If you’re considering getting some windows tinted, whether it be residential or commercial, there are a few things you should know and understand to ensure you make the right choice for your particular environment, situation and circumstances. The first thing you should understand is that all window tint isn’t the same. There is a massive difference between good window film and poor window film, and the window tinters that install them. Premium window film will last for the life of your windows but poor quality window film will only last two to three years, depending on the rigors of your environment.
HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINDOW FILMS
The only way for a non-professional person to discriminate between good quality and low quality film is price and guarantee. When inquiring with a supplier, be sure to ask how long the film is guaranteed for. If it’s not at least 12 years keep looking. And also look out for the unscrupulous operator who offers you a guarantee on cheap film and hikes the price, to make it appear like it’s good film, but will either not be around, or simply do nothing if you get back to them because your tint has degraded.
Here’s the tip, (and by the way I’ve found this to be true with most things), if your only goal in getting quotes is looking for the cheapest possible price, then you will naturally gravitate towards the poor product and the real price you pay will be in 2-3 years when your windows start to blister, fade and/or peel and just look ghastly. Be warned, the cheapest price is usually just crap!
REASONS FOR INSTALLING WINDOW FILM
Window films bring together a unique series of benefits, so the first thing you need to be sure of is the most important one for your situation., and each particular film you use will bring together some of these benefits, so the first thing you need to identify is the most important reason for applying window tint in your environment.
Lets look at each advantage in a tad more detail so you can better recognize the most suitable solution for your circumstances. The main benefits of good quality tint are:
Heat Rejection: Good quality window film rejects heat by blocking up to 73% of infra-red radiation through windows. That’s cool!
UV Blocking: Premium window film blocks up to 99% of infra red radiation from coming through windows. And as a bonus, it also prevents 93% of glare, which does wonders for your view and makes things look cool!
Privacy: The right film will also provide daytime privacy, enabling everyone inside to be cooler, enjoy the views, and at the same time have total privacy from onlookers in daylight.
Impact Safety and Security: Specially designed impact and security films stop glass from fragmenting on impact. Safety films are designed to withstand the force of human impact, while security films can withstand an explosion without shattering. Since the collateral damage from accidents where windows are broken comes from shards of glass flying like shrapnel, or large sections of glass falling like a guillotine, the major risks around safety are mitigated. It also stops your windows from becoming a soft and easy entry point for criminals, because both the effort and noise required to force entry is so noticeable thieves, would rather simply move on in search of an easier, ‘softer’ target.
Finally of course there’s the matter of looking good. Good quality window film also makes windows look cool; and for many people it’s the aesthetic charm that tinted windows add that is the driving force for their installation.
SPECIFIC ISSUES RELATED TO CARS & VEHICLES
The next point I want to discuss is relevant to vehicles and it concerns installing the darkest legal tint on your car or truck.
Legislation varies, so use Google to check on yours, but in Australia, the darkest legal tint allowed on a vehicle is one with a VLT (visible light transmission) level of 35%, on all vehicle windows (excluding the front windscreen, which cannot have any window tint except for a visor strip across the top). The only exception to this are in the NT and WA. In the NT you are legally allowed a minimum VLT of 16% for windows behind the driver; and in WA you are allowed 20% VLT on windows behind the driver.
So here’s the point. Most cars already have a slight tint in the glass in the front windows, so this should be considered when adding tint to a window. Here’s how the maths looks.
If the factory installed windows on your car already block 30% of light, when a film with the “darkest legal tint” of 35% is added to this glass, it will emit only 35% of light into a window that is already only emitting 70% of light, so the end VLT will be finalised by the addition of both VLT ratings.
This needs to be considered because if a driver by mistake fails to comply with tinting laws, the result can be a fine. But even worse, if a vehicle is involved in an accident and its illegally dark windows are considered by the court to be a contributing factor, this could mean the cancellation of your insurance policy, leaving you exposed to the full financial implications of the accident. Additionally criminal charge could apply if property is damaged or people are hurt.
The final thing to remember is that by modifying a vehicle with darker than legal windows, the vehicle becomes unroadworthy, which means the driver can’t drive the car again until it has been put through roadworthy testing, in which case the illegal tint will have to be removed. That’s why the combined VLT of both the glass and film really should be considered when you’re selecting the appropriate tint.
So what’s the moral of this story? When it comes to window tinting, make sure you use a good quality product and that your installer has the expertise to be able to offer you the best solution for your circumstances. That way you’ll end up with a range of benefits, rather than a bunch of hassles.
