Car enthusiasts very often think that sticking a tint film on a car is very simple. But often, due to ignorance of certain nuances and secrets, they refuse to tint with their own hands. In fact, this process is simple, if you work very carefully and use high-quality materials. You can darken the car yourself, but it is better to invite a friend or a neighbor in the garage. Then you will not have to pay for this service in specialized workshops.
We select materials
Before starting work, you should determine the tint film. This is a very important stage - the future result depends on the quality of the material. Now the market is filled with various offers from Chinese manufacturers - many prefer this product because of its low cost. If tinting is done with your own hands, experts do not recommend buying such a film - the result is often disappointing. It is best to purchase film from American brands. Most often, it is also made in China, but there is quality control - a low-quality product will not be put on sale.
Also, the material should be selected based on legal norms. The law clearly regulates the film of which bandwidth should be glued to the car glass.
Types of films
The type of material is determined by the technology of its manufacture. It is depending on the technology that a particular film receives certain features, as well as the functions that it can perform. Tint films can be divided into several varieties:
- Colored products are the most common. They are not subject to glare, do not interfere with the passage of the radio signal. They look very reserved and quite strict.
- Metallic films are particularly glossy. These products perfectly protect the interior of the car in the hot summer. The material is characterized by the presence of an aluminum inner layer.
- Infinity films are also distinguished by the presence of a metal layer. But he is external here. These solutions better protect from the sun, but the cost of these products is appropriate.
- Films with a transition are characterized by a smooth transition into a metallic sheen from color. The lower part has less protection than the upper.
- Carbon products have an appearance similar to metallic, but there are no metal elements in the product.
That's not all. Films are divided into several types. You can highlight painted products, athermal, mirror. Athermal films differ in that they do not obscure the machine. This is the choice for those who want to protect the interior elements from exposure to sunlight, and glass from mechanical stress and scratches. Also, products made using this technology have good noise insulation characteristics.
Painted film dims the interior. It is easy to apply, but a serious minus is the deterioration of visibility, especially at night. Metallic mirror film has a special spraying. It reliably protects car windows from impacts and other mechanical influences.
Preparatory work
Before you begin to tint glass with your own hands, prepare the necessary tools and devices. You will need napkins, preferably paper, forcing - hard and soft, a hairdryer, a ruler, a sharp knife, a scraper, a spray and a sponge.
Glasses are thoroughly cleaned. You can use detergents for cleaning or just soapy water. You can prepare the solution from shampoo. It is important to mix the mixture well. A soap solution is applied to the surface through a spray gun.
We make a pattern for the side windows of the car
Do-it-yourself tinting involves making a pattern. First, the adhesive layer of the film is determined. It can be found on the transparent liner. The pattern is made strictly on a roll. It is necessary to cut out taking into account 2-4 cm of the film - as a result, the pattern should turn out to be larger than the glass area. Then the outer part is moistened with the same soapy solution and a ready-made template is applied to it. The liner should be directed towards itself.
The bottom edge on the template must be made so that it goes behind the rubber seal - just one centimeter is enough. It is important. Many miss this moment.
Next, with the help of a forcing and a knife, vertical cuts are made on the sides. This is done so that the edges of the template go beyond the seals on the sides of the glass. One centimeter is also enough here. Then, the contour of the upper part of the glass is cut out on the film. In order to get an aesthetic appearance as a result of tinting a car with your own hands, the film must go behind the transparent part of the glass.
When performing work, it is important to be extremely careful and careful. Often, when performing this operation, the seals are damaged with a knife, the glass and the car paintwork are scratched. The knife itself must be very sharp. Excess pieces of film should be removed immediately.
Making a pattern for the rear window
This operation is similar to the previous one. But here it is important to consider that the rear window has a convex surface. The film is cut so that the template is larger than the transparent part of the glass. It’s better to ask someone to help.
In the process of creating a pattern, wrinkles will appear on the surface of the film. They need to be smoothed out with a hairdryer. Smooth from the center. You need to do this until you can remove all the folds to a single one. Creases and traces of overheating cannot be formed on the film surface.
