DIY Window Tinting (?)

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TikiTime

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The old window tinting in my cabin is fading/bubbling/drying/peeling, so I took a razor blade and acetone to one of the side panes and I came off and cleaned up pretty easily.

I'm not about to remove the frames/glass so I had planned to replace the tinting with a similar applied window tint that comes in a roll at Pep Boys Auto Store. I see no reason why it should not look good and work well. But I've had others tell me that off-the-shelf stuff is no good and that I should try to find professional grade tinting through a distributor or local window tinter.

Your experience or any recommended products and/or sources would be appreciated.
 

Drowned Rat

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Re: DIY Window Tinting (?)

It depends on the quality you want. The Pep Boys stuff should work fine on flat panes of glass in your cabin. It's not so easy to use on curved auto glass. Make sure you use a soft rubber squeegie and plenty of soapy water or you'll have lots of scratches on the film that will never come out. The professional stuff, like what the shops use, is more scratch resistant and molds nicely to curved glass.
 

TikiTime

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Re: DIY Window Tinting (?)

Found a couple sources that appear to offer "premium" tinting cut to your specifications. Both are closer to $100 but thats not bad if they work better and hold up longer. Neither are very good about answering email/voicemail so far...

www.snaptint.com
www.windowtint.com
 

Drowned Rat

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Re: DIY Window Tinting (?)

TT, careful about getting stuff "cut to size". The tint shrinks a little (about an 1/8th inch) when it dries out. If you have it cut to size, make sure you tell them about an extra 1/4 inch all the way around.
 

crazy charlie

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Re: DIY Window Tinting (?)

If you are doing "inside" a cabin and not an out in the elements type of job then the Pep boys stuff will work just fine.I have done car windows and boat "inside" cabin windows with what I would consider professional results.A few tips that I will offer you that I have learned through trial and error are as follows.Make sure to leave a small border all around the cut tint.You want to make certain that the tint is a little smaller than the window so it will lay flat all around.Use plenty of water when applying the tint.Start getting the water out from under the tint by using a small roller.This will make sure it is flat and will get extra water out.Then you will need to use the rubber sweege that comes in the kit.Starting in the middle of the tint,move every drop of water to the edge and out from under the tint.Even where there does not look to be any water under the tint you must go through the motions and a tiny amount will still come out.Do it systematically one line after the other so nothing gets left under the tint.The last bit of advise I will offer is to make sure you do not do this with any direct sunlight .Would love to hear how you made out.Charlie
 

Bondo

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Re: DIY Window Tinting (?)

I Agree with Charlie,.......

Go Slow, take your time,+ it'll look Fabulous.........d:)

Another little Hint,......
A Wrinkle in the mass of the window,..... Will be Super Ugly,.......
But,..... If you come up 1/8"/ 3/16" Short of the Edge,.......
You'll Never See it from the Outside.......:love:
 

gewf631

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Re: DIY Window Tinting (?)

You can also pickup window tint at the bigger home improvement stores. I've seen the stuff from basic UV protectant (very little tint), to the very dark stuff.

We've done a bunch of windows/doors in our home, and have yet to scratch this stuff. But again, it probably works better on the straight surfaces, than curved glass.

It may be cheaper than the stuff from the auto stores.
 

mk9873

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Re: DIY Window Tinting (?)

I am getting ready to tint the front and side windows on my 380 Sea Ray. Can I tint the front windows from the outside or it must I install tinting from the inside. Pro's and cons of each? Thanks
 

180shabah

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Re: DIY Window Tinting (?)

You can get very good results DIY - if you don't rush.

MK - welcome aboard - tinting goes on the INSIDE...
 

NYBo

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Re: DIY Window Tinting (?)

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