Flat glass jobs - how much film do you REALLY need

Roach · November 5, 2003

I did my first on-my-own job yesturday and today. The total square footage was about 490-500. I got a 72" box, which gives me 600. As I pulled my last piece, I went to cut it along the box, and I saw the white core! Now, I knew I would use more then the ~500 including waste and such, but I really, really cut it close. :rollin If I had needed to redo that last panel, I would have been SOL.

So my question is, for future jobs, how should I be calculating how much film I need?? Since I'm just starting out, I don't really have a supply of film just sitting around. Basically I did the est. on this job, ordered the film, did the job. Which is how I'll probably do it for a little bit at least.

I don't have a film cutter, so my cuts aren't exact. I just use the box top.

November 5, 2003

figure out how many linear feet off a roll you will need.

If you have 10, 48 x 55 windows, you would need 40 linear feet which equals 200 square feet. If you just figured out square footage based on your measurements,

you would have come up with 184 square square , and you would have been short

16 square feet, the above illustrates using a 60 inch roll.

November 5, 2003

If you are buying 72" to cut to size, I would have the roll cut to roughly 40" and 32". You can usually get most of the windows out of that roll. for windows over 40, you might want to buy a 48-60'' roll. It will take a few jobs to pay for it, but in the long run you will make it up.

November 5, 2003

Get a cutter-order partial rolls-do whatever it takes to make tha most moo-laa per job- for me it is to buy whole rolls for each job, if one job uses 250 sq ft then I put the rest away, I don't even think about it, If I give another estimate that uses the same film I'll buy another roll, and so on, I will only use the roll If I get into a job that uses 700-800sq ft. I look at this as putting money in the bank, I bet I have 5 rolls of each film in 15 -20 ft partials in stock, then when you dont wanna buy a new roll just grab 3-4 of the box's and put all the money in your bank.

Roach · November 5, 2003

reddot - that's what I plan to do. Order a roll for each job. I just gotta make sure I don't cut myself short before I have some left overs onhand.

TintPoser - I was going to get a 60" roll, but the house had two paladium windows which were like 80-90x70 or something. So I didn't really have much of an option for a smaller roll, but I did watch my cuts and tried to have as little waste as possile. (They were vinyl andersons - THE best windows in the world to tint, IMO)

November 5, 2003

If you don't have the money to buy multiple rolls of film, I would suggest that you plot out all of the window sizes that you need. Don't go room by room, you will get better yield when you take the entire job into account. Make sure to save any scrap or spare pieces, roll them carefully and mark them, they may save your a$$ in the future.

Reddot if I were you, I would use the film as I needed it. If you are keeping 5 rolls with that much film on them, you basically are having a full roll of film just sitting there. That's alot of film if you are carrying several grades. When inventory sits, its dead money, your overhead costs are carried over for a longer period of time and its not really doing you any good. 1 or 2 rolls with some extra is one thing, but having 4-5 is alot of money just sitting there. Don't get caught up warehousing film instead of using it, that's the suppliers job.

Just my 2 cents.

November 5, 2003

Depending on how big of a job you are doing as a rule on smaller jobs I order what I need plus one window. One bigger jobs I get plus 2. Just in case you mis calculated our you mess up. I'd rather swallow the extra film than have to make another apt. To tint just one window I ended up coming up short on. I guess it just depends on how close to the EDGE you want cut it. :rollin

Tinitman · November 5, 2003

If you burned 100 square feet, you are wasting too much. or didn't measure right That is one problem about just buying a cut roll.

Many houses we do use mostly with 48" or 36" and then you run up with one window over-sized.

If you want to be serious about this, you have to keep some stock.

I have been doing this for over 18 years, and I have about 50 partial in stock of all sizes and colors. Most we move quickly, some are odd balls. The odd balls we made plenty to cover expenses.

Roach · November 5, 2003

Hmm.. The only four windows I just guessed at were the two skylights, and the two paladiums. When I was at the job doing the est. I didn't have a ladder to climb up... I just used the tape measure and got rough figures.

I did have to re-do one window, but it wasnt that big.. like 30x30. I had some extras, but too small for a normal size window. They will be used for sidelights or transomes.

Ya know what I can't stand?!?!?! How sliders are like 73-74 inches. Sucks majorly. I wish all sliders were 72" or less. Would make it a lot easier. :rollin

oldtinter · November 5, 2003

Most sliders I see are about 33", perfect for a 36" roll. :rollin And the bigger ones work well with a 48"er. I usually order a full roll, but sometimes, if I'm out of stock, and I'll be using 27' or something, I'll just get 50'. ALWAYS get more than you think you need, people are always adding windows! So, like sl*t said, worry about the linear feet for ordering.