A person might choose to have the windows on their car or truck tinted for a variety of reasons. No matter why you’re interested in window tint, the team here at BestCarAudio.com strongly recommends that you take your time to pick a shop that’ll do a good job. We’ve seen and dealt with the results of poor-quality films and workmanship, which is quite frustrating. So let’s get to discussing why you might want tinted windows.

Window Tint Looks Cool

One of the most popular reasons for wanting your car or truck windows tinted is for looks. A nice rich, dark tint can make all colors of cars look more dramatic. On the other hand, a dark-colored car with a dark tint can look very sinister. A white car with tinted windows is often described as having a high-contrast “stormtrooper” look. No matter the color, window tint can personalize and add style to your vehicle.

Window Tint Improves Security

Let’s consider security from two perspectives. First, tinting your windows helps conceal items in your vehicle’s back seat, cargo area or center console. If you have bags from a shopping adventure at the mall or a backpack from school, window tint will force a would-be thief to make a dedicated effort to look through your windows rather than simply seeing everything clearly at a glance.

Another benefit of window tint is that the adhesive that holds the film to the glass can help protect you in an accident. In modern vehicles, most side and rear windows are tempered, which means the glass has been heat-treated so that the outer surfaces of the window are under compression while the core is under tension. When the glass breaks, the imbalance causes the entire pane to break into tiny pieces that cause less injury and damage than large shards of glass. If your windows are tinted, the small pieces of glass will tend to stick to the film, further reducing your chances of injury. The result is similar to the laminated glass used for windshields.

Window Tint Offers Protection

Window tint offers significant additional protection to the vehicle and its occupants. Almost all window films with a visible light transmission rating of 55% or darker block at least 97% of the ultraviolet rays from the sun. According to the American Cancer Society, prolonged exposure to UV rays can cause premature skin aging, wrinkling, liver spots and leathery skin. UV rays are also hard on our eyes and can weaken our immune system. Therefore, if you spend significant time in your vehicle daily, having the windows tinted with even a 50% VLT tint can dramatically reduce your exposure.

UV energy isn’t just hard on our bodies, but it’s also hard on the leather, plastics and fabrics in the interior of our vehicles. You’ve likely seen pictures of cars with cracked plastic dash covers, faded seats and dried-out leather. UV rays from the sun cause the majority of this damage. You can make your vehicle last longer and look better by tinting the windows with a film that blocks UV energy.

Window Tint Can Help Keep You Cool

If you live in the South, you’re probably aware that upgrading your car or truck with a high-quality window tint film can help keep it much cooler. The infrared energy from the sun heats the earth and all the objects on the surface. This is the same heating as those red heat lamps you might see at a classic burger joint that keeps your fries warm or that you might use at home to keep your pet Larry the Lizard warm. Having the windows of your vehicle tinted with a high-quality ceramic or metallic film can reduce the transfer of this heat energy into the interior by as much as 70%. The benefit is that getting into your car or truck on a hot day won’t feel like stepping into an oven.

Upgrade Your Vehicle Today!

No matter why you want your windows tinted, we suggest shopping around for an expert mobile enhancement retailer that will take the time to explain the film solutions they offer and then install it thoughtfully and carefully. Investing in quality materials and workmanship will help ensure that your vehicle is comfortable and looks great.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Shopping for high-quality window tint for your car or truck isn’t much different from shopping for any other automotive accessory upgrade. There are high-performance tint films available and low-cost solutions. Some shops are great at what they do, and some only worry about taking your money and getting you out the door. Here are five questions you should ask before agreeing to let someone tint your vehicle’s windows.

Question 1: Can You Show Me Your Facility?

Unlike buying a commodity like a smartphone or loaf of bread, purchasing upgrades to your vehicle typically requires installation. For example, a new set of wheels needs the tires to be mounted and balanced correctly. Likewise, a stereo upgrade might require a subwoofer amplifier configuration and calibration to work with the rest of the speakers in the vehicle. In the same vein, window tint needs proper installation to look good. As such, you’ll want to ask the shop about their facility.

The first thing you’re looking for is a workshop that’s organized. The facility might be busy with multiple technicians cleaning windows and installing film. You want to see a level of dedication to ensuring a quality tint film installation. The films they offer should be stacked neatly near the plotter (if they use a plotter). There should be a peel board beside the vehicle they’re working on. Technicians should have water management covers over window switches and door panels while working. The environment should be as dust-free as possible. There should be excellent lighting.

