Influencer II
Yes you are right, the price itself was, compared to others, ok. But it wasn't worth the money for me.
Window tint... Let's talk pros and cons
- Thread starter MazeVX
- Start date
-
- Tags
- window tint
Influencer I
Well i come back to this thread to share my DIY experience :
one or two month ago i bought from my store some tinted film to do it myself. In the store i had two choices :
- electrostatic film rated as "hardcore" to do
- sef-adhesive film rated as "super hardcore bla bla for experts only bla bla..."
So i decided to go for the static one and it was horrible. Applying it is not that difficult but cutting the film was nearly impossible as it is very thick. So all the final trimming took hours. And in the end i was kinda happy with the result. But some weeks after, reality kicked back : with the extrem heat wave we experienced, the film started to shrink, and the perimeter was not sticky anymore, and due the its weight it was worst and worst everyday. i was very disappointed with it and decided to go back to the store, get rid of everything, and buy the adhesive film to do the job again.
This so called "expert" thing is the only one to do so don't be afraid : there is nothing more complicated than for the static film as you temporary neutralize the stickyness of the film with the water you spray both on your window and on the film. But then the cutting is 10000 times easier, you can really cut it like you see it in the videos from YouTube. The adhesive film is way more thin and the blade will let you trim it flawlessly. It's perfect, and in the end, way easier than my first experience, with a long term fitting as once the moisture still stuck between the glass and the film disappears, the film will stick real good so there is no way it goes anywhere.
I am happy now. Final result will never be as good as professionnals, of course. But my first experience costed me 60 euros. My second costed me 30 euros. So we're also very far away from the 550/600 euros it would have cost. And i think if i was about to get rid of the films and spend another 30 euros to do the job, that third time would be almost perfect as the result of a pro. So if you have a couple hours and 100€, i would defo tell you man, keep the extra 450 euros in your pocket and go for the self-adhesive film cause trust me, you can do it and you will be happy with it !
Cheers
one or two month ago i bought from my store some tinted film to do it myself. In the store i had two choices :
- electrostatic film rated as "hardcore" to do
- sef-adhesive film rated as "super hardcore bla bla for experts only bla bla..."
So i decided to go for the static one and it was horrible. Applying it is not that difficult but cutting the film was nearly impossible as it is very thick. So all the final trimming took hours. And in the end i was kinda happy with the result. But some weeks after, reality kicked back : with the extrem heat wave we experienced, the film started to shrink, and the perimeter was not sticky anymore, and due the its weight it was worst and worst everyday. i was very disappointed with it and decided to go back to the store, get rid of everything, and buy the adhesive film to do the job again.
This so called "expert" thing is the only one to do so don't be afraid : there is nothing more complicated than for the static film as you temporary neutralize the stickyness of the film with the water you spray both on your window and on the film. But then the cutting is 10000 times easier, you can really cut it like you see it in the videos from YouTube. The adhesive film is way more thin and the blade will let you trim it flawlessly. It's perfect, and in the end, way easier than my first experience, with a long term fitting as once the moisture still stuck between the glass and the film disappears, the film will stick real good so there is no way it goes anywhere.
I am happy now. Final result will never be as good as professionnals, of course. But my first experience costed me 60 euros. My second costed me 30 euros. So we're also very far away from the 550/600 euros it would have cost. And i think if i was about to get rid of the films and spend another 30 euros to do the job, that third time would be almost perfect as the result of a pro. So if you have a couple hours and 100€, i would defo tell you man, keep the extra 450 euros in your pocket and go for the self-adhesive film cause trust me, you can do it and you will be happy with it !
Cheers
Enthusiast III
seems like I got myself a project for during the wintertime ;-)
Advocate III
I had driver and passenger side, side doors, and rear door window tint done on my previous van, years ago at a pro shop somewhere in No VA, I think it was, and loved it. Had it on there for years driving all over the country. Kept the heat blocked and increased privacy. Made it more difficult to snap pics through of passing scenery, but the trade-off was well worth the comfort and convenience.
It wasn't limo dark, and was legal for wherever I had it done. But, rolling through western PA one time a state trooper pulled me over. Said my driver and passenger window tint was too dark for PA and it didn't matter where I'd had it done, or where I was registered. Gave me a ticket that would be nullified once I had a state trooper from my registration state verify I'd had it removed within 48hrs or something.
So I stopped at the first state highway patrol station in the state in which my vehicle was registered and told them the story. They grinned and one of them rolled his eyes and asked "Did the PA trooper have his little chin strap on?" When I told him the PA trooper wasn't even wearing his trooper hat when he came up to me, they all went "Whaaat? That is OUT of UNIFORM!" and "Jeez, those guys..." while shaking their heads.
Evidently troopers in neighboring states like to dis each other.
They said they'd come check the opacity with their tester. The Lieutenant followed me out and kept joking about the PA troopers. Turned out my tint was a shade too dark for my home state (legal where I had had it done), and even though I'd had it on there for years, had to remove it, get re-tested by a state highway patrol office, and send their verification to PA so I wouldn't be fined. I could leave the tint on the side door and rear door windows, which were a lot darker than what I had on my driver and passenger windows. So dark you couldn't see in even at night with a light on in the van.
The only windows I have on my current van are the windshield and front side windows, none in the side or rear doors, so am contemplating getting tinted again because I spend so much time in the desert borderlands. I like the idea of the clear UV retardant film and had not known about it.
So, thanks for the thread and info!
It wasn't limo dark, and was legal for wherever I had it done. But, rolling through western PA one time a state trooper pulled me over. Said my driver and passenger window tint was too dark for PA and it didn't matter where I'd had it done, or where I was registered. Gave me a ticket that would be nullified once I had a state trooper from my registration state verify I'd had it removed within 48hrs or something.
So I stopped at the first state highway patrol station in the state in which my vehicle was registered and told them the story. They grinned and one of them rolled his eyes and asked "Did the PA trooper have his little chin strap on?" When I told him the PA trooper wasn't even wearing his trooper hat when he came up to me, they all went "Whaaat? That is OUT of UNIFORM!" and "Jeez, those guys..." while shaking their heads.
Evidently troopers in neighboring states like to dis each other.
They said they'd come check the opacity with their tester. The Lieutenant followed me out and kept joking about the PA troopers. Turned out my tint was a shade too dark for my home state (legal where I had had it done), and even though I'd had it on there for years, had to remove it, get re-tested by a state highway patrol office, and send their verification to PA so I wouldn't be fined. I could leave the tint on the side door and rear door windows, which were a lot darker than what I had on my driver and passenger windows. So dark you couldn't see in even at night with a light on in the van.
The only windows I have on my current van are the windshield and front side windows, none in the side or rear doors, so am contemplating getting tinted again because I spend so much time in the desert borderlands. I like the idea of the clear UV retardant film and had not known about it.
So, thanks for the thread and info!
