Car tinting is a window film application with a wide range of benefits. A window tinting application prevents heat build-up inside your car and protects its interior against the sun’s destructive ultraviolet and infrared rays. Window tinting also offers protection against hail damage and break-ins while giving your car a sleek, polished appearance.
If you want to tint your car, your first question is likely: “How long does it take to tint car windows?” In this guide, our professionals at Sun Tint look in-depth at the car window tinting process and how long it takes. We’ll also discuss factors such as weather conditions and tint drying times.
The Window Tinting Process
How long does car tinting take? Before answering this question, it may be helpful to look at the tinting process:
Tinting environment preparation: The first step of the process is to prepare the tinting environment. At Sun Tint, we do car tinting inside an interior bay without dust or wind. When providing a mobile tinting service, we will prep your garage to ensure that no contaminants affect the tinting film adhesion and appearance.
Window prepping: Once the tinting area is clean, the next step is cleaning your car’s windows on both sides using a soap and water mixture. This step is critical to ensure that no grime, dust, or glue residue sticks to the window film surface.
Tint film cutting: The next step involves measuring your car’s windows, then cutting the tinting film from a master roll. We typically use a heat gun to shrink the film and curve the sheet to the window glass. Then, we cut the film to fit your window’s dimensions and shape.
Edging and detailing: After cutting the tint film, we remove it from the window and position it over a peel board to round out the corners’ sharp edges. This step ensures that rolling the window up and down doesn’t cause the film to peel from your windows.
Installation: The installation involves spraying a solution on the window surface to activate the tint film’s adhesive. Then, we remove the film’s release liner and position it with the adhesive side onto the window. Using a squeegee and non-abrasive scrapers, we push out excess solution and bubbles between the window and film. If necessary, we will use a heat gun to ensure that the film properly adheres to the window glass.
Final inspection: With the installation complete, we will do a final inspection and remove any remaining bubbles, blemishes, or imperfections.
How Long Does It Take To Tint Car Windows?
How long does it take to tint a car? Generally, tinting a pair of front door windows takes 30 to 45 minutes. The application process for all the windows of a sedan, including the front and rear windshields, typically takes two to three hours.
However, various factors can affect the duration of the tinting process:
The tinting environment: If you apply the tinting film yourself, you must prepare the area where you’ll work on your car. Sweep or vacuum your garage thoroughly and wait for any airborne dust particles to settle before starting the tinting process. At Sun Tint, we have a tinting bay that is always clean, saving valuable time. If you want to complete the tinting process in the shortest possible time, opt for our “Factory Fit Window Tint” installation method.
Previous tint or adhesive removal: Does your car windows have old tinting? Removing these films and their adhesive requires careful heat application and can be time-intensive. An additional 30 to 60 minutes may be necessary to remove old tint layers.
The vehicle type: Tinting larger vehicles, such as buses and trucks, have larger and more window surfaces that need covering. On average, tinting a small minibus can take one to two hours longer than a sedan.
Complexity: A window with a complex curvature and shape generally takes longer to tint than a standard auto window. For example, a Volkswagen Beetle has an outward curve, making it more challenging and time-consuming to tint. Window tint laws can also add to the complexity of a tinting job. For example, a front windshield in Kentucky may only have tinting above the horizontal AS1 line.
Experience level: DIY tinting projects take significantly longer than professional ones. At Sun Tint, our professional team can foresee potential issues and take early steps to prevent them. We also use a proven installation process to save time while ensuring top results.
Tint Drying Time
How long does tint take to dry? Car window tinting involves the application of moisture, and the film needs time to completely dry and cure.
The tint drying time depends, in part, on the climate. Tinting takes up to six days to dry in hot and dry climates. However, Kentucky’s summers are hot and humid, and you may have to wait ten to twelve days for your new tinting to dry. In winter, the drying period lasts up to five weeks.
At Sun Tint, we offer ceramic coatings, which take longer to dry than our dyed, metalized, or carbon tints. After installing a ceramic tint, you can expect to wait up to ten weeks for the coating to dry. However, this drying period is worth the wait because these tints are highly effective in preventing interior heat.
You should wait at least 72 hours after the tint application before rolling down your windows or better even to wait 7 full days. If you roll your windows down too early, the tint may loosen.
Free Consultation and Estimates
We’ve reached the end of our post on how long tinting a car takes. Hopefully, this information gives you some insight into the timeframes you can expect when taking on a tinting project.
At Sun Tint, we offer custom car tinting solutions throughout Kentucky and Indiana. Our team will help you select your car’s ideal tinting style, material, and opacity level. Take advantage of our “Factory Fit Window Tint” installation method to ensure showroom-quality results and maximum protection against UV rays and heat.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and receive a free, no-obligation estimate.