How to tint windows to block the ultraviolet sunlight rays which harms the skin. They also provide privacy to people travelling in your car. The tinting is a time-consuming process. But people can tint the windows with a few basic tools.
Let us understand all the aspects of tinting a window while doing it on your own. Just follow the given steps without any mistake to get the windows tinted in a very easy manner, and that too at home in less cost.
How to Tint Windows : Steps to Follow
- Preparing the Windows
- Cutting and Measuring Your Tint
- Adhering the Tint
How to Tint Windows : Preparing the Windows
Find a clean, dry work space. You require a clean area in order to prevent dust or dirt from mixing with the tinting. Doing indoor is a good idea. While working outside, choose a dry and clean place.
Remove adhesives from the windows. Remove stickers inside of car screen and clean the adhesives sticky things which may create problems while sticking film on the windows. Remove the obstructions for the interior of the car to free it from restricting process. In the end, vacuum the interior to totally remove dust.
Clean up windows with soapy water & 1″ razor blade. Lower the window slightly to get the top as well. Mix a few drops of dish soap with warm water to spray and wipe it from the window. Using blade, scrape away the dirt and grime. Ensure to clean sides of the window well by removing everything. Never use Windex, or cleaner with ammonia leading to tint windows purple after it is done. Ensure getting the edges and seals. Role up the window to get the bottom. Better to get a gallon of soapy water throughout the process. Prepare before the process starts, to make working easier. Use of spray bottle is highly recommended.
Use clean cloth to dry the window. Wipe the soapy water on both sides and dry off the edges using a cloth piece. Ensure to get underneath the seals in the interior of the car. Use finger to get under the seal and remove dirt/dust.
Roll the window back up before starting & leave the car on. Move the window up and down while working. Leave it up. The tint like a sticker has a layer to be peeled off before adhering. Therefore, ensure while working with the tint, this side is facing you.
How to Tint Windows : Cutting & Measuring Tint
Spray exterior window with soapy water. The water helps the tinting temporarily adhere, to make it slippery to slide and get into place.
Place tinting over the exterior of the window to cover the full window. Unroll tinting to cover the entire window, with extra tinting of 2-3″ over the edges. The liner should be facing you. Ensure not to remove the liner — sizing and pressing the tinting right now, adhering it.
Cut away a manageable slab of tinting. Have a few inches of extra tint in every direction to maneuver the entire roll of film while working. To cut a usable square of tinting film from the larger role, use a precision knife or blade.
Spray the front of the film with water. Cut square should stick to the water on the outside of the window. Spray the tint for the entire thing is covered in a thin layer of soapy water.
Take knife and cut along the bottom and left edges of the window. Use the edges of the window to trace knife across the tinting film. Get a perfectly shaped line to ensure tint to fit. Edges should fit perfectly and should still be square. Use the squeegee or free hand to ensure the film is flush with the window. Cut the excess film away and discard when it is completed.
Pull film 1″ towards left edge. Shift the film towards the edge to cut and to ensure to cover every edge of the window, including the part covered by the seal.
Cut the right edge, then slide the tint halfway back towards the center. Slice the right edge off, pull the tint partially back to the center, rfor roughly 1/2″ of extra tinting film on either side of the window.
Pull the film down roughly one inch to bottom edge for lowering the window. Tint which will eventually go into the door will allow a better light seal. Slide it down and use the squeegee to flatten it again. Repeat the same with right and left side on the top and bottom edges.
Lower the window a half inch, use the top of the window to cut the film to shape. When window is lowered, use top edge of the window as guide. Use the precision knife to cut right to the top of the window. Pull the tint back towards the center which is roughly 1/2″ of extra film on every side of the window.
Clean up the corners for excess film. The corners may contain bits and pieces of extra film in the corners. Using knife, clean it all.
Realign film to fit the window perfectly, with excess on each edge. Reapply water to make it stick. Remove the cut tint, spray more soapy water, and reapply the film to the window.
Work from the top down, use a heat gun and a hard card for pushing bubbles to the bottom. Get out the air and water by working from the top downward. Smooth the film out on the outside of the window. Push to the bottom to see zig-zagging from the “fingers” of air still stuck in the film which is a good sign. Keep pushing downward along the bottom of the window to ensure all is dried out. Leave the tint stuck to the outside of the window to prep the inside window a bit more to ensure that the tint stays dust free.
How to Tint Windows : Adhering the Tint
Prep inside of the window with soapy water. Use a hard edge to get in between the seal and the window for a better clean and spray the whole window with soapy water.
Peel off the top half of the release liner. Window tint is a sticker and removable layer adhering to the tint and keeps the adhesive solid. Peel off only the top half for now– to make it easy to work with. Gently work the tint between two fingers to get the adhesive layer off.
Spray off the now-exposed section with fresh water. To get it ready to adhere the tint to the window.
Line up and adhere the top of the tint to the window. The water makes the tint easy to slide around to get the edge of the window perfectly lined up with the top edge of the tint. Window should be slightly down.
Slightly fold the tint to work underneath of the seal. Sneak the two sides into the seals to the right and left by using fingers to get them roughly flush. Pull back the seal around the window with one hand, use the other hand to push the film under the seal and onto the window. Keep doused in soapy water for easier movement.
Spray down the window again to use hard edge to push the water out the edges. Using squeegee or hard-edge, slowly work the water out to the sides. Push the water out the top and sides. Don’t push towards the bottom as it waiting to be adhered. Keep a hand on the tint at times to keep it from moving as squeegee the water out.
Roll the window up to spray bottom half of window with soapy water. Don’t skimp on the soapy water to prevent the tint from sticking.
Pull of the remaining layer to spray exposed tint with water. Ensure both the window and the tint are wet.
Use fingers and hard edge to tuck the bottom of the tint into bottom seal. Spray off the tint with soapy water again and easy with a hard edge. Pull back the seal with fingers, use the hard edge to push the film down and onto the window.
Smooth out the window with hard edge, push water and air bubbles towards the edges. Work downward and outward, spraying the tint with more soapy water ensuring not to rip the liner. Keep squeegeeing the water out of the tinting to make it smooth and a part of the window.
The above steps will help you attain a good tinting of a car window.