Quality Time

Today’s Lesson: Film! And how they’re not all created equally!

Window films are very complex materials made up of multiple layers of polyesters and chemical formulas coming together to give you long lasting protection to its users over the years.

A few of the most important components of any film (in the order of how it’s layered) are the top coat, the color composition, and the adhesive. In this post, I will try to go over each of these and explain how quality can be affected and how EASY they can be affected in a climate such as our home state of Florida, where it is almost always hot out.

When it comes to quality, the most important factor of any film is the color of the finished product. When installed, the desired look will have the appearance of “blacking out” the windows. When films are manufactured, there are many ways they achieve this black color. Most of these are made either one of two ways: a DYE base, which is done by coloring the film with a black ink, and a CARBON base, which is done by coloring the film with carbon particles that is mixed in with the film. The amount of color that is put into the film determines the shade and the film’s VLT, or, “visual light transparency.”

Now, If you have ever placed anything out in the sun and left it for a long time, (in Florida, it really doesn’t even take long.) you may have noticed that the color may have been faded a bit. Greens turn to white, reds turn to pink, and blacks turn to…purple… You can probably see where I’m going with this…

A lower-grade dyed film will start to do the same thing over time. Being that it uses an ink to color the film, which is a black ink, it may look good upon installation, but as time goes on, you’ll notice the color start to change. Those deep blacks that once looked nice can quickly fade to a purple, or even lose its color completely and become almost transparent.

Some reputable film companies out there have better dyes than others that can withstand the constant UV/IR exposure, but, for the most part, a better technology has been introduced recently, and that is where carbon comes in.

Carbon is a more “color stable” coloring solution to window tint. Not only is it is able to absorb heat better than dye, but it also does not fade or discolor if it’s exposed to radiation all day. Think of carbon like soot from a flame. It is very dark in color and will stay that way for almost ever. Making it the perfect solution to a long lasting window tint!

The next major component that makes up the film is the adhesive. This is the layer that bonds the film to the glass using a very thin layer of glue across the entire sheet of film. This is important because a good quality film should have an adhesive that will bond to the window, cure perfectly transparent, and again, hold up to this heat for a long period of time. If you have ever touched your back window on a hot, sunny day, you can almost burn your hand. Those are the temperatures that these films endure. All day. Almost every day. These kinds of extreme temperatures can surely diminish the lifespan of the film quickly, leaving the film hazy, bubbly, and very difficult to see through. If you look at a back window that has a bubbles throughout, this was caused because the adhesive started failing. This issue is more prevalent on rear windshields than side windows, given the angle of the glass and the heat lines running across, increasing the overall temperatures contacting the film.

A good quality film is tested vigorously for durability in these extreme conditions and some of the best films can last upwards of 10+ years without showing any signs of age!

Assuming you have a film that will stay true to color AND stay bonded to the window, the last major component is the top coat, or scratch protector layer. This is the slightly thicker layer that is on the outer most layer of the that protects the film and gives it its durability. Different films have different hardnesses to the outermost layer, and when a lot of them can scratch with the lightest wipe from the softest material, it gets pretty difficult to maintain your investment. A quality film will have a harder scratch coat layer, especially important when wiping down for cleaning, and, it will not start to haze from the window going up and down over the years of normal window usage. Having a film with a good scratch coat is just as important as the adhesive holding it to the glass!

I’m a firm believer of doing things right the first time, and having the proper materials is crucial for those results. Providing a durable, long lasting product is one of the many ways I ensure my quality exceeds expectations!

Not all shops are equal, not all tinters are equal. “Quality Time” is a monthly segment discussing my methods of quality control in the shop and and my views on standards for our industry! 😁