How does toning. Do-it-yourself car tinting at home: simple technology
Window tinting, without a shadow of a doubt, is one of the main elements of car tuning. It is not necessary to talk for a long time about the benefits of tinting car windows. After all, most motorists know and understand all the advantages that it gives. At the same time, most often a self-evident question arises: to tint a car on your own, or to seek help from a car service?
How to choose the right film for tinting?
Most often, to protect the car interior from the harmful effects of sunlight or the curious looks of passers-by, a special self-adhesive film is used. So how to choose the right one, what parameters and requirements of the law exist for this.
Almost every motorist can independently tint a car. This requires a minimum set of tools, since in this matter it is not so much the professional qualities of the master that are important, but the right choice of materials.
There are a sufficient number of types of films on sale, but not all of them are suitable for gluing on the side or windshield.
From the point of view of the letter of the law, namely traffic rules, the main criterion is the darkening of the tint in accordance with GOST. The last changes in this document are dated January 1, 2015, according to which the transmission capacity of the windshield must be at least 70% of the light. Therefore, if you have any doubts about the transparency of the film, before buying, take a sample from the seller, attach it to the glass of your car and measure the tinted area.
When buying, you should focus on the following main indicators and characteristics of the film:
- light transmission capacity;
- resistance to damage;
- color shade;
- value for money.
The range of colors is a matter of taste and directly depends on the personal preferences of the owner, as well as the make and color of the car body. But with such characteristics as strength and cost, not everything is so simple. It is believed that buying expensive is already a guarantee of quality, however, this is not entirely true.
In fact, acquiring such a kit on the market, even if from famous brand, there is a high risk of falling into a fraudster and acquiring a fake. Hence, best advice will seek help from experienced acquaintances and sellers. Again, focusing on popular brands that have been repeatedly tested by many.
Asking the question “How to tint the car yourself?”, First of all, you should answer the question “What is the purpose of doing this?” If safety is at the forefront of tasks, there is a wide range of special anti-vandal films glued on the outside of the car for this. And they are often used by fans to drive over rough terrain.
Materials and tools for self-tinting
In order to tint the car yourself, in the process you will need the following tools:
- stationery knife;
- ruler;
- spray;
- detergent for glasses;
- dry soft lint-free cloth;
- sponge and paper napkins;
- plastic scraper;
To work with, use a water-soap solution in the proportion of 3 liters of water to 10 drops of washing shampoo. Before use, mix thoroughly and pour the solution into the spray bottle. And, before sticking the film, carry out an external cleaning of the glass using the prepared solution.
Usually, a small plastic scraper and a knife come with the film, but they are inconvenient due to their small size and dubious quality, therefore the best option will buy a good tool. Another plastic spatula is bad because when pressed, damage to the glass surface is possible, and the complete cutter is made of a rapidly dulling metal, which leads to film breaks.
In order to visually see the process of preparing glass for and the tinting procedure itself, we recommend watching this video:
Preparatory stage of work
It's no secret what follows from the inside of the cabin. The reason for this is rather banal and lies in the fact that the outside of the film will last a much shorter amount of time and it will have to be replaced quickly. Of course, there are special anti-vandal films that are distinguished by ultra-strong properties, but even they are able to withstand exposure for a long time. environment.
At this stage of the toning work, it is best to have a partner helping you. A special protective layer is applied to the film, which is easier to remove when one person gently pulls it off, and the second sprays the soap solution into the gap that appears. As a result, it minimizes the risk of film sticking. But it is not recommended to throw away the protective layer, because it can be used in the future when gluing, by placing it under the spatula when blowing bubbles. This way you can protect the film from damage.
Glass, of course, except for the windshield, is best removed from the car, especially if the film is pasted for the first time and there is no necessary experience. In this way, it will be much easier to ensure a high-quality glass coating. There are also separate requirements for the cleanliness of the working surface, because any grain of sand that gets into the gap between the glass and the film will noticeably stand out as a bulge after gluing. This, in addition to an unaesthetic appearance, will lead to a distortion of the view in the car.
After that, the moment of cutting blanks from the film follows. Patterns are usually cut out with an allowance of a few millimeters, and after gluing, they are adjusted in place with a sharpened knife. At this stage, the main thing is not to confuse the sides when trying on. It is important to remember that it is glued on the inside after removing the protective layer.
