How to apply non-adhesive window tint

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Here's what you do.

Trace the window.

Take some newspaper. Hold it up to the window and trace out the exact size & shape that you will need the tint to be. Keep in mind two things. The first thing is you will want the side window tint to overlap on the bottom so it will go below the insulator flaps so that they don't get hung up there when you roll down the window. The other thing is that you want it to come up short at the top, but not too much - trace carefully. This will keep it from folding back when you roll up the window. If I had used a thinner, firmer tint, this would not have been a problem. KEY GUIDELINE: Do what you can to keep the lines as straight as possible. Since the car is symmetrical, you only need to trace one side of the car for the side windows.

Cut the newspaper.

Cut the newspaper according to the lines you traced. Be careful if you have thick lines (like a black marker would leave) to cut on the correct side of the line. An eighth of an inch WILL make a difference. To be absolutely sure it will fit right, hold up the cut newspaper to the window. Having done so, you will be completely sure that, as long as you cut the tint exactly matching the newspaper, your tint will fit perfectly.

Clean the window.

THIS IS ESSENTIAL! The window must be absolutely clean.

KEY GUIDELINE: Keep everything clean.

Cut out the Tint. Next roll out the tint being very careful to not allow it to touch anything but the paper it's on! I stress the importantce of cleanliness because if a piece of dust just 1/2 the thickness of a hair from your head gets between the tint and the window, you will see it every time you look through that window. It helps to pick out in advance the side that will be pressed to the window. Now, conserving space, lay out one of the peices of newspaper and cut, doing all that you can to exactly match the newspaper. If you suspect that you'll err, cut so that the tint will be slightly too big. KEY GUIDELINE: It's easy to cut it smaller if it's too big, but it's very difficult to make up for missing tint. Now roll up the window-sized tint.

Prepare. Have everything readily accessable to you out in the car. Include:

  • spray bottle of water,
  • firm squeegee(6"-8" is best),
  • credit card (to get to where the squeegee won't go),
  • a razor blade (for minor corrections, if needed),
  • a towell (to wipe up all the water)

Make sure that someone will be able to help you with the back window. It might be pretty tricky to get that big sheet of tint in place by yourself.

Apply the Tint.

Spray the window so that it is wet all over. Unroll the tint and hold it open. Try to do this next part real smoothly. Carefully touch it to about the right position, then hold it with one hand in the top-center of the window and bring the other hand there as well. Starting at the center lightly push air and water out from between the window and the tint. Don't worry about bubbles right now. Right now, you just want the tint to stay in place. Before the corners start pulling away to much, grab the spray bottle and squeegee. Spray one side and lightly squeeguee the water off, again, just to hold it up there for now, don't worry about the bubbles, yet. Take the other side and pull it back about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way. Spray water on the outside of the tint first then on the window again. Set aside the water bottle and take up the squeegee in the same hand. Continue holding the tint away from the glass as you create the seal.

KEY GUIDELINE: Bubbles can not be pushed out. What you want to do is push the water out, leaving nothing between the tint and the glass. If you find a bubble that you missed. DO NOT try to push it out. You will end up compressing the bubble into a smaller one and stretch the tint, ruining it. You need to pull the tint back far enough for the air to escape, respray and start over from where the bubble was left. When you get to the edges it may be necessary to use the credit card. If you push with the card, use a very close angle, like, less than 15* - the closer the better. When pulling with the card you can open up the angle much more. Now that one side of this sheet is done, do the other in similar fashion.

TA-DAAA! You've got tint.


KEY GUIDELINES

  • Keep everything clean.
  • Do what you can to keep the lines as straight as possible.
  • It's easy to cut it smaller if it's too big, but it's very difficult to make up for missing tint.
  • Bubbles can not be pushed out.
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