How Long Does Window Tinting Take

A complete tint work of a car usually takes 2-4 hours, depending on the required quality. On the other hand, the set of front doors only takes 35 to 40 minutes. In this article, we detail this time requirement while covering some other relevant aspects.

What Factors Influence the Duration of Window Tinting?

There are several factors that affect the duration of the tint job of the window. In this section, we discuss those one by one.

Window Condition

The condition of vehicle windows has a greater impact on the required time for tinting. If the car window is not in good condition, consisting of scratches and patches, and there are tapes to cover small cracks, the tinting work will definitely take more time. Consider the scenario where window frames are warped or deteriorated; in this case, the workers won’t be able to work appropriately at their standard speed. Here, they have two ways: one is to take out the warping and stick new warping that is already tinted. The second is that the workers have to tint the old wrapping paper carefully. The whole task consumes comparatively more time than tinting a fresh window.

The Size of the Vehicle

If the tinting needs to be done on a small four-seat car, the time requirement is much less. On the other hand, if the vehicle is a big microbus or SUV, in general, the number of windows of these types of vehicles is more and sizes are larger. Here, it is very logical that the microbus or SUV’s tinting job will take more time.

Technician’s Skill Level and Experience

Tining work requires human and machine input in an appropriate composition. The technician must have good workability with the respective tools to finish the perfectly on time. However, in general, every technician works with the same set of tools on a daily basis, so a bond is created which makes the work faster.

Also, if the worker is experienced, then he or she can finish the job faster. Whereas tinting work by a new worker will take longer time. Logically, a technician with 2+ years of experience will work faster than a technician with just 6 months of experience.

Making Dirt-Free

Proper surface preparation is critical and essential as well. Cleaning, inspecting, and ensuring that the windows are free of debris or imperfections add time to the process. The removal of small dirt particles is essential to ensure the quality of tinting. Hence, it also adds time to the overall work completion.

Material Type

The type and quality of the tint material selected can affect installation time. In the shop, a wide variety of materials are available and have different prices, quality, durability, etc. So, selecting the right material while considering the budget takes time. Additionally, if any customer chooses to use very high-quality, premium tints, the work requires more time for precise installation compared to standard tints.

Incorporating Legal Regulations

Florida has strict rules and legal regulations in terms of tinting windows. Following this, the workers must ensure that their work meets local laws and regulations regarding window tint darkness and reflectivity. And ensuring this requires testing with VLT; if there is any inappropriateness, redoing of the work is needed. This also increases the tint installation time significantly. 

Computer Cut Vs Human Cut Tints

Computerized vs non computerized or manual cutting is another factor considered. shops that use computer cut tints tend to be faster compared to manual cutting shops. as computers make the work faster and eliminates the overall lead time.

Time Estimate for DIY Window Tinting

As per our expert observation, here we provide a time estimation for a DIY window tinting job. However, we also provide a time estimation of professional work to have a better comparison.

Step 01: Cleaning the frame, removing dirt from the glass, etc., takes 2-3 hours if done manually. But, with our machine work, it’s just a 20 min job.

Step 02: Manually measuring and cutting the tint for an exact fit is very tough. It requires keeping some extra inches while significantly considering the shape requirement. Our practical experience demonstrated that cutting work with a few inches of extras takes 3.5 hours. Here, the exclusion of extra inches of tint has to be done later after doing the adhesive work. On the other hand, our computerized system just comes up with the perfect size and shape of tint within minutes that fits perfectly. And in this case, not a single millimeter is extra remains.

Step 03: The DIY tint work now requires sticking the tint and removing the air bubbles. Sticking work with a blower takes 1 hour, but it is confirmed that there will be air bubbles left. In our case, there were plenty of air bubbles, and we spent like 3 hours getting rid of those manually. No result. In comparison, our professionals with their tools finish within half an hour without a single air bubble.

Step 04: In DIY, just forget about finishing, as the whole work is already so messy that there is no point in going to finishing work. Here, professionals do the finishing within 15 minutes.  

Summation? DIY can be a job for those who just want to spend their free time without wanting any goals or any sort of outcome. Window tinting is a professional’s job if anyone is looking for perfection.

How Long Does It Take for a Window Tint to Fully Cure?

In the winter season, when you apply tint, the curing phase gets longer. Depending on the temperature, it might take a few weeks to cure fully. And in the summer season, tinting curing takes two to four days in general. However, by applying a warm air blower, you can reduce the curing time of the tint job significantly.

How to Get Faster Service in Window Tinting? 

To get a faster service in window tinting, follow the below steps.

  • Make an appointment with an expert tint worker as early as possible.
  • After getting the schedule, take as much preparation as possible from your end, like making ready the space, storing all the small tools, etc.
  • After the arrival of the professional, be straight and express your requirements clearly and boldly. Don’t leave any room for confusion.
  • Inform the professional local regulations in advance to avoid any issues and allow the use of pre-cut tint kits.
  • Be flexible and cooperative with the professional.
  • Help the guy if needed.

Drying Time for Ceramic Tint

It is well known that ceramic window tints take more time to dry. The greater time requirement is mainly for their heavy coating. However, the associated heavy coating is crucial to effectively restricting heat’s entrance from outside the vehicle. However, the drying of ceramic tint work takes 4 to 10 weeks. Still, it should be mentioned that while ceramic tints are highly efficient, it’s worth noting that they come at a premium price.

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