• Severe obstruction of visibility creating a serious safety hazard. Especially during night driving.
• Tinted films on windshields are illegal in most states.
• Dyed films absorb heat rather than reflect it. This type of technology creates excessive and unnecessary heat stress on the glass resulting in poor heat rejecting performance and possible cracked glass.
• Reduced life expectancy of the films due to unstable molecular structures in the dye combined with extreme sun and U.V. exposure due to angle of the glass in relationship to the sun.

 
Due to recent technological advanced in window films pioneered primarily by 3M, These disadvantages all have been overcome. 3M has developed a new, completely clear and dye free, film called Crystalline that blocks 97.5% of Infrared light which is responsible for a large majority of heat transmission. It is a 90% Variable Light Transmission (VLT) film that has a 33% heat rejection. This is equivalent or even superior to the heat reduction properties of most films in the darker category.

 
Crystalline now comes in 40%, 50%, 60%, 70% and 90% VLT, giving you anywhere from 33% to 66% heat rejection. The darkest of all dyed films ( limo tint ) will only produce up to 53% heat reduction.

 
You can tint your windshield legally in Florida and some other states if you get a medical exception from your doctor then take it to the clerk of courts or DMV for the medical exception.
Without that medical exception D.O.T says that anything on the front windshield is illegal even if it is completely clear and does not obstruct your view. Now if they cant see it and they don’t know its there can you get away with it? We tint a lot of windshields with clear film and have never heard of any of our customers getting a ticket.

• Completely clear and will not obstruct vision day or night.
• Clear films are visually undetectable.
• Significant glare reduction and improved visibility.
• Reflects heat rather than absorbing it.
• Does not create unnecessary heat loads on glass.
• Significant increase in life expectancy backed by a lifetime warranty.
• Will not fade or change colors as with dyed films.
• Protects interior from fading caused by U.V. light and heat.

For more information please visit our automotive page.

http://www.firstcoastglasscoatings.com/automotive.html

Or you can contact us.
904-251-4242

tintexperts@firstcoastglasscoatings.com

Not all films are created equal, many films will last for less than two years and some will last for less than 1 year.
Then your replacing the film and having to pay to have the old film removed and the new film installed. Your cheaper films use less expensive materials in the construction which results in purple or bubbled windows or both. Did you know that most manufactures don’t even make their own film? Your cheaper films usually don’t have the heat rejection properties that the better ones do either, so you could be cheating yourself.
 

All window tint will fail eventually, but your better ones will last a very long time; sometimes longer than 10 years in the best films.
These films usually come with a lifetime warranty and cost a little more than their cheaper versions but just because it has a lifetime warranty doesn’t mean it is a good film. You have to make sure what the lifetime warranty covers, and is it a reputable company. We have seen some cheap lifetime warranty films turn purple or clear in 6 months and the warranty did not cover it.
 

But what type of film should you buy really depends on what your trying to accomplish. Metal Films will usually outlast dyed films and offer a higher heat rejection; ceramic and carbon films will outlast metal films and usually have even higher heat rejection and will not interfere with cell reception and onboard electronics that use radio frequency’s like metal films can. But how do you know what brand to buy?
 

Since just about every shop out there claims to have the best film you need to do a little homework. Sometimes this just means calling a reputable shop and asking about the differences between brands or doing a little online research. Most reputable shops will offer more than one film because they carry a high end film for those that want quality and also carry a cheaper low end film for those who don’t want to spend the extra money.
 

We do believe 3M film to be the best product you can buy. You can read about the advantages of 3M film here and I’m sure you can find more online if you search.

Dark tint

Most states have pretty strict laws when it comes to window tinting on your vehicle. Florida has pretty lenient laws compared to other states but are these strict laws really a safety issue for officers? Maybe!

This discussion is not to say yes or no to that question, only to think about both the pros and cons.

Most people roll the windows down when they are pulled over by the police when they have dark or illegal window tint. So when the officer is walking up to the car there is no tint in the doors to prevent vision in or out of the vehicle. Usually this is done in an attempt to try to prevent from getting a ticket. If they don’t roll the windows down this is going to make anyone walking up to the vehicle more cautious.

A car without tint the police might walk up to the vehicle without caution, and you can’t see what is below the door. I’m sure it would make the police very nervous to approach a vehicle that he can not see in, but that could save his/her life.

On the other hand it could be safer for the people they are trying to protect in the first place. Aside from the obvious fact that it saves you money by protecting your interior and possibly lowering fuel costs and making the vehicle much cooler; it also makes it safer for anyone traveling alone. Why you ask; think about it! It’s a lot less likely for someone to try something if he can’t see in the car. There could be a 300 pound 6’5″ guy in the car or worse. Lets face it criminals are a lot less likely to try anything if they don’t know who, or what is in the car.

This can also save you from a smash and grab. If you don’t know it’s there, you probably would not be trying to get it. Did you or anyone you know ever leave anything in your car only to have it stolen? If the person responsible did not know it was there do you think they would have stolen it?

If you are going for heat rejection; it used to be the darker the tint the better the heat rejection, but that is no longer the case. With new technology and specialty films you can obtain as high or higher heat rejection with an almost clear film than you can with darker illegal window films. Check out the heat rejection chart in the automotive section of our site.

What is your opinion?