You don’t want to see someone tinting a car in an alley behind a shop or near someone cutting wood. You also might want to avoid third-party tinters. Third-party tinters come to a facility to tint on an as-needed basis. There’s nothing wrong with a shop bringing in extra staff. However, if you’re dealing with a garage or car audio shop that doesn’t have the proper facilities, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. If you have questions or concerns about the installation, these people might not be readily available to provide reliable after-sales support. As with any automotive upgrade purchase, deal with experts, and you’ll typically be happier.

Question 2: How Do You Cut the Tint Film?

There are two ways to cut the window tint to fit the glass on your car or truck: by hand or with a CNC plotter. The plotter method uses template software that the shop licenses to cut out shapes for each window. The second method to cut film is to cut the sheets on the vehicle. Both ways can work well. However, if the tint is cut on the vehicle, ask about the possibility of scratching the glass or leaving knicks in the trim or seals. This is where experience comes into play. A veteran tinter can hand-cut film accurately, efficiently and reliably without leaving a mark on a vehicle. Nevertheless, know what you’re getting into before making the purchase.

Question 3: What Tint Solutions Do You Offer?

Assuming all window tint film is created equally is like saying every hamburger from every restaurant tastes the same. A White Castle slider isn’t the same as an In-N-Out Burger hamburger. Even if you have a different favorite, you won’t deny that we’re talking about one end of the spectrum to the other. In the case of window tint films, there are many quality and performance options.

It would be best if you asked about the films the shop offers. Inexpensive films are usually dyed solutions. Unfortunately, these films often fade quickly or turn purple after a couple of years. There are some reasonable-quality dye-based tint films, though. While not specific to dyed films, low-quality films often have issues with adhesive failure, which can lead to bubbles in the film.

The next step up is a metalized film. Instead of a dye, one layer of these films uses microscopic metallic particles. While the color of these films is often more stable, the metallic layer can reduce the transmission of radio-frequency signals. Your cell phone, a portable GPS navigation system, a tire-pressure monitoring system or even a keyless entry system might not work as well if the vehicle is tinted with metalized films. The flip side is that metalized films are an affordable solution for those who want to block heat energy from the sun.

Moving up one more step in film quality introduces carbon films. The construction of a carbon film is similar to that of a metalized film, except carbon is used instead of metal particles. The result is a film that looks good, blocks heat well and is typically quite stable in color.

The best automotive tint films are of the ceramic family. These films offer the best heat rejection and stability. Many ceramic tint solutions can block more than 66% of the sun’s total energy to help keep your vehicle’s interior cool and comfortable on a hot summer day.

You should ask about the shop’s tint solutions and be presented with several film quality options. The salesperson should clearly explain the difference in performance, longevity, warranty and price. One last note: There are dozens of high-quality brands, each of which offers many different film series. So the answer to the question “What types of films do you offer?” isn’t a brand like Llumar, 3M or Suntek – it should be a selection of film construction types: dyed, carbon or ceramic.

Question 4: How Dark Can My Windows Be Tinted?

With each type of film, you can choose from several shades. The darkness of a film is described by the percentage of light that will pass through it. As such, a film with a 5% Visible Light Transmission rating would be very dark. A 70% VLT film would be perceived as nearly transparent. Most states and provinces have laws about how dark the windows on a vehicle can be tinted. For rear doors and back windows, most jurisdictions have no limits on how dark the tint can be. The darkest tint allowable on front door windows is usually relatively light. You should check local laws about the darkest acceptable shade where you live. While the urge to go darker is tempting, paying to remove the film and adhesive would be frustrating and not something covered by any warranty.

Keep in mind that the glass on your car windows isn’t typically 100% transparent. The VLT rating on the film adds to the opacity of the glass to produce a net light transmission level. So if the laws in your state or province say 35% VLT on the front windows and you pick a 35% film, the net result will likely be too dark.

Question 5: What’s The Warranty on the Film and Installation?

Having your vehicle’s windows tinted is more of a service purchase than a product purchase. First, the windows must be spotless before the film installation. Next, the film must be cut to match the shape of the glass perfectly. Executing these steps properly requires a properly equipped and trained technician. Before you make a purchase, ask the salesperson about the warranty on the film and the installation. Higher-quality films often carry lifetime warranties against fading, turning purple, bubbling or peeling. Some film manufacturers will honor these warranties nationwide, so you’re covered even if you move far away.

You’ll also want to ask about an acceptable level of debris caught between the film and the glass. While the answer should ideally be zero, keeping out every speck of dust is very difficult. Ensure that you know what will and won’t be covered before agreeing to the purchase.

Choosing a professional facility to install window tint on your vehicle ensures that you’ll get a high-quality finished product. Like any automotive customization, the people working on the vehicle and their talents are the key to success. The feeling you get when you enter the facility can tell you a great deal about the quality of their work and expertise. Don’t be afraid to visit several shops in your area before committing to have them tint your windows.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.