We know that you have many choices when it comes to window tint and it seems there are more and more “$79 tint shops” out there. So lets get something out of the way, we are not one of those $79 tint shops. Here is why you don’t want to go to a cheap tint shop:
Removal of Old Film
If we had a nickel for every time somebody said “how about I just remove the film myself”. Don’t do it, most people don’t have the tools to remove it or believe just peeling the old film off is removing it. The film and the glue have to be scraped off so the new film has a chance to stay on. Please call and speak to someone at the Phoenix, Mesa, or Peoria store for accurate pricing on film removal.
CeramicIR (CIR) offers all the performance advantages of the popular CarbonXP (CXP) line as well as enhanced solar performance and infrared rejection.
When the sun brings on its worst, we bring out our best—SunTek® Evolve ceramic window tint. Our highest-performing tint is engineered to deliver extreme solar-blocking performance—impressively rejecting up to 94% of infrared heat1. It also increases protection with a powerful combination of glare reduction and over 99% UV defense2. Added safety and electronic signal clarity round out the top-of-the-line features of Evolve. Evolve is ready to meet the heat in a wide range of striking shades, backed by a manufacturer’s lifetime limited warranty3 against change in color and much more.
Privacy glass is typically dyed glass and provides only privacy. Solar glass is a step up from the clear automotive glass and has visible light transmission (VLT) varying from as low as the federal limit of 70% VLT up to 88% VLT (which is clear auto glass). Most automotive solar glass ranges 74-84% these days with UV rejection not much over 40% unless it is factory privacy glass, which has UV rejection as high as the 60 percentile range. Some cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles, in particular, come from the manufacturer with glass that has been darkened using an electrical process called “deep dipping”. This “factory tinted” glass is a dark shade but does not protect the interior of your car from the sun’s heat or damaging UV rays as well as aftermarket window tinting. Major film manufacturers have formulated tinting materials to closely match the factory tinted glass allowing the front door windows of some truck and SUVs have window tint with a legal matching shade. It is also possible to apply aftermarket window tinting over factory tinted glass to make the windows darker and to improve performance.
In other words, “factory tint” means the dye is actually in the glass, it can never be removed. “Aftermarket tint” is a transparent paper with an adhesive side that bonds to the glass, it can be removed.
“When you apply a low visible light transmitted [or VLT] film to an already dark window, such as on an SUV, you’re creating not only the privacy effect, but you’re giving yourself all of the benefits of the thermal barrier for heat rejection and heat absorption, “says Tony Scire of 3M Auto Care Market Center. “It’s very important to understand that even though the glass looks dark coming out of the factory, there are no thermal performance characteristics in the glass.”
Josh Buis of Window Film Operations for Scorpion Window Films agrees that while factory glass may look similar to windows that have aftermarket films installed on them, the performance is rarely up to par with the aftermarket.
“There are many vehicle manufacturers that provide tinted windows from the factory, but this is nothing more than privacy glass and offers to vary little protection from the sun and all of its damaging properties,” he says. “The addition of a light VLT film over your OEM privacy glass will increase the protection on the interior in the rear of your vehicle.”
All of which is to say that when it comes to protection, most OEM window treatments are generally focused only on aesthetics, not performance. That becomes a key selling point for restylers as they educate their customers.
Aftermarket films, however, provide a host of other benefits beyond mere appearance, says Ari Sacal of Solar Gard. “In North America, 90% of side and rear car windows manufactured today offer very minimal protection from UVA rays,” Sacal says, noting that aftermarket films can block up to 99% of UVA and UVB. “[Aftermarket products shield] passengers against premature aging and skin cancer, and discoloration or fading of leather, vinyl, and fabric … and protect a customer’s investment in their vehicle by protecting passengers and the vehicle interior from UV rays, enhancing passenger comfort and customizing the vehicles aesthetic appearance. This shield protects the passenger’s skin from the sun’s damaging rays, regardless of the film darkness. “Window films also reject solar energy, decreasing a vehicle’s interior temperature, reducing the need for air conditioning and cutting glare,” he adds.