Final process
The first two stages of work should not cause any difficulties. Wash glass and make blanks even a child can do. But sticking the tint coating on your own is quite difficult and requires some skill. The gluing process itself can be divided into several stages:
- abundant spraying of glass from a spray bottle with soapy water;
- removing the protective layer from a pre-cut workpiece, spraying the film with a solution;
- applying it to the glass and neat alignment;
- smoothing irregularities with a spatula and rolling air and water bubbles to the edge;
- cutting allowance;
- drying with a hair dryer.
Particular attention should be paid to the second point, which is most convenient to carry out together. The hardest part is fitting. If it is enough to work with the side windows, the rear or windshield is quite problematic. The problem here is curvature. Here you also need to act using a spray bottle and a hair dryer. After spraying the film, it should be applied to the glass and adjusted in place.
If the tinting does not fit, it must be warmed up and stretched with a rubber spatula, achieving a perfect fit. It is worth noting that the work should be carried out with extreme caution, since the deformed film will no longer level out. After removing the bubbles, the coating should dry well, for which you can use a hair dryer. After tinting the windows, they are ready for use and you can put them back on the car.
If you have any questions or you are simply afraid to do the tinting yourself, we recommend that you do not take risks and contact the experts, or watch this video first to see the full process of glass tinting with your own eyes.
There is no point in talking about the merits of the car for a long time. Most owners are well aware of the benefits that it provides, so most often the question arises of whether to do it yourself or contact a car service. Most often, a special film is used to protect the interior of a car from excessive sun and prying eyes. They make it self-adhesive, therefore, in addition to a certain amount of perseverance and painstaking work, no special skills are required from the performer.
Choosing a film for tinting
Almost everyone is able to tint their car on their own, having the minimum necessary set of tools for this, so the main problem will not be in the technology of work itself, but in right choice material. There are a lot of films on sale, but not all of them are suitable for windshields and side windows of a car, due to the prohibition of excessive dimming established by the relevant GOST.
To tint the car yourself, you will need to purchase a special film. You should focus on the following main qualities:
- light transmittance;
- resistance to mechanical damage;
- color spectrum;
- cost indicators.
From the point of view of traffic rules, the first criterion is key. In 2014, there was a rule that the total bandwidth of the film and windshield should not be lower than 75%.
For the laterals, there was an indulgence of up to 70%. On January 1, 2015, a new GOST 32565-2013 was released, according to which the windshield must transmit at least 70% of the light. If there is the slightest doubt that the film is less transparent than required by GOST, then in order not to deal with plywood later, you need to take a sample from the seller, attach it to the glass and take the necessary measurements.
The color scheme is a matter of taste and depends on which car is being tinted, and therefore general recommendations it can not be. With strength characteristics and cost indicators, the situation is more complicated. It is far from a fact that the more expensive the better, but it is unlikely that you will be able to buy something of high quality for a penny. It is very difficult to choose a suitable and inexpensive material yourself, so you can’t do without the advice of experienced friends and sellers. It is preferable to focus on well-known brands that have been tested by many, and therefore reviews on them can be found quite easily.
Much is determined by the tasks that the motorist wants to solve. So, for example, there are special anti-vandal films that are glued to the outside of the car. They can be used for long trips cross-country, for example, participating in a rally. For trips around the city, they are just as good, but is it worth spending a lot of money on their purchase if you can get by with less expensive materials?
Required tool
In order to do the tinting yourself, you will need the following tool:
- rubber spatula;
- stationery knife
- glass cleaner;
- dry, soft, lint-free cloth.
A small scraper made of plastic and a special knife are usually attached to the film, but they are not very convenient to use, so it is better to get normal tools.
A plastic spatula is bad because it can damage the surface of the glass when pressed, and the cutter included in the kit is made of a material that quickly becomes dull, and therefore begins to tear the film. In addition, it is convenient to have a spray bottle available, which allows you to evenly spray water on the car windows.
Stages of work
Car windows are tinted from inside the cabin. The reason for this is primitively simple - outside the film will last much less time and it will have to be changed. The material does not possess ultra-strong characteristics and under the influence of the environment will quickly lose its marketable appearance. It is more convenient to work together. The film has a protective layer and it is easier to remove it when one person slowly removes it, and the second one sprays a soapy solution into the gap formed. Before starting work, it is better to dismantle the glasses from the car, especially if there is not much experience in gluing the film. This will make it much easier to ensure high-quality tinting. Special requirements are placed on the cleanliness of the workplace. Any grain of sand caught between the film and glass, after gluing, will become a clearly visible bulge that distorts the view and spoils the appearance of car windows.
