Not sure if it's worth getting the tint redone

ykimchi · May 7, 2023

Hello, new here. I've always gotten all my cars tinted when I lived in FL and again in WA, where I moved to. Had a tint guy I always went to that was really good in FL, barely any specks or gaps. The city I live in WA now doesnt really have any good tint places so I travel 1.5 hours south to get my cars tinted by an one-man tint shop. He also does a great job.

Anyways, I got 15% all the way around with a 80% windshield with Suntek CIR tint. It's the first time I got the whole windshield done and didn't know what to expect. I assume the windshield is pretty hard to do since it's a big area. He did an awesome job on all the windows as usual but I did find several specks on the windshield. I have to look for it or view at certain angles to see them so they are acceptable I think since it's impossible to get it perfect.

My wife got their car 50% Johnson InsulatIR on the windshield from a local shop and I kind of liked the darker look. I'm just wondering if it would be worth driving back down south to get mine redone with 50%. Is it too dark and more likely to attract a ticket? Would getting it 70% be pointless since it's already 80%? How hard it is to remove/reapply windshield tint? Would it most likely have specks since it's such a large area? I can't decide what I want to do and any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

doctor4766 · May 8, 2023

I would personally leave the film the way it is. 50% VLT film would be too dark at night IMO and the difference between your 80% film (or the 50%) may not be much as far as heat rejection goes anyway.

It can be a difficult job for 1 person to install film onto a front windshield on their own, unlike the rear window where you have the back seat to kneel on.

That's why I always have a second tinter to help me get the film in place for a front.

It's not uncommon to pick up a few specks here and there especially if he's fitted it alone.

Edited May 8, 2023 by doctor4766

ykimchi · May 8, 2023

Thanks for the reply. The guy does amazing job and I have no idea how he does all that by himself. Even the gaps are to the edge and just looks amazing. I'm just a little OCD with things like specks but luckily there are none directly in my view. There's like maybe 5 or 6 all together on the windshield and they can't really be seen from the outside.

ykimchi · May 8, 2023

Also do these marks go away after fully curing? Not sure what it is, it doesn't look like a speck. Maybe adhesive?

TintDude · May 8, 2023

No, that's trapped air. It might push down.

ykimchi · May 8, 2023

How do I safely do that? With a plastic scraper with a paper towel or some kind of cloth over it? I don't want to scratch or mess up anything.

ykimchi · May 8, 2023

Also are hairline scratches only visible at certain angles pretty normal after tint? Do they buff out?

Jerry Hernandez · May 9, 2023

Seems as if a lot of your specs might be due to all the sand blast damage on your windshield. Meaning, you're not seeing debris under the film, you're seeing damage the windshield. The small pockets push them by wrapping a credit card with a soft towel and push from center of glass towards the edge

ykimchi · May 9, 2023

2 minutes ago, Jerry Hernandez said:

Seems as if a lot of your specs might be due to all the sand blast damage on your windshield. Meaning, you're not seeing debris under the film, you're seeing damage the windshield. The small pockets push them by wrapping a credit card with a soft towel and push from center of glass towards the edge

Almost all the specks are just dust outside of the window. Only a few are actually under the film. The car is pretty new less than 600 miles so I don't think there's damage on the windshield besides the hairline scratches. I could be wrong though.

I tried that on the circled edge but still there. The tinter said I could poke a tiny hole to get the air out but I don't want to make a mistake and make it worse.

DynamicATL · May 11, 2023

The circled areas are raised film sections that need to be pushed back down. The DOT Matrix (black dots) are sitting on top of the glass pushing the film up and creating air pockets. It will never be perfect, but a credit card wrapped in a microfiber towel might do the job. Just don't push too hard to create an indention in the film.

Most of our customers go with 50% on the windshield to add a slight shade. If you want to add shade, switching to 50% might be worth it. I would ride more in your wife's car, especially at night, to see if you want that. I wouldn't waste money swapping to 70% since it would not be noticeable.