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My (new to me) 89 4WD has what I am told is aftermarket window tinting. Besides being aggravating not having a clear vision of the environment there are blemishes, smudges and what appears to be bubble like areas that in general make the windows look like crap. Anyone have experience removing tinting from windows? What is the simplest way? Thanks for any input.
Jim
Steam is the key. Professional tint guys use steamers made for this. There are several models and they cost around $100 - $200. If you don't have that kind of cash laying around a cheap fabric steamer will work almost as good. There are several inexpensive fabric steamers available at most department stores like Target, Sears, Walmart, etc. for about $25 - $30. Here's a decent one that will do the job just fine:
http://www.target.com/s/180-1648936-...1&searchPage=1
Just apply steam to the tint and it should peal right off (glue and all). Steam is hot and can cause some serious burns, so be careful not to steam your body parts :doh:. Have fun and be sure to report back with your results. Tim
Thanks for the info Tim. I have a couple of wallpaper steamers in my rental dept at work. That should do the trick. I'll have to give it a try. Thanks for the tip.
Jim
Be sure to take pics and report back on how it works. :thmbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by bluegrassvan
We did this project a while back. The steamer worked great. However, it was definitely time consuming. As novice tinters, it took us a total of 12 hrs. Whew. I won't do it again anytime soon.
BEFORE (I don't have great pics because we did this project right away due to the fact it was the middle of summer w/ NO a/c):
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...20Van/tv03.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...20Van/tv04.jpg
A nice closeup - this was exactly as it came to us! UGH - not pretty!
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...n/IMG_4846.jpg
AFTER:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../IMG_4857b.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../IMG_4856b.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4.../IMG_4853b.jpg
It's not perfect, but it works. :wnk:
Hey Jim! Did you end up taking your tint off? How did it go? Thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by bluegrassvan
Just removed mine, didnt take any before pics but you know the look, bubbles, smears, scratches...looks like a rolling meth lab. Just use a razor scraper and WINDEX, the razor blade scraper is @ 1.50 at the hardware store, pop in a clean blade, squirt on the windex and go to it. the windex is to lubricate the glass or you will scratch the glass. Its so nice to look out the van with a crisp clear view and not rolling around lookin like a mobile meth lab. WINDEX.....WINDEX
j-
My daughter and I scrapped off our 92 previa's tint which was peeling etc. It was easy peezy using razor scraper and spray. Got A clean fresh look. The original tint was peeling and bubbling. Texas heat took Its toll on it. It practically crumbled off. We got lucky...it was time .
We will eventually put a tint cling film on Bloodog. It's so easy to put on and no fussy with bubbles or scratches. We did a e350 passenger van 10 years ago and it worked very well. Still clinging today!
Razor blades work so good, they also clean the defrost element right off the back window. This is the reason steam is best, but if you don't have external defrost elements on your glass, then razor blades can work well........except for that occasional scratch. No matter how careful you are, it always seems to happen at least once. I'm not arguing the effectiveness of blades (they work well), just wanted to mention the potential for damage. Tim
At Walmart right next to the DIY window tint they sell window tint remover. It actually works well if that's the type of tint you have.
Peel the old tint off as much as you can, spray the stuff on, then scrape the adhesive off with a razor blade. A plastic scraper will probably work on the back window.
The fact that they sell remover right next to the tint probably tells you something about the success rate of people trying to apply tint themselves. I was not able to get mine to look right.
We didn't have any tint on rear window... We replaced it years ago after storm dropped a tree in it..never bothered to tint it. I never was fond of tinting over defrosters anyway.I guess Id'a had it rough removing it if it had!:?:
Yea the girl and I used the cling type window film. Easy and almost fool proof. No bubble problems and no scratches. Clinging on pretty good too. Even sealed over defroster on rear hatch window very easily. The cling didnt like the coating around edges of window from Toyota factory so I cut the film back a bit around the edges. Nevertheless it does the job well of reducing the toaster oven's green house effect. Gets the a/c cooling really fast. Keeps the van cooler for sure not to mention a great camping van too.
I used a floor scrapper which is an 8 inch razor blade with a sturdy handle (home improvement store). Change the blade every window and a half and it took about an hour. I used acetone to remove the adhesive and compressed air with the doors open for detailed clean up of the carpet.
I was deliberating for ages on how to remove my tints and worrying about spending days with thinners or acetone rubbing away at glue then something odd happened. I had decent tint on my windows, strong and not damaged. So basically I camped in the van one damp cold autumn (fall) night. woke up to tonnes of condensation on the windows, I gave it a wipe and where id had a little pick at it before it lifted. I literally peeled every window off in one clean sheet!!! glue and all it was insane. I can only assume the cold weather and very damp interior softened the glues grip. it being cold as well meant the glue must have stayed bonded to the tint and didn't melt with the heat from a steamer!
it may have been a fluke but I suspect not. if anyone lives in a colder climate and has damp mornings give it a whirl! I was amazed!!!
Having read all this, I was waiting for my sister to get back from a trip so I could borrow her garment steamer. THEN I REMEMBERED I HAVE A FREAKIN' STEAM IRON IN MY CLOSET. Duh!
Works like a charm. Get that steam going, and once the window is good and wet, work it with the iron part of the iron. Do this a few times until the entire window is good and hot. Pick your starting point and have at it.
Both easy and peasy.