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Sterling

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Everything posted by Sterling

  1. My guess is it was cleaned with something you shouldn't clean film with or maybe a new draft coming through the window and lifting up an edge?
  2. We use an excel document to track all of our jobs. Square footage, number of windows, sqft of film used including waste off the roll, time to complete, etc... It has turned into extremely valuable data that we use to price out future jobs and approximate how long a job will take to complete. We used to write how much was left on the roll after cutting off of it, but quickly learned how archaic that is. moving everything to a spreadsheet was a great move for our business.
  3. Afternoon, I get asked this question so much, "Do you have a film that provides privacy during the night?" I always turn to a translucent-style film such as frost when this comes up. I have yet to figure out another solution other than blinds or curtains. A quote I am giving next week is asking for this same thing. However, they say they have bright lawn lights that can shine onto the windows if need be. Has anyone had success with this before?
  4. You won't get superb glare reduction with a high VLT film. In my opinion it's not worth tackling glare issues with anything lighter than 25%. I say to offer a 25% spectrally selective film. One of my most popular products is XPEL Clear View Enhanced 25% (Formerly Veloce Temperate 25). People usually shy away from lower VLT films but once it's applied to a room it looks great. Super low interior reflectivity, high IR rejection (82%) and great optical clarity. I've applied this to countless homes, mostly living rooms and sunrooms, and many have called back and I've applied film to the rest of the glass. Not one complaint that it's too dark. Also, most spectrally selective films are thicker which makes it super easy to work with especially when you're reverse rolling large panes.
  5. Those films are very close in terms of specs. It will come down to film color and how long you want to wait for install. Both will have lifetime warranties on residential applications and are great brands. Where are you located?
  6. Correct... LLumar DR and Neutral series films have given me the most issues with curling. I have moved on to more premium films since then. Also helps when pre-cutting thicker film to roll loosely with liner side in. Maybe someone could start a flat glass tips and tricks thread if there isn't already one.
  7. Good morning all. I was wondering if anyone has installed or has pics of 3M Milky Milky San Marino or Milky Crystal. Looking for a similar film on decorativefilms.com Edit: okay scratch that I just found Milky Milky San Marino on the site... lol Would still like some pics tho
  8. Yes. good stuff. I just started selling it. Performs along the lines of Huper Optik but with a cheaper price point. Spectrally Selective films such as the Cooltouch IR are expensive but very nice and get the job done for someone wanting virtually invisible heat shield.
  9. Best bet is to become a dealer. Where are you located?
  10. The Challenger has always had issues with the thick rear defroster lines. Thin film will not stick to it for well and will lead to bubbles and lines along the defroster lines so it's recommended to put a thicker film like Llumar CTX on it. You can use steel wool on the defroster to take them down a little, but it could damage the defroster lines and make the rear defroster unusable. The rest of the car is easy. I wouldn't attempt it yourself because it will not look good and you'll end up paying someone to strip and retint it. The guy who wants to charge you an extra $150 may be factoring in the cost of the higher quality film to combat the thick defroster. As for what material is best, that's gonna be opinionated around here. I've only used LLumar and FormulaOne my entire tinting career and I have little complaints on the film.
  11. Ha, I'm slowly figuring it out too. I'd take some time and create a website and flyers that you can go around and leave at the door. Maybe talk to some customers who come in and get their cars tinted. It's gonna take some patience. Most of my jobs are commercial and almost all of them are from me just walking in and selling it to them. Maybe see if there are any community events around your town or some home improvement shows.
  12. You're going to be paying around the same per roll for resi film when it comes to any major film manufacturer. DO NOT USE AUTO FILM. Maybe you can find a way to order through the dealership until you get your feet off the ground. Tell them you're wanting to tint your home or a friends. Or you can try to become a dealer yourself but usually have a buy-in that requires a large order. Check out Suntek. If I remember they don't require a large initial order to become a dealer. Just think though, one good home or commercial tint job would pay for two rolls of film. Most popular film I use in my area is the Dual reflective and Neutral series of film. Customers with glare issues you want to recommend at least 25% to notice a significant change. Use Neutral like N1040 for offices and building who have heat issues but their building or property code requires little to no reflectivity. LLumar is what I use and it's super easy to work with. Only issues I've had were some curling in certain conditions on certain films. Also, I wouldn't tell anyone at the dealership you're branching out.
  13. First shop I ever worked at we had cash only and no receipt if you went darker than 15%. Unless they were a PI which we did a surprisingly large amount of. We kept their name and info on file but offered no warranty because of the legality issues. Never had anyone complain or come back for a redo; we didn't let a car leave the shop if it had film issues.
  14. I read somewhere around 2 minutes to 5 minutes. Stuff is expensive! Read this, it's a good article on the stuff https://veloceinnovation.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-the-current-transitional-window-films-our-research-findings-and-our-decision/
  15. Did this one this weekend. Most well-known bar around Charlottesville experiencing glare and heat issues after a building across the street was demolished. They'll have me do the other side in a few weeks! I love reverse rolling these large panes.
  16. Thanks for the insight guys. I've spoken to and gotten on the bidding list for a handful of builders and contractors around here over the last two weeks. Even brought a bunch of coffee to one that's doing some work around my day job. Just have to wait for them to give me the opportunity to show my work. Also, @Roach, I may try out the door-to-door sales again when it starts to warm up. Any tips?
  17. 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
  18. 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?
  19. I've been tinting for around three years, started out in a shop doing cars and later moved onto more residential/commercial work. I now have my own side-business apart from my day job doing solely residential/commercial work. Every single client I've gotten has been from a walk-in and selling it to them on the spot. I've got a website and SEO on my pages but all it seems to generate are calls about tinting cars! I'm in a rather populated city with construction everywhere, so the market for commercial jobs is abundant but hard to get in touch with contractors who are willing to give the new guy in town a chance. I agree with Roach, analyze the market surrounding you and focus on the one that fits best. Any time you drive or go anywhere keep on the lookout for buildings or neighborhoods that could use some tint. Also, don't be afraid to do some in-person sales to the ones you see!
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