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How To Tint The Windows On Your Car At Home

6 December 2016 by Herman Mills

Window tint helps protect the upholstery and other items in your car from the effects of the ultraviolet rays coming from the sun. The ultraviolet rays can dry out and crack the leather and plastic materials and make the inside of your car look bad. Putting window tint on the car is something most car owners can do at home in their garage in an afternoon. If you are thinking of putting window tint on your car and you want to do it yourself, here is how to do it.

Check Local Ordinances

You should check your local laws and ordinances for regulations to see if your local municipality as any rules regarding the use of tint on a car window. Some municipalities only allow for a certain amount of darkness in the material so police officers can see inside the car if they pull you over. Not being able to see increases the risk to officers and you could get fined for having a tint that is too dark. You will also need to know what is allowed in other municipalities you plan on driving your car in since they too can pull you over and fine you for a darker than allowed tint material.

Clean Both Sides of Window

The tint is placed on the inside of the window and you want the window to be squeaky-clean. Spray and clean the window with a window washing fluid that has a degreaser to remove any road grease and oils that might be on the window. You should also clean the outside of the window.

Prepare Tint

The window tint typically comes in sheets. Spray the outside of the window down with fresh soapy water from a spray bottle. The water will help the tint sheet to cling to the window. Place the tint sheet against the window so all the edges of the sheet overlap the sides of the window. You want the window to be open about an inch or so. Cut the top of the sheet so the arch matches the arch at the top of the window. Now, close the window. Cut along the sides and bottom of the sheet so it fits perfectly onto the window without any gaps along the edges.The sheet has now been custom-cut to fit onto the inside of your window.

Install Tint

Spray the inside of the window with the application fluid mixture that comes with the tint sheets. Now, with the tint sheet still hanging on the outside of the window, carefully peel off the top half of the protective film on the adhesive side of the tint.Lift the sheet off of the outside of the window and place the adhesive side against the inside of the window. You want to smooth down the sheet with a little rubber squeegee to force out the water and air bubbles from under the sheet of tint. Take the protective film off of the bottom half of the sheet and press it against the bottom portion of the window. Squeegee the bottom half to remove air and water bubbles. Allow the sheet to dry for about an hour before taking your car out for a drive.

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