, not to mention they have the oil disposal facilities there. In all, at least a couple hours.

OR...he could schedule a 20 minute appointment to have it done for not much more than the cost of oil and filter in the first place and be done with it.

There is some amount of aggravation with applying window tint, more so if you're not at least somewhat manually dexterious with manual labor and details. Nothing like getting the tint on, and then finding out you have something stuck between the tint and the window, etc.

How much is your time and aggravation worth? That's a personal question each person has to answer for themselves.

Oh...and professional window tinters have to comply with state laws...so if your window tint isn't legal, they can be held responsible for it. So there's that.
 
How much is your time and aggravation worth? That's a personal question each person has to answer for themselves.

In my case, it's worth something, I'm just not sure how much yet. I just feel like I should try stuff, learn, and then go "oh, that's why we let the pros do that". Or not, I mean rebuilding my deck myself saved about 75% of the cost and it wasn't hard, it was just boring after a while. I'm glad I did that and if I had to do it again I know I could. Options. Also, some pride in "hey, I build that!". So many people in my world (ie work) do absolutely nothing themselves, they pay for everything. Don't even try, or even conceive that they could try. I may not be an alpha, but damn, I'm not that helpless / entitled.
 
Oh...and professional window tinters have to comply with state laws...so if your window tint isn't legal, they can be held responsible for it. So there's that.

Lots of places will install whatever you want.
It’s the driver that gets the ticket. Any lawyer that might go back and ”hold them responsible” will cost way more than the ticket.
 
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20 bucks and word of mouth goes a long way

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Lots of places will install whatever you want.
It’s the driver that gets the ticket. Any lawyer that might go back and ”hold them responsible” will cost way more than the ticket.

Yep, I've never met a tinter that wouldn't install what was requested. Its the inspectors that you have to sweet talk or just get new film on your front glass once a year lol.
 
Yep, I've never met a tinter that wouldn't install what was requested. Its the inspectors that you have to sweet talk or just get new film on your front glass once a year lol.

SC Title 56 - Motor Vehicles, CHAPTER 5, Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways, ARTICLE 1, SECTION 56-5-5015. Sunscreen devices.

(G) No person may:

(1) offer for sale or for use any sunscreening product or material for motor vehicle use not in compliance with this section;

(2) install any sunscreening product or material on vehicles titled for use on public roads without permanently affixing the certificate of compliance specified in this section.

A professional window tinter who violates the provisions of subsections (E) or (G) is guilty of a misdemeanor triable in magistrate's court and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both, for each offense. A consumer who violates the provisions of subsection (E) or (G) is guilty of a misdemeanor triable in magistrate's court and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days for each offense.


North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 20. Motor Vehicles § 20-127. Windows and windshield wipers

(d) Violations. – A person who does any of the following commits a Class 3 misdemeanor:

(1) Applies tinting to the window of a vehicle that is subject to a safety inspection in this State and the resulting tinted window does not meet the window tinting restrictions set in this section.

So yes...professional window tinters, even car dealerships, can be held responsible for installing illegal window tint.



That does't prevent YOU from dealing with a fine, but they CAN be held liable in court IF the municipality or state chooses to pursue this.

And yes...some professional tinters do care about this. Do professional tinters violate their respective state laws? Yeah, I'm sure plenty do. Like anything else people could get into trouble with, it's a risk they choose to take. Just like us.
 
Neither of us said the crown didn't have something in the books.

As I said in my post "I" have never seen a shop that would refuse a darker than legal install. There may be places that do but quite honestly, nobody around here that solely did tint would stay in business if they followed those regs lock step.
 
If its a vehicle i care about, i let someone else do it. A beater, i slap it on myself and call it good.

Ive done good, and some dang ugly, the time spent usually determines the outcome.
 
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