How dark will 50% over 20% be?

February 20, 2006

Sorry for the long post... Can't find answer anywhere online :woowoo

Short Version -------> Does anyone have a chart or diagram or formula for figuring out how much (%) visible light will pass through two different layers of tint installed on top of each other? Specifically, If I put 50% over 20%, will that allow MORE or LESS light through than adding 20% over 35%? (which I have done and know it is very dark)

Long Version...

I have tinted every car I've owned except my first.....

next car 35%.

next car I wanted darker, 20%... was quite happy with it. (2 Door, White Civic EX) > DARK < interior.

next car 20%.. (shop installed 35%).. I was NOT happy with it... (4 Dr. Black Jetta) > TAN < interior..

current car 20% sides, 10% rear... not dark enough, I want to retint or tint over it. > DARK < interior.

More info about the 4th car...

I paid for 20% but got screwed and they installed 35, blaming the tan interior when I said I could see inside... (I didn't know any better) ... later I took the VW Dead-uh (that's another story) to someone I know and had the film removed from the 4 side windows and replaced with 10%.. was very happy with that, and put 20% OVER the 35% on the rear window (didn't risk damaging the defrost strips) so that was quite a bit darker than the other windows at 10%... (I loved having the rear darker than the rest). I wish I knew what % that rear was though.... I never had police trouble with any of this either.

My current (4 door) car has dark interior, so I went back to the guy I know for 20% on sides and 10% on rear....all of these windows seem lighter than expected and lighter than the 20% when I had it on the 2 door Civic....... and the 10% on the back does NOT seem as dark as it did on the side windows of the Jetta. (he said he's using the same film as before). . . . shoudn't 10% seems twice as dark as 20%?

My MAIN question is this... when I put 20% over 35% on the Jetta rear window, it was just a little too dark... but on the rear window it was ok... since I have 20% sides, 10% rear on my current car and want to re-tint, should I do again what I did with the Jetta and remove side tint, replace with 10% and add a 2nd layer (35 or 50) over the 10% rear? ... or... add a second layer of 50% all around, over the 20% on the sides and over the 10% on the rear ......

The 20 percent tint is what I have in common with the two cars see.. last time I added 20 over 35, this time I have 20... I know that 20+35 was too dark on a rear window but if I install over 20 a layer of 50, will that mean 50% of 20% light would be 10%?? Or should I just remove the 20 and add the one layer of 10?

Do you see what I mean? I really want to find a chart of %'s of film over film or to hear from someone here with experience or opinions for me.

Hope this all makes sense.. thanks for reading.

February 20, 2006

wow...just put on 5% and call it a day. Thats kinda confusing. BTW if you get into an accident the insurance company will not pay for you to get your car repaired because your tint is !llegal. Or, better yet if you k!ll someone because you cannot see out the windows. I don't think you're gonna get much help around here, we don't really condone !llegal tint. But, for the record, if you tint your car with 10% and put anything over it, especially 20% you're looking at less then 5%. How the hell are you going to be able to see out of anything less than 5%? I think what you really should be looking for is a black can of paint. It might be cheaper, and easier to scrape off after you k!ll someone.