After the film is purchased and the tools are prepared, you can get to work. Self-tinting consists of several main stages:
- dismantling of glasses and their cleaning from dirt and grease;
- cutting blanks from the film;
- separation of the protective layer;
- trimming, gluing and trimming.
The first three stages of work should not cause any particular difficulties: everyone is capable of washing car windows and making blanks from film. Patterns are usually cut out with an allowance of a few millimeters and, after gluing, they are adjusted exactly in place with a sharply sharpened knife. The main thing is not to confuse the sides of the film when trying on. It must be well remembered that it is glued on the inside after the protective layer is removed from it.
The gluing of the film is carried out as follows:
- the inner surface of the glass is plentifully sprayed with a prepared soapy solution;
- the protective layer is removed from the pre-cut blank, the film is sprayed with a solution, applied to the glass with the right side and leveled;
- using a spatula, air and water bubbles are driven from under the film;
- cut off the allowance (extra film around the edges);
- the glass is dried with a hair dryer.
Particular attention should be paid to the second point, which is more convenient to carry out together - one person carefully begins to remove the protective layer, and the second sprays the separation points. The purpose of this action is to prevent the tint film from accidentally folding and sticking to itself. It is not worth throwing away the removed protective layer, it can be placed under a spatula when blowing bubbles so as not to accidentally damage the tint.
The hardest part is fitting. If it is easy enough to work with the side windows of a car, then not everyone can tint the rear one on their own. The problem lies in its curvature. A soapy solution comes to the rescue, which is poured into a spray bottle and a hair dryer. Having sprayed the glued film, it is applied to the glass and begin to be adjusted in place.
Where the tint does not want to fit, it is heated and stretched with a rubber spatula, achieving a perfect fit. To make the material fit more evenly, it can be additionally moistened with water.
You need to work very carefully, since the deformed film will not return its shape back. After all air bubbles are removed from under the coating, it should dry well. You can use a hair dryer to speed up the process. After the car windows are tinted, they are installed and ready for use.
Probably the simplest and most common way to tune a vehicle here is rightly considered tinting. Which is absolutely not surprising, because with minimal material investment, the owners are given the opportunity not only to significantly improve the mode of transport, but also to ensure the comfort of using it.
Among other things, the tinting procedure is extremely simple, as a result, it is quite “on the shoulder” even for a beginner. This makes it possible to significantly save money and not resort to the services of specialized workshops.
So what is the best way to do window tinting on your own?
Tool preparation
First, make sure you have enough film stocked. Often, one roll is more than enough to cover all side windows. The second is necessary for the windshield and rear window. However, the presence of a third roll is also recommended, because absolutely no one is immune from unforeseen situations.
In addition, you will certainly need a blade or a clerical knife, rubber spatulas and some rags. Keeping in mind also that a lot of warm water and soapy water is needed to work with the tint film, stock up a few buckets and any detergent in advance - liquid soap, shampoo, etc. Of course, it is better to spray water on the glass with a spray gun, but, in which case, you can use a regular sprayer.
Place for tinting
As practice shows, nothing can so significantly complicate the tinting procedure as dust in the workplace. So, take the trouble to make a wet cleaning of the work area. This will reduce the chance that dust will accidentally rise into the air and stick to wet windows.
Correct lighting is also very important, as with the right light, defects will be much easier to detect. In the same case, if you do not have a suitable room, you can try to tint the car in an open space. Preferably on a clear windless day.
Tinting procedure
1. Remove the seals from the glass and then wash the glass thoroughly with a mild soapy solution.
2. Unfold the film roll and place it on the glass, and cut off a piece of the required length from the film, taking into account a small allowance of about 1 cm.
3. Attach the edge of the tint film to the inner surface of the glass, abundantly doused with soapy water.
4. Slowly begin peeling off the backing while smoothing out the film already adhered to the glass with a rubber spatula or soft cloth.
5. While gluing, try not to let the glass dry out, constantly spray the surface with a solution from a spray bottle.
6. As soon as the substrate is removed and the tint film is pasted, start carefully squeezing air out from under the film, moving from the center to the edge.
7. Carefully remove the film left as an allowance with a sharp clerical knife.
8. Once the film is completely flattened and cut, dry it thoroughly.
As life experience shows, there is nothing overly complicated in tinting. You just need to take the work as responsibly as possible, and the effect will surely please you.
