car window tinting

Tips for Removing Bubbles from Vehicle Window Tinting

Car window tinting is a cost-efficient upgrade that most Valley drivers see as a must!

The best car tint is great for heat and UV blocking. Additionally, they keep your windows scratch resistant and your car cool looking —  that is until bubbles start to form!

Aside from being quite the eye sore, bubbled films can interfere with visibility regardless of the window film shades, making them inept for safe driving. And the moment an auto tint becomes unsafe, it automatically becomes illegal on different state laws. 

Are they fixable? Yes, definitely but is there any guarantee your auto tint will look as good as it did before? We’ll discuss that later on. But for us to figure out just how redeemable bubbled films are, we need to figure out how they form! 

How Bubbles Form in Automotive Window Tint

Generally, there could be a ton of factors that led your car’s films to this situation. There are external factors such as water droplets or dirt and there are internal factors like improper application as well as low quality. 

We’ll go through each one and figure out how each factor affects the overall health and state of your car tints!

Inefficient Preparation

In case you don’t know, there are several crucial steps involved in prepping your car windows before the installation — and one of them is cleaning! Prior to application, the windows must be cleaned using soapy water to ensure a squeaky-clean surface.

If the glass has leftover soap bubbles before the installation, they’re likely to form into bubbles after the auto tint’s curing process. While these kinds of bumps are generally small, they will diminish in time but they won’t completely disappear. 

Dirty Windows

As mentioned above, prepping glass for film installation is quite the process. And prior to cleaning we’ve mentioned above, drivers are also asked to have their cars and windows washed days before their appointment. 

Keep in mind that in order for the adhesive of the film to work, it needs a clean surface — hence, the two levels of cleaning. If installers skip these two steps, the unseen dust particles in your windows can become bubbles that could enlarge over time. Direct exposure to heat might cause the tint to detach itself from the windows. 

Low Quality Films

Admittedly, the quality of window films heavily depend on which type of films it is, the window tint percentage and where you got it. For example, dyed films have a shorter lifespan in comparison to ceramic films. Shops often offer lasting films while tint kits have lower-tiered ones. 

The lower the quality of your film, the more vulnerable they become to improper installation and preparation. It means there’s a higher chance of bubbles appearing early on. Your car’s interior will definitely be put in danger as they can affect the amount of light that passes through your windows. 

Age of Film

Ultimately, glass tints won’t last forever. The lifespan of films may vary depending on their material but generally, bubbles will come. This is because prolonged exposure to heat will slowly break its adhesive down. 

If your film’s installation has been more than a year, bubbling is expected. It has probably met its life expectancy and is telling you that it’s time for it to be replaced! 

5 Steps to A Fixed Film

Whatever your reason may be — be it improper installation or old tint — there’s five general steps in repairing a bubbling auto tint. 

 

  • Check The Warranty

 

If you had your auto tints done in a shop, chances are you have a guarantee or a warranty. You can either go back to their office to have things repaired or you could have it replaced. 

In any case that you did the installation yourself, check whether your tint kits offered any sort of warranty.

 

  • Decide on The Repair

 

So maybe it didn’t have any warranty whatsoever, that’s fine. The next logical step is for you to think about doing everything again by yourself or having it repaired by a professional installation team like SmartFilm. 

What’s great about working directly with a shop is having guarantees or warranties. Should anything happen to your film, you can still come back to have it fixed for free! If you’re worried about the question; how much does car tinting cost, SmartFilm is here to help you out!

Not only will we offer you great services that come with guarantees, our services come at a cost-efficient price!

 

  • Wait For A Sunny day

 

Now maybe you think you can still try and fix your film. Admittedly, personally removing the bubbling is a tedious process that’s not generally recommended by experts. But should you want to try it out, you should proceed with care and caution. 

Keep in mind that one small mistake could aggravate things further. Before you start working, make sure that the tint is well heated — to ensure that the adhesive is pliable. You can either let your car sit outside in the sun or you can use heat guns or hair dryers. 

After heating things up, use a spray bottle to add a fine mist of water to the bubble. The cold water will loosen the adhesive and once this is done, you can either use a squeegee or card to push out the air bubbles!

Preventing Tint Bubbles

Choosing high-quality car tinting is one of the best ways to prevent bubbling, as does opting for professional installation and cleaning your windows with an ammonia- and vinegar-free cleaner.

Again, you can opt to remove it by yourself but it’s not really recommended. If it has been damaged while trying to remove the bubbles yourself, it could make it difficult to replace in the future. A poor tint removal job makes it difficult to install new window film correctly.

Generally, the best option is to contact an expert, like Smartfilm. We will assess the condition of your film and help you determine the best option for remedying the situation. If it’s determined that the tint cannot be salvaged, we will be happy to process a tint removal and install a new glass tints in its place.

Call Smartfilm for Car Tinting in Mesa

We’re proud to call ourselves the Valley’s experts on automotive tinting, providing superior service and results for our local customers.We can cut your search for ‘automotive tinting near me’ online by contacting our team! 

Similar Posts