Home Window Tinting

• Reduces fading of carpets, upholstery, and interior furnishings
• Rejects from 98-99% of the sun’s harmful UV rays
• Reduces your energy bill thereby helping to keep warmer in winter and cooler in summer
• Increases your comfort by helping to eliminate “hot spots”
• Rejects up to 80% of the sun’s solar energy
• Reduces the sun’s glare
• Increases your level of privacy
• Enhances the appearance of a building by creating a uniform appearance
• Provides improved safety when glass is broken

One aspect to consider when talking about the drying time of window film is the time of year. Cold and non-sunny weather conditions can lengthen the dry-out time. Warm weather and direct sun light exposure will shorten the dry-out time. If slow drying occurs, do not be alarmed. The trapped moisture will dry-out completely.

Some safety and security window films will always have a longer dry- out period due to their increased thickness. Thicker films and a less than perfect drying climate will lengthen the dry-out period. Dry-out times can vary from a few days to as long as several months.

Window film creates an efficient vapor barrier between the glass and the film. During the installation process, your window tinting installer will remove as much of the mounting solution as possible by using a squeegee, although a small amount will remain. Trapped installation moisture can cause small water puddles and/or a slightly cloudy look. This is normal and should be expected. Do not attempt to pierce a water puddle during the dry-out period. This water and cloudy look will eventually dissipate. Attempting to pierce a water puddle in an effort to drain moisture will damage your film. This damage would not be covered by warranty.

Many windows, especially those on storefronts, have stickers, decals, burglar tape, and other such items on the glass. Depending on the circumstances, these might have to be removed.

Your window tinting professional should discuss the potential problems with you and determine what to do with any decals. If they are not highly raised above the glass, window film can be applied over them. However, this will create a poorer bond on the decal than on the glass. More highly raised stickers should be scraped off.

Burglar tape and alarm contacts are also found on windows. Tape is usually only slightly raised above the surface of the glass. Film can be installed over such an irregular surface, but customers should be advised that the installation will not be tip quality. Alarm contacts, however, should be removed before applying film, but should not be done by the window film installer. It is better to ask you, the customer, to contact your security company to remove and replace the alarm contacts.

Below are a few definitions to help you understand how to choose the best window film for you:

• Total Solar Transmittance: The percent of incident solar radiation to be directly passed through a window system
• Total Solar Reflectance: The percent of incident solar radiation to be reflected by a window system
• Total Solar Absorption: The percent of incident solar radiation to be absorbed by a window system
• Visible Light Transmittance: The percent of total visible light to be passed through a window system
• Visible Light Reflectance: The percent of total visible light to be reflected by a window system that can be seen visually
• Percent Ultraviolet Transmittance: Percent of total ultraviolet light to be passed through a window system
• Percent of Total Solar Energy Rejected: The percent of incident solar energy rejected by a window system, equals solar reflectance plus the part of solar absorption which is reradiated outward

Most window films are applied to the inside glass surface of a window. As the sunlight hits the glass surface, four basic things occur:

1. Sunlight hits the window and a part of its energy is reflected away from the window.
2. The glass absorbs some of the sun’s energy.
3. A portion of the sun’s solar energy is transmitted thru the window film into the room.
4. Part of the sun’s energy is absorbed by the window film and part is re-radiated in and out of the room.