As a result, they cut a film for tinting the rear window with their own hands so that its size is larger than the transparent part of the glass by several millimeters. It is better to use a flashlight, illuminating the surface from the inside.
How to glue tint on side windows
Before gluing, thoroughly clean the coating again with water and a scraper. Uncleaned areas should not be allowed. After the cleaning is completed, the glass is washed, thoroughly wiped using distillation. The edges of the glass are wiped with a napkin. It is important not to forget about clean hands.
How do you do the tinting with your own hands? Next up is the film. It is laid on a glass surface. Then the side window is abundantly moistened with soapy water through a spray bottle. 2/3 of the liner is removed from the finished pattern, and the adhesive surface is wetted with soapy water. The excess liner is immediately cut off. Then they wet their fingers - this is important. They will have to touch the film on the adhesive side.
The film is applied to the glass of a car. In this case, you must try not to touch the seals. Then, making sure that there are no gaps and the pattern is in an even position, squeeze a soap solution. The film is held with one hand. Water is squeezed out by distillation. It should be soft. Hard is not suitable - there is a risk of scratching the film. Water is squeezed from a central position to the edges.
After that, the upper edge is fixed. The glass is lifted and the liner is removed from below. The film is immediately wetted with soapy water. Then the lower sealing gum is bent, and the film without creases is tucked under it. It remains only to expel all the liquid and make sure that there are no bubbles.
Apply film to the rear window
This do-it-yourself tinting operation of a car is almost completely identical to sticking a film on the side windows. But still there are differences. In the process, you should be extremely careful - it is important not to damage the threads of the heating system on the rear window.
The glass is washed thoroughly and then wiped. Then a soap solution from a spray bottle is applied. Remove the liner from the film. Also wet the adhesive surface with a solution. In the process of gluing, it is important to prevent creases, as well as creases.
When the film is aligned, it is smoothed in the direction from the center to the edges and all the liquid is squeezed out. This is best done along the threads of the heating system. It is worth using hard distillation. When the glue is finished, the glass is heated with a hairdryer outside to remove bubbles of water.
Windshield film
Do-it-yourself tinting of a VAZ also includes gluing a windshield. We need to make a pattern and fit a piece to the glass. As for gluing technology, it is no different from working with the rear window.
Removable toning
This is the easiest tuning option. But these products are quite expensive. This is an accessory that holds onto glass without any glue. The material is quite soft, and at the right time it can be quickly and easily removed. The tinting is durable, the lifetime is unlimited. Distinguish between tinting type PET and statics.
The easiest option for removable tinting with your own hands is the use of a polyester sheet and film. When there is a sheet, patterns are removed from the glass. Disassemble the door, perform the dismantling of glass. On the outside it is glued a protective layer of film. The layer is smoothed to the surface. With a knife, they cut the film from the bottom, cut the side contours. Cut off on the upper border. The result is a template that you can use.
Next, the pattern is transferred to whatman. You will get a dense template that is inserted between the seal and the glass. The template should be tailored to the ideal. Then the piece is removed and the workpiece is cut out of plastic. The edges of the polyester sheet are treated with emery.
Then it remains only to make patterns from the film and stick them on plastic. You need to glue on both sides. On this removable tint is ready. It can be attached to glass, for example, on adhesive tape.
Pros and cons
Any film, even the highest quality, will bring to the life of the driver not only comfort. There are a number of disadvantages associated with tinting. This is a poor overview at night and in bad weather conditions. Therefore, the degree of blackout should be moderate. To improve visibility, you can use brightening mirrors. Also, the ambiguous views of the legislation can be attributed to the disadvantages.
As for the pluses, the film does not pass ultraviolet, has high heat-insulating properties, and absorbs infrared radiation. In summer, the cabin will not heat up, and in winter it will retain heat.
Conclusion
If you work carefully, then tinting the windows of a car with your own hands will turn out no worse than that of professionals. Thus, it will be possible to save on visiting the workshop.