Window tinting in Campsie

Tint darkness is measured as VLT, or Visible Light Transmission. A lower number means a darker film, so a 20% film is darker than a 35% one. It is the number worth comparing when you are weighing up shades.

Think of it as two decisions rather than one. The two front windows are one choice and the rear glass is another. Most cars end up with a lighter front and a darker back, and it is the combination that makes the car look right.

Privacy glass is tinted in the glass itself, and any film goes on top of it. So a 35% film on a factory-tinted rear window ends up considerably darker than 35% on clear glass. We work that out on your car before recommending a pairing, so the front and rear look like they belong together.

The simplest way to choose is to see it. Bring the car in from Campsie or have us come to you, and we will put sample film against each window so the decision is made on your glass, in daylight, before a single panel is cut.

This is the single most common misunderstanding about tint. People go dark and still cook in summer, because they bought the wrong film rather than the wrong shade.

Cheap dyed film gets its darkness from pigment, so the only way to reject more heat is to go darker, and darker is not always the look you want at the front. That is the trap.

Ceramic film rejects infrared through its particle structure instead, so performance is not tied to how dark the glass looks. You can run a light film at the front and still get serious heat rejection.

Dyed is the entry level. Privacy and glare reduction, limited heat rejection, and it is the film that turns purple and bubbles after a few years of sun. It is cheap for a reason.

Carbon gives good heat rejection, a stable matte black that does not fade, and no interference with phone, GPS or keyless entry. The sensible mid-tier choice for most cars.

Ceramic is the premium option. Very high infrared rejection without needing to be dark, and completely signal-transparent. If you park outside, sit in traffic, or carry kids or pets, it is the upgrade that justifies itself fastest.

Purple, bubbled or peeling tint is a job in itself before any new film goes on. Old adhesive has to come off completely, and on a rear windscreen that means working around the demister lines without lifting them.

It is slow work and it is worth knowing it is a separate cost from the tinting itself. A quote that seems low for a car with failed film on it has probably not accounted for the removal.

Tinting pairs naturally with a detail or a new car preparation, because the car is already with us and the glass is already being cleaned properly.

It also pairs with dash cam installation, since both involve working around the top of the windscreen and the A-pillars. Booking them together saves a second visit and usually a second trip across the LGA.