How to Tint Your Car Windows Affordably
As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases you might make if you click any of the links on this page.
Car tint is one of the most advantageous accessories that you can add to your car. Many think of it from a privacy standpoint. But it does a lot more than just saving your vehicular contents from prying eyes. Car tint has a lot more pros though. One can even say that it is good for your health.
But tinting has gotten pricier over time. Doing it yourself can be a rewarding experience, and yes; it will also save you money. But how does one tint their car? And more importantly, how to tint your car windows for cheap? The following shows you how it’s done.
The Advantages of Tinting Your Car Windows
Enhanced Privacy
First and foremost is the privacy. A tint behaves as a barrier between you and the people outside the vehicle. They won’t be able to tell who’s in the car, and even if they do, they won’t know what the person’s doing. This can save you from nosy neighbours, friends and relatives. It can even save your life.
Improved Safety
Imagine what happens when something hits your car’s window. It breaks into countless pieces, many of which will hit and possibly injure the occupant sitting right next to it. With a tint, this can be avoided. As it is stuck to the window, it basically prevents it from shattering into those pieces. This prevents injuries.
Added Cooling
Sunlight will heat up anything it falls on. It will increase the temperature inside your car as well. Tinted windows protect the car from the sun’s rays. When this happens, the temperature inside will be lower. As a result, the car’s interior and cabin will be a lot cooler. This is especially effective for hot summers.
Upgraded Security
There are many times when we’re in a hurry and we tend to leave our valuables inside our cars. But leaving things visible inside your car can be a very big mistake. It can lead to them getting stolen and no one likes theft. Car tint covers up the cabin and saves those things from theft or robbery.
Protected Health
As mentioned in the intro above, sunlight hits your vehicle. The problem is that not only does it heat up the vehicle. But it also contains harmful ultraviolet radiation. This is absorbed by your skin and overtime; it can cause diseases including cancer. The best car tints cancel out UV radiation and that’s a fact.
Maintained Interior
Another disadvantage of sunlight is that it can damage your interior. It doesn’t matter how luxurious the upholstery of your car is. The long-term effect of sunlight is that it will ruin it by fading out its color. This is evident from the interior of older cars. Tinting can reduce this effect and help retain interior quality.
Lessened Fuel Cost
Other than these, you’ll also save money on fuel. Keeping UV radiation away not only keeps your cabin cool, but it makes your vehicle perform more efficiently as well. In the case of higher quality tints, you probably won’t even have to use your AC much in the summer.
How You Can Tint Your Car Windows Affordably
Read The State Laws
You cannot just black out your windows and this is not just exclusive to the United States. This is for the security reasons stated by the law enforcement. Tinting your vehicles with a darker film can have you pulled over by the police.
This is why you should check out the laws of your state regarding the process to see if it is a good idea. When you take a look at the laws, you’ll know how much light you’re allowed to let in. But the majority of chances are that you’ll buy tints compliant with your state laws, if you buy local.
Decide The Tint Type
As mentioned above, not all tints are the same. This isn’t just because they allow different types of light. But it is also because they all have their own features; pros and cons. According to Holt’s Auto, the most common type of film is the dyed one. It is pretty basic in terms of price and quality.
Of course, if you’re more into vanity, you can get a metallised film. This one makes the windows look shinier. It also helps you manage the temperature better, giving you that aforementioned cooling (or heating effect). For better tint quality, you could get a carbon or ceramic tints.
These do everything better than the other two tints mentioned here. They’re a fantastic purchase if you can afford to pay for them. While picking a tint type on a budget, you’re advised to refrain from overspending. It is because this isn’t the only expenditure that you need to make.
Get The Right Materials
There’s a lot more involved with tinting. Apart from the tint film mentioned above, you’ll also need an application solution. To ensure that the tint fits your car’s window, you’ll also need a sharp object such as a blade. You can also get a heat gun to ensure that the tint is glued properly.
Get To Work
You don’t just stick the tint film on the window. You’ll need to clean the window first, and take care of any marks or stains on it. Then you should put the film on your car’s window from the outside. Cut the extra tint so that the shape matches your window. You shouldn’t cut it completely as some must be left.
You can stick the tint now and a heat gun is definitely recommended. The tint will come with a liner. You need to peel it off and then add the solution to it, and the window inside. Make sure there are no bubbles that form and you can even use a scrapper to ensure it is smooth.
One should spend the maximum time they can to smoothen out any annoying bubbles. The owner should let the tint stick properly for a couple of days. During this time, there should be no touching, and there shouldn’t be any contact made with water.
Now, before you go off and buy tinting materials, it’s important you understand that it’s not an easy process and can actually cost you more money if you end up messing it up so you might need to opt for window tinting by professionals.