Window Tint FAQ!

[VaiaDesign]

There are a lot of questions about window tint and we're here to help! Ask us anything and we'll do our best to provide the most accurate information.

1. Does my tint have to be really dark to block out heat?
   1. No! Modern nano-ceramic films can achieve incredible amounts of IR heat rejection while staying in lighter VLTs. Our KAVACA Ultimate IR tint offers up to 95% IR rejection with our 80% tint (which is basically lighter than the factory glass).
2. Can I tint my front windows?
   1. This one is going to depend on your local laws. Many states don't allow you to go darker than 70% VLT on the front windows. And since factory glass comes with a ~70% VLT from the get-go this means that adding any tint will drop it below that threshold. So it's better to know your local laws and regulations and make a decision from there.
3. Can I tint my windshield?
   1. Refer to #2. We tint windshields every week here at our shop - however, we do make a point to mention the possibility of fix-it tickets in our local area. Many of our customers don't have issues when we stay within our lighter tint shades. so if you're looking to tint your windshield we suggest keeping it light - a high-quality film will still offer great performance without the risk of lower visibility at night and potential traffic stops.
4. Can tinting my roof crack the glass?
   1. It is definitely a concern and something we make sure to disclose before tinting any sunroof.
      
      We have seen glass crack/break when using very dark tints (from the 5% to 30% VLT spectrum). The darker we go the more heat is stored in the film and the more risk there is for the glass to go from extremely hot to cold which can cause a stress crack.
      
      When tinting sunroofs we stay within our lightest shades - 80%, 70%, or 55% which are all relatively light. Although there is still risk involved we haven't encountered issues when tinting with lighter shades of our Ceramic Films.
5. Why is my tint changing color?
   1. Honestly, it's probably just a low-quality film. But always bring it to your installer's attention and see if they can resolve it for you.
6. Why is my tint bubbling?
   1. Refer to #5. But it may also be an installer error.
7. Should I ceramic coat my windows before I tint them?
   1. Tint is installed on the inside of the glass so you can have either product installed in any order!

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[ye3hawp0ny]

Any issues or reservations with tinting the sunroof glass? I have heard some installers refuse tinting the sunroof for fear of cracking the the glass roof because it can get too hot.

 

[VaiaDesign]

Any issues or reservations with tinting the sunroof glass? I have heard some installers refuse tinting the sunroof for fear of cracking the the glass roof because it can get too hot.

It is definitely a concern and something we make sure to disclose before tinting any sunroof.

We have seen glass crack/break when using very dark tints (from the 5% to 30% VLT spectrum). The darker we go the more heat is stored in the film and the more risk there is for the glass to go from extremely hot to cold which can cause a stress crack.

When tinting sunroofs we stay within our lightest shades - 80%, 70%, or 55% which are all relatively light. Although there is still risk involved we haven't encountered issues when tinting with lighter shades of our Ceramic Films.

 

[connoisseurr]

We have seen glass crack/break when using very dark tints (from the 5% to 30% VLT spectrum). The darker we go the more heat is stored in the film and the more risk there is for the glass to go from extremely hot to cold which can cause a stress crack.

It CAN happen, with any high-performance ceramic film, but it's more unlikely, than likely. I've seen two instances of this, out of thousands of pano glass customers with dark VLT film on pano glass. Both of which were from owners in a hot climate under near or full sun, and a large volume of cold water hits the pano glass, from, you guessed it, a car wash.

EDIT:
Adding my Window Tint resource from the Tesla Model Y subreddit to this FAQ thread for additional awareness on "all things window tint".

 

[VaiaDesign]

It CAN happen, with any high-performance ceramic film, but it's more unlikely, than likely. I've seen two instances of this, out of thousands of pano glass customers with dark VLT film on pano glass. Both of which were from owners in a hot climate under near or full sun, and a large volume of cold water hits the pano glass, from, you guessed it, a car wash.

Yup! It's fairly rare for sure. And like you mentioned, it's usually when the glass goes from one extreme temperature to another.

We've heard of glass cracking from a car being in the shade in the morning - as the sun goes up and starts to hit the glass it rapidly goes from extremely cold to hot and stress cracks the glass.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

Yup! It's fairly rare for sure. And like you mentioned, it's usually when the glass goes from one extreme temperature to another.

We've heard of glass cracking from a car being in the shade in the morning - as the sun goes up and starts to hit the glass it rapidly goes from extremely cold to hot and stress cracks the glass.

So could that also be a problem with the windshield too or?

 

[VaiaDesign]

So could that also be a problem with the windshield too or?

Honestly, I haven't seen of or heard of issues with windshields cracking due to tinting them.

Almost all cases of glass cracking/breaking were sunroofs (or in the case of a tesla model 3, the back glass). And we've seen cases of glass breaking even on glass that isn't tinted - again, extreme changes in temperature seem to be the biggest contributing factor.

 

[Karltrep]

Can anyone share pricing quoted or actual for applying this type of film to the inside of R1S roof? Our last road trip up through Central Valley the AC could not keep up, the whole truck felt like a solar oven. Ty!

 

[VaiaDesign]

Can anyone share pricing quoted or actual for applying this type of film to the inside of R1S roof? Our last road trip up through Central Valley the AC could not keep up, the whole truck felt like a solar oven. Ty!

Prices will vary but we are priced as follows:

Ceramic IR line (up to 96% IR Heat rejection) would be $700

Ultimate IR line (up to 99% IR Heat rejection) would be $900

Because it's a sunroof I recommend the highest quality film you can find (in our case it would be our ultimate IR tint) and going a lighter shade. Since it innately blocks out so much heat you don't need to go darker which means less risk of the glass cracking/fracturing.

We have our Tesla Model 3 Tinted with our Ultimate IR Tint which helps tremendously but I still added a fabric sunroof shade to add a bit more insulation

 

[N7Rivian]

Is it possible to have exterior tint applied to the outside of the sunroof glass?

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