Window Tinting — Not a DIY Project

One of the most valuable skill-sets you can have is general handiness around the house. Why call an expensive carpenter to mount a shelf or fix a leaky faucet, when you can do it yourself with just a few simple tools and a little know-how?

It’s a great attitude to have, but every handyman worth his salt also recognizes the limitations of his skills. A poorly done hack-job is never worth the money saved from skipping the professional.

Let the experts at Galen’s Tinting offer one bit of advice: Window Film is not a DIY Project.

Even if you don’t choose us to install your window film, we ask that you choose someone who is certified to install window film and who does quality work. But why is this such a difficult job for the layman?

When applied correctly, window tinting is completely unnoticable. However, improperly applied window tinting leaves unslightly bubbles and wrinkles, and the film can also lift or peel around the edges over time.

Have you ever had difficulty applying a screen protector to your phone? Now imagine that, but 50 times as big.

Badly installed window film also reflects poorly for the industry overall. Everyone has seen bad window jobs and thinks “that’s how they all must be.” But that’s not true at all — there’s nothing wrong with the window film, only the window film installer.

Additionally, an expert’s advice is invaluable when deciding which type of film is best for your windows. Most varieties of window film are available for anyone to purchase, but there are many pitfalls:

• Not all types of window film are compatible with all types of window glass. Your windows might be annealed, heat-treated, insulating, or a combination of the three. In a worst-case scenario, if you installed the wrong type of film on the wrong type of window, it could cause the window to crack! Don’t make a blind guess. Leave this to the professionals.
• Certain types of window film could void your window warranty. Many manufacturers are nervous about covering window film because of improper installations and incompatible film types. Many DIYers have installed film, only to find later that they invalidated their manufacturer’s warranty. A professional like Galen’s Tinting is very familiar with this, and can make sure your window’s warranty is covered, or recommend a window film brand with a warranty that supersedes your window’s warranty, so you are still covered.
• Bubbles, scratches, wrinkles or trapped dirt underneath the film. Window film application is a very sterile process. The window must be completely — and we mean COMPLETELY — clean. The slightest speck of dirt, hair or fingerprint smudge will be trapped forever between the glass and the film. Also, the film is not as hard as glass, and prone to scratching during installation from metal tools or overabrasion. A meticulous eye for mistakes is one of the biggest reasons to leave this job to the professionals.