- Interesting on the topic -
How to tint a car with your own hands - video
Many motorists, when buying a car, try to paste over its glass with a tint film. Passengers feel more comfortable in a tinted car because the tinted windows hide them from the eyes of passers-by and protect them from sunlight in hot summer weather.
Having decided to tint the car, you can simply take it to a specialist. But, nevertheless, it is possible to do it with your own hands, which will be discussed in this article.
After you decide to equip your iron friend with tinting, you should choose the tinting film itself, which differs both in quality and price, and in the shade of the film itself. The choice is yours.
But the degree of dimming is also important, because the darker the film, the more the quality of vision for the driver is reduced, which affects driving safety. In addition, recently in many countries laws have been tightened in relation to the degree of darkening of car windows. On average, the windshield and side windows of a car must let in at least 70% of daylight.
The tint film is made from polystyrene of various shades, which determine the color of the film itself, and in end result and the color of your car windows. In this case, the outer layer of the film is usually coated with a special metallic composition protecting the film itself and glass from mechanical damage. It is clear that the more expensive the film, the better the composition of the protective layer will be and the longer the tinting itself will last you.
Adhesive tint film
The procedure for pasting glass with a tint film does not require any special knowledge and skills, but, nevertheless, accuracy is needed in this matter. The film should always be glued from the inside of the glass, that is, from the side of the car interior. First of all, you need to thoroughly wash the glasses themselves so that they do not have the slightest trace of greasy stains and stains. The best way to do this is with a window cleaner. At the same time, the room where the tinting film will be pasted over should not be dusty and well lit. If you work outside, the weather should be warm and windless.
The tint film itself is glued to the glass using a soapy solution, which is applied to the glass with a spray bottle (a spray bottle is also suitable, which is sprayed with house flowers).
To properly cut the film to the desired size, attach tissue paper or regular film to the glass and circle the outline, then cut the paper and you will get blanks, on which you can then cut the tint film evenly. The workpiece must be made with a margin of 5-10 mm, which can then be removed with a knife. Of course, it is more convenient to paste over the windows if they are removed from the car. But the removal of glass is a rather time-consuming task, so glass tinting is usually done directly on the car.
Spray the glass with a spray gun and apply the film with the dark side to the glass, gently smoothing it from the center to the edge, and make sure that no air bubbles form under the film.
Smooth the film well with a rubber spatula or something similar. Special attention give the edges of the film, they must adhere well to the glass and not protrude, so that later, when lowering and raising the side windows, the film does not wrap. Let the film dry afterwards. If you have a building hair dryer, you can speed up the drying process of the film. A building hair dryer can help in places where the glass has a significant bend. The film is heated, after which it better takes the form of curved glass.
As you can see, car window tinting is not such a complicated procedure, and by doing your own car window tinting, you will save a tidy sum.
Our portal warns its readers that car tinting is prohibited in some countries. Therefore, before deciding to tint a car, you should familiarize yourself with the current legislation in your country. You must be aware that traffic violations will sooner or later entail fines and troubles.
Do-it-yourself car window tinting is quite real. To do this, you need to prepare by choosing necessary material, tool and technology by which toning work will be carried out. There is a lot of information on how to tint a car yourself, and today it is not difficult to choose the most suitable method for yourself. However, it is still worth noting that complete instructions do-it-yourself tinting can greatly simplify the life of a car lover. Therefore, in this article, the most important facts about tinting are grouped, which define a complete guide with steps in order to get a professional auto tuning at home at the end of the work.
The first step in tinting your own hands can be called dimming the windows. In connection with the expansion legislative framework a new law limiting the permissible value of glass shading in vehicle, removable tinting is becoming increasingly popular. And if you do it yourself, you can get a significant benefit from the process.
Glass tinting films can be different types. What is the difference, which manufacturer to choose, which film is better? The advice is simple - it is best not to save on price, and choose a trusted and reliable supplier. Buying random stuff and trying to stick it on your car is not the best alternative if you want to keep your car in great condition and make it look good. There are certain companies that have been producing film for a long time and are time-tested. The following companies have guaranteed operating time indicators and certificates:
- SunTek Commonwealth Laminating & Coating, Inc.,
- llumar Courtaulds Performes Films.
- Sun Control products by Garware Polyester Ltd.,
- Sun-Gard, Glass-Gard and Safe-Gard by Film Technologies International, Inc.
- Johnson Window Films.
