TomTint

6 hours ago, FehrTintGuy said:

Ok so if it will essentially hold any size roll, what size handler would you guys suggest getting.  I'd be using it for Automotive most but would take it with me to my FG jobs.  Is bigger better in the 72" or does a 60" suffice for the most part.  

My thinking is even most FG jobs a 60" should be fine, and a 72" could be too big and bulky to get around? 

 If you can only have 1 ..buy the 72"

7 minutes ago, MikeMN said:

With an attitude like that, you may find yourself installing some new caulk  at No charge.

Negative. .. If we show up somewhere that the glazer put the caulk on with a floor broom.... it gets removed. It's either that or they get another company to do the film. ... We have been around long enough enough to know what to do and when to do it. 

We remove whateuwe need to in order to get a good install. If that means removing all of it...so be it. 

I have a small flat glass job in Ohio that I would like to get done in the next 10 days. Anyone close ? 

3 hours ago, MikeMN said:

Some printed film today. 

 I see some small blue dots. 

Your existing windshield blocks virtually all of the UVA and UVB rays now, with no applied film on it at all. Those rays are absorbed into the laminate membrane in the windshield itself. Heat is another issue. While that membrane also absorbs a certain percentage of heat, it can be marginally improved with a 70/80% film. 

I just got a "like new" Film Star cutter from a dealer down south. ..I have one of the original first 5 that were ever made and it's in rough shape after all these years.. Looking forward to trying it out. ..Must be at least 15 years si ce I used one. 

6 hours ago, no ma'am said:

I install air 80 regularly, it can be said that it scratches easily with certain tools that wouldn’t do so with lulu’s other films. However I’ve had great service out it and the only time people have had issues would’ve involved sticker removal. Either using a razor blade or scratch coat coming off with the sticker. Not really the films fault.

    We are 100% flat glass, no auto at all. I can see installing Air80 with a small yellow turbo or black one... but our typical squeegee for FG is a 8" blue max.... that's a no go on that film. 

On 2/23/2020 at 10:25 AM, K13evin said:

Not express 70%.  It's got a nice tan look to it.  And offers good heat rejection.  

The Express 70 I have used is green

1 minute ago, MikeMN said:

Now that I an able to post pics, here are a few.

   Did you get taken off the no fly list ? 😂😂

4 hours ago, Jack Buffet said:

Window tinting is taught by various schools but we have to find the best one. I have also find various tinting schools but out of them http://tintcollege.com/ tint college is the best one I found. So you can once go through the tint college website. 

I have said it before,  ..A monkey with a squeegee can tint a window.  If these "tint schools" are only going to show you how to put the shit on the glass... it's a waste of money. A school should spend more time teaching you the business, teaching you the marketing, teaching you who and where to target customers in your specific area, etc. ...

6 hours ago, tintittowinit said:

damn that sucks. So what makes the global one nicer for you? I'm guessing this is the ceramic dr one? Does it not have a TFI? 

You should just get samples of each and form your own decisions. 

11 hours ago, tintittowinit said:

Does TFI happen for all light at night or only LEDs? 

It shows up under most all conditions. 

11 minutes ago, tintittowinit said:

 

Even with the higher vlr? hmmm

You are splitting hairs with the VLR#s... it's more about the reflected color and distortion...or lack of it 

18 minutes ago, tintittowinit said:

Thanks Tom! Oil slick... that must look bad... How about the Optitune 20? I was also thinking of that since the VLR is a low 14% and I've heard it looks nicer than Optishade. Which is your pick? From Optishade and Optitune. 

 

Also thanks for the advice before! Did the exterior. looked good and sealed it good 1/2 all around. 

 ...My choice would be Global...I wouldn't even bother with the others. 

We have installed DR15 from Lulu, NV15 from MMM, Opti15 from Avery...and DR15 from Global..... Lulu has a funky silvery look at night looking out, MMM looks like a oil slick looking out at night, Averys is better than both of those. ...But Globals may be the nicest neutral looking DR on the market. 

There is another company resurrecting this idea today...we got a plan to bid that it was specd into.... we passed. 

11 hours ago, alancorp said:

 

Do you have any experience with the autobahn air ceramic 80? Does that scratch easily also?

No experience with that one just Lulu. Air80

You need to remember...all these new film brands are not mfrs. They are simply reboxers, they just meet a MOQ order with one of 2 or 3 actual mfrs or converters and away they go. A few of the other offbrand reboxers buy from a importer who supplies them with material that is made in Korea. .. then rebox it. .. In a nut shell, ..if you have as little as 20k to invest... you can pretty easily set up your own line of film. 

 Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying to you or has no idea what they are talking about. 

Air 80 scratches very easily.... 

14 minutes ago, MikeMN said:

I stopped by and checked the job out for them, was the piece of Blue 3M tape I put on the frame still there............... 

No....it turned purple and bubbled off the window. 

I have a video of what we did over the weekend. Just can't post it. It was a bit over 3k sf of frost. Several hundred pieces in all. Got a call back today to go look at "a problem" with one of them ... one... got there and in the bottom left corner..the left side vertical cut is off about 1/32" at the bottom 1/2"..... I almost snapped...but instead I said fine..I'll replace it tomorrow.... I could literally squeeze a 1" tall 1/3" wide bead of black caulk and call it a day... friggin people...

4 hours ago, Sterling said:

I'm located in Charlottesville, VA. Sort of new here as I just moved up from Georgia a few months ago. I'm still learning the market but there are tons of $500k+ neighborhoods especially on the mountainsides up here. From what I've seen and experienced, it seems as though people are uneducated or too good to be bothered by my work.

 

It's funny though, because 90% of commercial jobs I've done have been completely wow'd after I apply the first piece! I need to find a way into the resi to where just a few people with give me a shot. After that the film can do the rest of the talking

Focus your efforts on building your commercial base...Homeowners are a giant time sucking, needy , aggravating pile of grief. They are typically a one ride pony that you never see again. Your commercial customers will call you on a monthly, weekly even daily basis to do work... work that IS going to happen...not a homeowner that wants to "think" about tinting 4 windows after getting 5 bids.... Homeowners suck period. We rarely do onsite measurements for them today, We have them email of txt us pictures..we then give them a general idea as to what it will cost. ..If they don't choke on the price, we schedule a install time and date..bring 2 or 3 options for film and they pick one while we are there. ...1 trip, little to no wasted time. ..and move on. 

20 hours ago, MikeMN said:

..........3M IPA has better performance specs than DOW 995. 

Once again, 3M fabricates their own way of measuring capabilities to skew results in favor of their branded product. ...3Ms moto..if you can't beat them...cheat.....similar to the democrats today. 

3 hours ago, Sterling said:

I've had my commercial and residential business open for six months now. Well... I guess I would only call it commercial since I haven't gotten one resi job.

 

I've handed out flyers and put them in neighborhoods around my local area over the last several months. I've even went door to door to about 10 houses even though I hate the idea of it. Haven't gotten a single call for a resi job yet.

 

Any tips on improving my success?

  I don't know your location or demographics...But by and large ..poor people don't tint their house windows. So if you are going door to door in the typical suburban development... your success ratio will likely be very low. Now the counter to that is if you go door to door in high rent districts...you are likely to get the boys in blue asking you to leave or be charged with trespassing. 

 If you really want to focus your efforts on resi.... ( which I wouldn't do ) ... look for the nicest areas in your territory, find out if they have a local group FB page or. local monthly news flyer. Maybe look for a local chamber of commerce meeting or a local business to business focus group ( these groups usually meet weekly at designated places and times )