Window tints offer many benefits, like reducing glare, protecting against UV rays, and improving the appeal of your vehicle. However, they have many types and choosing the right tints for your pickup truck may be overwhelming. So, this is a guide to auto window tinting to help you make an informed decision.
Why Install Auto Window Tints For Trucks?
UV Protection
Exposure to UV rays of the sun can lead to skin issues and even skin cancer. Tinted windows block UV rays and keep you and everyone in the cabin safe.
Upholstery Protection
The biggest benefit of tints blocking UV rays is your health, but this also protects your truck’s interior upholstery, especially leather upholstery. Sun’s rays can cause the upholstery to fade and crack more quickly. So, with tints, the upholstery, dashboard, and trims stay in shape for longer.
Heat Reduction
Window tints block heat-producing infrared radiation. So, less heat enters your truck, which means the cabin, including the seats and the steering wheel, won’t be hot when you come back after parking it under the sun. This also makes driving during the daytime in summer much more comfortable.
Increased Air Conditioning Efficiency
As auto glass tints block heat from entering the truck, the air conditioning works more smoothly and easily. This can slightly improve fuel economy and also reduce AC repair costs.
Shatter Protection
Window tints are applied to the windows as a film, so they offer a potentially lifesaving benefit. Shatter protection. When regular windows break, they shatter into many small pieces that can cause injuries. However, if tinted windows break, all or most of the broken pieces will stay bound together because of the film and prevent injuries.
Glare Reduction
Another potentially lifesaving benefit of tint films is glare reduction. Glare from the sun during the daytime and from the streetlights and headlights during night driving are a cause of many accidents in the USA and all over the world. High-quality window tints for trucks, like ceramic and carbon tints, are excellent for glare reduction so you can see the road clearly and avoid accidents.
Although tint percentage matters in glare reduction, you can use ceramic tints to reduce glare without getting too dark tints.
Improved Privacy And Security
There are different percentages of tint darkness you can choose and if the tints are dark enough while still within the legal limit, they can improve your privacy because people from the outside won’t clearly see through the windows.
This can improve the security as well. Many times, burglars break into vehicles when they see anything valuable in the car. Tints will keep your valuables hard to see, so this may reduce the likelihood of auto burglary.
Improved Aesthetics
One of the things to expect from tinted windows is the improved appearance. The color and shade of window tints can improve the aesthetics of your truck. It may look more sleek, sharp, and impressive.
Types Of Window Tints For Trucks
When buying window tints for your pickup trucks, you can choose from these types:
Dyed Window Tints
These are tint films made of polyester with a layer of dyed film. They are the cheapest types of tints and offer privacy, security, and fair glare reduction. However, they provide minimal heat reduction and UV protection. They also wear quickly too.
Metalized Window Tints
These tint films are made of metal particles that reflect heat effectively and also protect against UV rays. Because of the metal particles, these tints are also scratch-resistant, more durable than dyed tint films, and offer a shiny appearance.
However, a big downside of metalized window tints is that the metal particles in them interfere with cellular, Wi-Fi, and GPS signals. The metal layer can’t differentiate between infrared radiation (heat), UV rays, and electronic signals, so it reflects all of them.
Hybrid Window Tints
Due to the drawbacks of metalized window tints, hybrid tints were introduced. They are a combination of dyed and metalized tints. So, they have good heat reduction and UV protection properties, but with lower radio interference than metalized tints and better durability than dyed tints. As they are hybrid, they don’t have the shiny appearance of metalized tints.
Carbon Window Tints
They are made of carbon fiber particles that are very long-lasting and enable the tint films to offer better heat rejection and UV protection than metalized or hybrid tints. They are also priced higher than them but they also have a longer lifespan than them. Carbon window tints have a non-reflective matte finish.
Ceramic Window Tints
They have non-conductive ceramic particles that block 99% of UV rays and are considered the best for insulation among all tint types. Ceramic tints are also excellent for glare reduction without you needing to choose very dark tints. They are the most durable of all tint types too, but cost the most as well.
Crystalline Window Tints
They are special ceramic films that are almost clear and still provide excellent UV protection and heat rejection. They are made for people who want the benefits of ceramic tints without getting any shade. So, they can have these clear films installed. They look much like paint protection films Springfield.
How To Choose Window Tints For Your Truck?
Know The Laws
You should know the legal tint percentage for all the truck windows – front side, back side, windshield, and rear windows. You will see VLT percentage everywhere, which means how much light can pass through the tints. For example, 40% VLT percentage means 40% of light can pass through the tint film.
Only after understanding the local laws, move on to the next step. And remember that tinting laws change as you go from one state to another.
Determine The Purpose
To choose a tint film for your truck, determine why you need it. Is it for UV protection and heat rejection, or is it only for aesthetics and privacy? For the former, you can choose hybrid, carbon, or ceramic tints, while for the latter, you can pick affordable dyed tints.
Avoid Metalized Tints
Metalized tints have become uncommon now because they interfere with wireless signals. None of the other tint types has this drawback.
Decide On The VLT Percentage
Your choice of VLT percentage depends on the law and after that, your preferences. For example, if your state or county allows 70% VLT percentage for windshields, you can have any shade from 70% to 100%. The choice depends on your preferences and lifestyle. For example, if you drive during daytime most of the time, then go for 70% VLT, but if you drive at night more often, then something less dark will be better.
However, the choice depends on the type of tint you want as well. Dyed tints reduce glare when dark enough, but ceramic tints can offer glare reduction without having to be dark.
Avoid Tints With No Warranties
High-quality tints always come with warranties, so if you notice a shop offering low-cost tints with no warranty, that’s a red flag. Avoid them.
Conclusion
Window tints are popular among truck owners and now you know the benefits, types, and how to select tint films. Poor installation leads to tints peeling and bubbling even when the tint film is high-quality, so choose a reputable auto tint shop Springfield for installation.