- MSC/Solar Gard
- Films of 3M Corporation
How to stick the tint yourself
Stick the tinted coating should only be on clean glass. If work is carried out indoors, there should be no dust in it. Polluted air is one of the causes of bubbles. If you perform actions without removing the glass, then the interior should also be clean.
To prevent dust from being guaranteed, it is best to do the procedures on a cloudy day after a rain. In the same way, you can protect yourself from the appearance of insects that can interfere with outdoor work.
If, due to complexity, you want to refuse to work, there is always the opportunity to contact the service. In addition to the fact that the window should be smooth, you should remove everything superfluous from it, for example, an antenna.
What you need
Before work, it is necessary to prepare the tool and material. Among all that may be needed, consumables should not be neglected.
- The film is tinted. The amount should be enough for the side windows, as well as the front and rear windows.
- Spatula rubber and plastic scraper.
- Shampoo.
- Spray.
- Stationery knife with retractable blade.
- Cloth without lint, dry.
- Clean and warm water.
- Home or technical hair dryer.
Also, before work, the material must be prepared. Film cutting is not a difficult task, and involves cutting out pieces that will be 2-4 centimeters larger than the size of the surface to be tinted.
Car preparation
The next step is to prepare the machine itself. For the quality of work, be sure to wash the car and workplace. Even grains of sand can cause defects during operation, so attention should be paid to details. Apply the film only on a clean surface and in clean conditions. Therefore, car windows must first be washed on both sides using a special cleaning solution.
Even after washing, wiping the car with a soft cloth, you need to make sure that there are no lint left on it - you cannot glue the tinting material without bringing the coating to perfect cleanliness. Work should begin with the side windows.
Only by pasting them, you can gain experience, and proceed to the back and front glass. Further, the process can go in two directions - removing the glass or not removing them. It is most convenient to remove the glass, the effect of this is much higher, although it makes you tinker, doing extra work.
We make our own film
The advantages of the tint film have already been described in detail, the question arises - how and from what is it made? The production of tinting for cars is based on polyester material. The base for production must be of high quality, and very few companies produce such polyester. Classical film consists of several balls. The thickness of each is 20 microns. The manufacturing technique is quite complicated, the layers are rolled under a certain temperature. It is very important that when used, the film does not distort the appearance of things and the interior. For this, much attention is paid to the similarity of the physical indicators of the base in its different sections. This property allows you to glue the film on any type of glass.
You can also tint your car at home. However, it is not possible to create a high-quality product that will meet modern norms, standards and requirements of operating technology. Tinting film is made using temperature and chemical composition at the factory, recreating the process in everyday life can be an overwhelming task.
Pasting technique
The methods of gluing the coating on the side, front and rear windows are not much different. Experts advise starting with the sides. Only then, having gained experience, you can start applying the coating to the rear and windshield.
Side windows are washed with water and a scraper before starting the procedures, after which they are wiped with a rubber forcing. The edges are wiped with a napkin, and the hands are washed with soap before the second part of the work. The glass is wetted with soapy water, and removed from the pattern protective covering. The adhesive part is wetted with the solution, as well as the fingers. The film is carefully applied to the glass, the absence of gaps is checked and how evenly the applied material fits. Excess water is removed. Forcing too hard can scratch the finish. Water is removed by translational movements from the center to the edges.
The upper part of the film coating is fixed a little later. The rest is also wetted with soapy water. The film is refueled under the lower seal, kinks should not be allowed. The remaining liquid is removed from under the film with a hair dryer and distillation. Water bubbles after work should be absent. You can remove them almost immediately after applying the tint, walking on the glass with a rag or soft cloth.
The advantages of do-it-yourself tinting are obvious: saving money, since the work is carried out at your home. The heating of the cabin is reduced by almost half - this is especially noticeable in the summer. 99% of harmful radiation is delayed by the tint film. If misfortune happens and the glass in the car breaks, pieces of glass will not scatter throughout the cabin. Headlights of an oncoming car or sun glare are not terrible - a darkened coating will completely protect from excess light and radiation.
Hide the contents of the cabin from strangers is the most affordable way to expand your personal space. And tinted glass can help a lot with this. The panel inside the cabin and the plastic will be protected from overheating, which is possible when exposed to direct sunlight. And speaking in general about appearance, then a car with tinted glass looks more attractive than without it.
Very useful advice: if you want to tint a car, and the information provided may not be enough, it's worth watching do-it-yourself tinting methods on the video - a vivid example that will help you do everything right.
Video "Vehicle tinting technology"
In this video you will learn everything you need to tint your car.
