Bubbles on new tint

December 4, 2012

Hi,

I assume this has been asked numerous times...so please excuse me for bringing forward this topic again. I am no expert but I have had windows tinted more than once. Yesterday someone I have no experience did a job for me.

The vehicle done has small portal windows on the front and back. I have no doubt these are a pain to tint. Both portal windows that were tinted yesterday have obvious and noticeable bubbling. Personally I am a perfectionist. However I understand and accept that a tint job may not be totally perfect. If you look closely you can probably find something on any job. But my rule of thumb is that if I am sitting in the driver seat and I can noticeably see something than it may not be acceptable. I have had this same type of vehicle with portal windows tinted in the past by someone else and there was never any noticeable bubbling.

I am in a cold climate and will give the benefit of the doubt and 30 days before calling and asking for a redo.

My questions are the following:

-What are the causes of bubbling of newly tinted windows (moisture, air, ect.)?

-Do certain tint application methods make noticeable bubbling on new tint normal for the first couple of days?

-After 30 days is noticeable bubbling (even understanding they are on hard to tint portal windows) an acceptable reason to ask for the portals to be retinted? I am far from a "problem" customer, but I also expect quality work no matter how hard something is to tint and I think that this is a fair expectation.

-If someone came back to you after 30 days with bubbling on hard to tint portal windows would you redo it or would you be irritated at the customer for bringing it back?

Thanks.

PS: Here are links to photos...they do not do a good job of showing the bubbling (I probably should have used a solid background as well as something other than a 1.3 pixel cell phone camera). However rest assured that sitting in the drive or passenger seat that bubbling is evident without looking closely (which is how I noticed it in the first place).

Bizzar1 · December 4, 2012

First we need to determine if what you see is water bubbles, air/soap or contamination. After just one day this will be hard to determine. The pictures presented do not show well enough to tell what it is you are seeing. Some water bubbles or "blistering" is perfectly normal and will go away over time due to the cold weather taking longer to cure. If it is water there will be no signs of a whitish soapy solution under the film or a "bump" from a dirt spec or other foreign material. It will appear clear, the same color as the film from both sides just with what will look like moisture under the film. This is ok and should go away in time. Air bubbles will NOT nor will contamination. These are easier to see from the outside and typically show up as a small white spec. Air (soap) bubbles will get smaller after curing but will not go away and should be redone. Contamination or dirt and fuzz will get larger as the film cures and depending on the severity, should also be redone. Chances are, the installer may not have prepped the window well enough, did not properly "flush down" the edges or possibly even bumped the exposed pattern on an interior piece prior to install causing small dirt specs in the film. Again, we need better pictures or more cure time to really make a decision. The top picture does appear to be contamination but I am not sure if what I see is in the foreground. Hope that helps?

kats2112 · December 4, 2012

I started typing then bizzardude posted a great answer!

-If someone came back to you after 30 days with bubbling on hard to tint portal windows would you redo it or would you be irritated at the customer for bringing it back?

Those are NOT hard to tint. Most trainees actually start with a window like that.

Any customer coming back or asking questions should not be considered an irritation.

I consider it an opportunity to be sure you are happy with the job.

Take a couple pics from the outside if you can...close as possible

monkeyfuck · December 4, 2012

..try taking some closeup pics.. from the outside.

coast2coasttinting · December 4, 2012

..try taking some closeup pics.. from the outside.

This

gospeed3go · December 6, 2012

guess the bubbles must have started to dry.

808 TINT · December 6, 2012

A better picture would help...

December 6, 2012

guess the bubbles must have started to dry.

They are just as noticeable as when I first saw them. Unfortunately I just haven't had time to get out my DSLR and take some photos. It's on my list believe me.