Color tinting on a car - what is the complexity of choosing and installing
Content
Each driver strives to distinguish his car from a number of similar ones and emphasize its individuality. For these purposes, a variety of means are used. Including colored glass tinting. Can you tint your car yourself? Of course. Let's figure out how it's done.
What is toning
Tinting is a change in the light transmission ability of car windows by applying special films or sputtering on them.
What is toning for?
By tinting your car windows, you get a number of benefits:
- improving driving safety. If there is tinting on the windshield of the car, the driver will not be blinded by the headlights of oncoming cars. This is especially true at night;
- increasing the strength characteristics of glass. It is very difficult to break tinted glass, which creates additional problems for intruders. The driver also receives additional protection. If a stone from under the wheels of an oncoming car gets into the tinted glass, the glass fragments will not injure the driver, because they will remain on the film;
- temperature drop in the cabin. This is especially facilitated by color tinting with increased light reflectivity. Even in strong sunshine, the temperature in the interior of a tinted car will not rise too high, and the seats and dashboard will not become red-hot and will not burn out in direct sunlight;
- improvement in appearance. A tinted car looks more elegant and stylish;
- protection from prying eyes. Properly selected tinting well hides what is happening in the cabin, which increases the level of comfort.
In addition to the obvious advantages, tinting also has disadvantages:
- tinted glass prevents dazzling the driver. But it can also impair visibility, especially at dusk and in rainy weather;
- improperly selected tint film causes genuine interest on the part of traffic police officers. With all the ensuing consequences.
Varieties of color toning
The times when only black tinted windows were on the car windows are long gone. Now drivers prefer other options.
Color mirror tint
It is created using films with special metallized layers, thanks to which the glass becomes like a slightly darkened mirror. During the day, such tinting is impenetrable to prying eyes. It also reflects up to 60% of ultraviolet radiation, preventing the cabin from overheating.
And the main disadvantage of mirror tinting is that it does not comply with current legislation. It states that the darkening of the glass should not exceed 30%. Although today on sale you can find light options for mirror tinting that do not violate established standards.
Patterned tinting
Tinting with patterns allows you to create a unique, stylish image for the car. A car enthusiast who applies such a tint must have good artistic abilities. With the help of a whole set of films on the glass, complex patterns and even paintings are created that turn the car into a work of art.
Patterned toning has two drawbacks. Firstly, not all films involved in it can meet light transmission standards, and secondly, patterned tinting is not very durable. The car owner will periodically have to either renew its individual fragments, or change the tint completely.
"Chameleon"
"Chameleon" is a kind of tinting from an athermal film. In cloudy weather, it is almost impossible to see it on the glass. But as soon as the sun comes out from behind the clouds, tinting appears. Moreover, the degree of its transparency and color depend on the level of illumination. On hot summer days, with the most intense lighting, the "chameleon" turns the glass into a mirror.
The disadvantage of the "chameleon" is the ambiguous attitude of traffic police officers towards it. This film appeared in our country relatively recently. Therefore, the owner of a car with such tinting never knows how his meeting with the guardian of the law will end.
Body and interior tinting
For this tinting, both a regular mirror film and a “chameleon” can be used. It all depends on the color of the car body. The main goal of this solution is to create a feeling of streamlining and solidity of the car for the observer, which is achieved due to the complete color fusion of the body and glass.
The most advanced motorists do not stop there and trim some interior details to match the body color and tinting. Usually this is the steering wheel, dashboard and armrests (if there are any in the car). This decision further emphasizes the unity of style and adds a little more comfort and coziness to the cabin. The disadvantages of this solution are already listed in the paragraph about the mirror film.
How to tint your car
Before starting work, you should clarify the requirements for tinting car windows established by current legislation. They are as follows: the transparency of the windshield of the car must be at least 70%, and the transparency of the side windows of at least 75%. The requirements for the rear window are not so severe. It can even be dimmed completely, but this can only be done if there are two side mirrors. You should also decide on tools and supplies. The following things will be required:
- a roll of tint film of a suitable shade;
- rubber construction roller;
- rubberized spatula of medium size;
- stationery knife;
- spray gun;
- roulette;
- building hair dryer.
Sequence of work
The room in which glass tinting is performed should not be damp, and it must have good ventilation.
- Before applying the film, the car windows are thoroughly washed with a conventional dishwashing detergent, which is applied to the glass with a spray bottle. The preparatory stage is very important: no dirt, streaks or drips should remain on the glasses.
Glass must be very clean before tinting. - Glasses are measured with a tape measure.
- In accordance with the obtained dimensions, pieces of the tint film are cut out.
- The tint film is glued to the glass from the passenger compartment. Before gluing the film, the glass surface is wetted with soapy water.
- The protective layer is removed from the film, after which it is glued to the glass.To remove the protective layer from the tint film, the help of a partner will not hurt
- Small air bubbles almost always remain under the film. A rubber roller is used to remove them. The glass is gently smoothed with a roller from the middle to the edges until all the bubbles disappear.To smooth out the tint, both rubber rollers and rubberized construction spatulas are used.
- Excess film along the edges is cut off with a clerical knife. The film is dried with a building hair dryer.Hairdryer when drying tinting, the hair dryer should not be too hot
- After the tinting is completed, the car cannot be used for a day. This is necessary for the final shrinkage of the film. The windows in the car all this time must be motionless.
Video: we tint the car ourselves
Photo gallery: various types of color tinting
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- To apply such a tint, you can’t do without the services of a master.
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- Sometimes drivers put real masterpieces on the rear windows of cars
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- Why on the windshield of the domestic "nine" you need a flag of a foreign state - remains a mystery
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- "Deaf" black tinted car
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- Usually, the "chameleon" is applied only to the windshields and rear windows, but there are exceptions.
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- The transparency of this "head" complies with the standards, and should not raise questions from traffic police officers
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- The transparency of the "chameleon" directly depends on the lighting
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- The main background of tinting is made to match the body color, and a drawing is applied on top
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- Tinting partially repeats the color of the body, which emphasizes the unity of style
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- For this figured tinting, only one color film was used.
So, you can apply the film on the car glass yourself. Even a novice driver, who at least once held a tape measure and a clerical knife in his hands, will cope with this. The main thing that should not be forgotten when applying tinting is the transparency standards established by the current legislation.
