Posts by Category : Tinting Tips

Excellent survey run by Ross Kehl over at Window Film Magazine asking the question of what type of solution is used by window tinters.  The responses to the survey were enough to draw a real conclusion.  The results were not surprisingly, Baby Shampoo being #1 as the go to solution for professional tinters.

What soap/solution do you use for film installation?
Baby Shampoo

46.4%

Joy Dish Detergent

17.9%

Ajax Dish Detergent

3.6%

Other (enter response in comment box below)

32.1%

Showing his in-depth knowledge, Ross goes further and explains

Congratulations to the winners of the Stars Challenge Science Competition of 2011.  The winning team is from Mother Teresa Regional School located in Atlantic Highlands, NJ.  This eighth grade team were encouraged to use the scientific method to address a real-life problem, and one of the team members, Maria Alzate, proposed looking at ways to cool down their hot classroom when the sun is pounding down on them in the morning.  Atlantic Highlands Herald does an excellent job breaking

A Courier Jounal of  Louisville, KY had a recent article explains the classic misunderstanding in window film warranty policy between a car tint shop and a buyer.  The buyer states in his complaint:

On Jan. 9, 2006, I had the windows on my newly purchased car tinted at Auto-Sound on Rockford Lane. I was given documents that stated the job came with a lifetime warranty. I was very well satisfied with the tinting until this past summer when a bubbling

It is always good to see that other blogs, especially one as highly regarded as Treehugger, agree with your assessments.  In a previous article titled, New AC Unit vs Window Tint, we determined that window tint is much more affordable an better ROI (return on investment) than both a replacement AC or replacement windows.

At more than $5k for a new central AC unit or over $250 per replacement window, window film easily becomes the most economical choice at

Readers sometimes write in ask about the differences between static cling film and standard window film.  Here is a comparison of the various factors you should consider when making a decision between the two types of window films.

Solar Heat Rejection Performance

Winner: Regular Window Tint

Static cling film is not as reflective as standard adhesive-based window tint.  This causes heat to be absorbed rather than reflected away from inside the house.  After periods of absorbing heat, sooner or later this heat will

A recent news article titled, Keep your condo cool if you want to garner a sizzling sale price, had me thinking about this comparison between a new air conditioner unit or window tint for a hot room.   Here is an exerpt:

So by now we are all wondering when this heat wave is going to break and give us some relief but for those of you selling, the heat can make your condo feel like a sauna. Here are some

Well written article about low-e window film at grist.org.

The author sidesteps the issue of endorsing the film on home improvement stores in the original question.  Low-E film is a very specific type of window film.  It is best to purchase it from a reputable brand like SolarGard, Llumar, SunTek, etc… rather than using the non-professional brands from home improvement stores.

The article also states:

Low-e films should last about 10-15 years, can save you up to 10 percent of

Great signs for window film getting through to a broader audience in this article about a students pursuing a MBA at Climate Corps is evaluating installing window film.

Well, we’re MBA students, so that’s a start. But the bigger issue is that window film is expensive: I have seen estimates ranging from $3 to $12 per square foot (PG&E [PDF] does a good job of providing some ranges).

This can stall the conversation in leased buildings where the tenant pays the

Great article form the Hometown Annapolis newspaper detailing the steps you can take to keep a room cool:

Turn on the ceiling fan
Go from Auto to On for your AC fan only
Apply window film to windows

I agree with all the suggestions; however, I would rank the window film slightly higher to #2.  The reasoning is that the money spent on electricity can never be re-couped.  Whereas the money spent on window film can be earned back within 2-3 years by

This is an excerpt from an excellent and lengthy article in the HeraldTribune.com detailing the various options for protection in hurricane-prone areas.   Often times, readers have the mental image of bulletproof glass in their minds.  They believe that the safety film product can just be added to a window to make it bulletproof.  This is a fallacy.

Window films have long been marketed erroneously for hurricane protection. In 2005, the International Window Film Association sent a notice to the Florida