Back in the day, you could change your own oil, replace the spark plugs, change headlights and taillights, fix fuses, and rotate your own tires with relative ease.  With a little bit of know-how and interest, a car owner could essentially maintain his or her own vehicle without having to go to the shop very often.  

Today, however, the amount of electronics in your car will make maintenance of your vehicle daunting even to the most diligent of do-it-yourselfers.  That, coupled with the fact that car leasing has largely taken over the notion of car ownership (where the dealership would prefer, and makes it easy, to maintain the leased car for you) means that do-it-yourself (DIY) projects are harder and harder to come by when it comes to your beloved ride.  

Well, there still is one project that still lends itself to a DIY treatment if you are so inclined – window tinting.  Those who are handy, have the time, and have the patience may relish the idea of diving into a project that can result in a great new look for your car.  We at Calgary’s Tint Tech, the window tinting professionals, sell many DIY window tint kits.    

In fact, there are many different types of DIY kits that will allow you to apply window tint film to your vehicle, even if you are a first-timer.  So, you should feel comfortable in the knowledge that there certainly are DIY window tint kits for beginners.  

While you can tint your own car windows, the bigger question is whether you should do it, in lieu of having a professional auto tinting shop do it for you.  This article will discuss the pros and cons of using DIY tinting kits.

The Benefits of DIY

Plenty of options .  The really great thing about deciding to use a DIY kit to tint your car windows is the number of options available to you.  There are DIY kits made for people ranging from the absolute beginner to those with tons of experience. They also range in cost, from surprisingly inexpensive to rivaling the prices of the professional auto tinting shops.  Here is where you need to be careful, however. The adage “you get what you pay for,” holds particularly true here. Cheaper car tint kits can contain poor quality window film that may look ok when first installed, but may turn purple or bubble in a short period of time.  

Precut and Full-Sheet Kits .  Speaking of options, DIY window tinting kits come with window film that is either cut to fit your vehicle or comes in full sheets so you can fit the film on your windows yourself.  You may think that being able to cut the film to your car would be the better option, but in fact the precut kits are far more precise than kits in the past. With precuts for literally hundreds of models of cars, trucks, and SUVs, precut DIY kits make the tinting project much easier.  The precision-measured sheets will fit your vehicle right out of the box. Moreover, the materials are more user-friendly than kits in the past. You will be pleased with the amount of time saved by not having to cut a full sheet of film to fit your window while trying to avoid a mess or marring the trim around your window. 

Great on your wallet .  Of course, one of the best benefits of doing it yourself is saving samolians!  While you have to put in your own elbow grease, the advantage in not having to pay the expensive labor cost that many auto shops charge is huge.  So, never underestimate the benefit of saving money by doing the window tint installation yourself.

Pride in craftsmanship .  The other big plus to a DIY project is the very fact that you did it yourself.  Once you get the window tint placement just right, you get to stand back and marvel at your own work.  The kind of pride that comes with tackling a challenging project all by yourself is its own reward.  

The Drawbacks to DIY

Window tinting is not for the faint of heart .  Applying window film to a car’s windows can be tricky, requires lots of patience, and can be very difficult.  Though not impossible, applying window film evenly and without visible flaws on the window can be a real challenge.  Unlike a lot of repairs that could be made to today’s cars, applying window tint needs a lighter touch, and should be applied with some TLC. 

Dust-free environment .  Another issue to confront with doing it yourself is that you need to avoid a dusty environment when installing the window film.  If you want to have the window tint look its best, then you want to avoid getting unwanted dust particles between the window film and the window surface.  Having trouble finding a clean, low-dust workspace? Then DIY application may be more difficult.

Legality of window tint .  Each state or province has different rules with regard to the extent of tint (the VLT percentage) and which windows on your auto can and cannot be tinted.  If you are going for a DIY window tint package, you may be at a loss with regard to the type, and location, of window tint that is legal in your area. Working with a professional window tint establishment, like Tint Tech of Calgary, would allow you to learn from experts as to what is and what is not legal.  Accordingly, the determination of the legal parameters of tinting can be a drawback to getting a DIY kit.

Conclusion

This piece is meant to get you to start thinking about whether a DIY window tint kit is for you.  If you are ready for a challenge, have some time, and have some persistence, sprucing up the look of your ride with some window tint film will be a fulfilling project.  However, be sure to do a little research about the legality of window tinting to make sure that you are not forced to remove a window tint that you beautifully installed.

We at Tint Tech, the premier Calgary window tint specialists , not only provide window tinting services but also we sell DIY kits right from our office.  Don’t be afraid to come on into Tint Tech to ask questions of our tinting professionals, and get some guidance as you embark on your next DIY project.