Front Windsheild Tint

99322 said:

Not sure if I posted this in the right section (Int or Ext) but anyway.....

Has anyone tinted their front windshield? Not for a color change, just clear tint for UV protection? If so, any issues with polarized sunglasses.....distortion or otherwise? Also, is it effective in heat reduction?

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99322 said:

Not sure if I posted this in the right section (Int or Ext) but anyway.....



Has anyone tinted their front windshield? Not for a color change, just clear tint for UV protection? If so, any issues with polarized sunglasses.....distortion or otherwise? Also, is it effective in heat reduction?

Click to expand...

GizmoVance said:

I have NOT done it, but have examined this at my installer, who does a great job. That said, there is NO WAY you'll be able to wear polarized glasses without seeing banding or rainbows. I've looked though pretty much every tint and brand and they ALL caused banding unfortunately.

As for UV and heat, oddly enough yes, it does reduce the heat from UV. BUT...I don't know of a single windshield that isn't safety laminated; and that lamination also is a UV blocker. For that matter, all windows contain a UV blocker of some sort. So, why bother tinting ANY window?? Makes you wonder we get MORE heat reduction off of the darker films used on side windows? After all, "supposedly", the heat comes from UV, but obviously this isn't true...it also is transmitted through visible light as well as CONDUCTED heat. That's why these tints work; they reflect that radiated heat away from the glass, making it cooler. This is easily insider ed with the touch test.

So...THAT is a major problem since you'd have to have a reflective tint to repel that energy...and for the windshield...that is totally unacceptable in my opinion.




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Humvee21 said:

It's a little confusing. Side windows generally block UVB rays and do not block UVA rays. Windshields block both UVB and UVA rays. So if you tinted your side windows you would benefit from UV protection and same if you tinted your windshield, but the difference would be very little almost nothing. BUT the benefit to tinting your windshield then would be dependent upon which type of tint you choose: ceramic, carbon, or dye (or a combination of those types). Even more confusing is reading the TSER (total solar energy rejected) for each type of tint. Yes, TSER is a great way to compare the performance of each tint, but it does not give you the full picture. Some tints you want to REFLECT heat. Some you want to ABSORB heat. In most cases, the ideal tint for heat rejection would be high metallic content, but the downside for cars is that it would interfere with electronics and your windows would be shiny reflective similar to a mirror. For cars you want style ie shaded tint vs reflective, electronic compatibility, and performance. Ceramics are good for ABSORBING heat. And it's important to understand why absorbing heat is good and bad. Do a lot of research on which type of tint you want. A good starting point is comparing TSER values and then comparing shade coefficient/color. My 2 biggest points were heat rejection and clarity, so I chose a ceramic on my front windshield.

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