To tint or not your tint your car?
I recommend tinting your vehicle and I can tell you that from experience, by doing so can save you on repair bills in the long run.
One of the problems that I had with vehicles I never tinted is quite a few things. In my part of California, the summertime brings in weather up to 110+ degree heat and without tinting, I have seen my 2001 Corolla’s upholstery (ceiling portion) just turn to tatters because of the heat.
I have seen my black headrests go from black to brownish/golden color and I have seen things like the driver’s handles crack and I have to continually replace them via eBay.
And to make things worse, I have one panel on the driver’s side keep on getting detached. The rivets that holds the panel to the steel frame keeps snapping because of the heat.
While I use the vehicle as a backup, just in case anything goes bad, I wish I had tinted the vehicle when I first purchased it. But decided to rely on basic heat guards that proved ineffective.
Upon getting my latest tinting, I decided to go with the pricier but more effective ceramic tinting.
The company I went to had a display of a heat lamp and glass using regular tint and another using ceramic tint. With the darker regular tint, I can feel the heat from the glass/tinted piece easily. With the ceramic tint, hardly at all.
So, for those who want to protect their interior, tinting your car is important, but also choosing a type of tint is important. I recommend the ceramic tint.
Also, making sure the professional is reputable, has been around for many years and offers a lifetime warranty.
Now, the biggest thing about tinting is the laws about the front and front driver/passenger window. While some states allow the rear windows to have any tint, as long as you have rear mirrors on both driver and passenger side, for the front, some states require no tinting or at least 70% and that visibility is clear.
Fortunately dealers add a little tinting to the windows but there are rules to front window tinting and you can see many cars who have gone 50% or even lower for their front windows.
While it is illegal in some states to have a dark tint, many people have gone without being ticketed but there are those who have. In some states, those who have received a ticket can easily have the ticket dropped if the car owner has the tinting fixed. And this is where it’s important to working with a tinting company who doesn’t charge for having it removed.
So, follow the rules or tint the front windows at your own risk. Also, there is ceramic tinting that is 70% and will look like the original tint, but will give better UV protection.
Last but not least, remember that not all tinting will last forever. Tinting can warp and I’m sure you have seen people driving around with tinting that looks like there are bubbles or rips. Another reason to have a tinting company that offers a lifetime warranty, to redo it at no cost. But for the most part, these new tinting jobs last much longer than the tinting jobs over a decade ago.
Overall, I feel that tinting your vehicle’s windows is not only taking a proactive effort to protect the interior but also lessening the heat-related issues once you get into your car (especially if you have leather seats). But find a reputable tinting company that offers a lifetime warranty, gives you a great deal but also do your research as you can find reviews for a tinting company quite easily online.
And if you plan to tint your car windows, make sure you check the laws of tinted windows in your state.
