The first and undoubtedly the most important thing you need to know about window film is the difference between good quality window film and bad window film. Here’s why: Good quality window film will last for the life of your windows but bad window film is likely to last less than 3 years, especially in extreme heat.
HOW TO GAUGE THE QUALITY OF A WINDOW TINTING SERVICE
The only way for a non-professional person to discern between premium and poor 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 save yourself the pain. And also beware of the unscrupulous operator who offers you a guarantee on low quality film and hikes the price, to make it look 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. And remember, if your only motivation 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 awful. Be warned, the cheapest price is most likely to lead to regret!
BENEFITS OF INSTALLING WINDOW TINT
There are a lot of different advantages you can get from window tinting, and each particular film brings together different advantages, so the first thing you need to be sure of is the most important reason for installing window tint, so the first thing you need to be sure of is the most important reason for applying window tint in your situation. Lets look at each advantage in a tad more detail so you can better figure out the most suitable solution for your environment.
The primary advantages of good quality window tinting are:
Heat Rejection: Premium window film rejects heat by blocking up to 73% of Total Solar Energy through windows. That really is cool!
UV Blocking: Good quality window film prevents up to 99% of IR radiation from penetrating windows. And as a bonus, it also eradicates 93% of glare, which massively improves for your view and means 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 prying eyes in daylight.
Impact Safety and Security: These specialist 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 spraying 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 burglars, because both the impact and noise required to break and enter is so noticeable burglars would rather just move on in search of an easier, ‘softer’ victim.
Style: Good quality window film also makes windows look good; and for many people it’s the aesthetic charm that tinted windows add that is the major reason for installing them.
USING DARK TINT
The next point I want to discuss is relevant to car/vehicle owners and it concerns installing the darkest legal tint on your car, truck or work vehicle.
In most Australian states 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 Northern Territory you are permitted a minimum VLT of 15% for windows behind the driver; and in WA you are allowed 20% VLT on windows behind the driver.
So here’s the critical point. Most vehicles already have a slight tint in the glass in their front windows, so this needs to be taken into consideration when adding tint to a window. Here’s what I mean. If the factory glass on your car already block 30% of light, when a film with the “darkest legal tint” of 35% is added to this window, it will emit only 35% of light into a window that is already only emitting 70% of light, so the end VLT reading will be calculated by the combination of both VLT ratings.
This is critical because if a driver accidentally 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 result in the cancellation of your insurance policy, leaving you exposed to the full financial culpability of the accident. Additionally criminal charge could apply if property is damaged or people are injured.
The final thing to consider is that by modifying a vehicle with darker than legal windows, the vehicle is deemed to be unroadworthy, which means you can’t drive the car again until it has been put through roadworthy testing, in which case the illegal tint will have to be stripped off the windows. 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 do I really want you to get from this article? When it comes to window tinting, make sure you use a good quality film and that your installer has the expertise to be able to offer you the right solution for your situation, otherwise you’ll end up with a bunch of unintended problems that could have serious consequences. Checkout my business, http://precisionwindowtinting.com.au if your in Perth, or if you live somewhere else check your local window tint association, where you should find a list of reputable installers.
