Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

We do have many customers that ask us if we sell gift certificates. The answer is yes if the intended recipient lives in or can travel to our business area to have the work done. Our Gift Certificate are available in our two locations. 

STOP BY AND GET YOURS TODAY !

Any day is a nice day to have your windows tinted! Weather conditions during window tinting installations does not affect the final outcome of the installation (unless you're in a hurricane or tornado). We've Installed window film on days when it was 107°f as well as 8°f, rain, snow, or shine. The only thing we noticed is the curing time varies by a few hours. People find that rainy/cold days are sometimes better for window tinting because of less crowds (from weather misconceptions about installations) which means quicker turnout times for you.

Illusion has a lot to do with how dark the window film appears. For example you can take a white exterior vehicle with a black interior and put a 35% shade film on all glasses (which is a legal film in most states that will pass a light meter test) and it appears very dark from the illusion of the contrasting surrounding colors of the car almost appearing illegal. The opposite illusion occurs on black exterior vehicles with light colored interiors (such as light tan or white). These darker colored cars tend to have a more conservative look on the darkness appearance. Interior colors tend to have the most dramatic affect on how the window film darkness appears. This is not to say that the film works better on one or the other. It filters energy transmission equally on both scenarios.

Here at Shades & ShadowsTinting we usually deal in someof the most popular darknesses (the number represents the total amount of light transmission that will pass through the film) and they are as follows :

 35%  - Is one of our most popular and used film. This film type shade is the darkest that can be used on law restricted windows here in Texas and most other states. It gives a medium darkness appearance. If used on all windows, cars have that nice smooth classy medium tinted look.

 20% - Is waht we reffer to our "medium shade".  This shade can only be applied to the rear windows of your vehicle to comply with the Texas Laws for Window Tinting.  We usually recommned theis shade in the rear with a combination of 35% in the driver & passenger doors to provide your vehicle with a darker appearance and because the two shades blend in avoiding a "noticable' contrast in your windows.

5%  - Is our darkest film. This film darkness appears really dark and is what we use mostly when people request to use the darkest available film on unrestricted windows allowed by law. This is what is typically used on...

Usually we don't see many problems with defrosters and auto window film removals if good quality film had been used previously. The problems we do see is when someone's window film dies  (when it wears out " bubbles ") and it is left on the vehicle in a " dead state " through a couple of hot Texas summers. The film tends to become " sun baked ". In these conditions the window tinting becomes brittle and usually has to be scraped with a razor thus sometimes damaging defroster lines. Try to keep in mind that people usually have their window tint repaired when it first starts to look worn from the sun 's effects. These cars usually never have defroster problems associated with film removal. This is where the quality of the film comes into play. We feel  ( just like parachute purchases or any thing else ) that you might pay a little more up front for better quality, but the long run benefits out weigh the initial cost difference.

BUT IN ANY CASE WE DONOT GUARANTEE

 YOUR DEFROSTERS TO REMAIN!

"NO". A lot of people see cars driving down the road with just their rear window bubbled. This is not due to the rear defroster because if you think about it, it gets much hotter sitting in the sun in the summer than when you use it when the window gets fogged. In fact, window film helps defrosters work faster by distributing the mild heat across the glass a little quicker. The bubbled cars you see are usually cars that the window film is at the end of it's life span. Generally back windows are the first to wear out because they take more of a direct hit from the sun (angled more towards the sky) than the sides do. The sides tend to follow the back window wearing out by about 1 year (or so). All window films out there will eventually wear out (like tires, shocks, brakes, etc...) . You're better off by the film taking all the sun's abuse and wearing out than your upholstery (less money spent on repairs) This is where the quality comes into play. Better films last longer than cheaper films do.

All window tinting film has a life span. Your cheaper economy versions  usually will last you  1 to 2 years if you're lucky ( depending on who's putting the window tinting on and what the guarantee offers ). Your better window films will last you a lot longer. We usually recommend and specialize in two particular types of  window films (3M and Johnson) with different warranties for different needs. These auto window films do very well for us and are very predictable. Naturally everyone you talk to is going to tell you that their product is the best. What we'll tell you is that we have tried all sorts of films over the years and we like how the  3M and johnson window film holds up over time.

 Figure on a 2 to 3 day drying period after installation meaning that the window (s) can not be rolled down or worked during that time. The fresh window film appears a little blurry during the drying period which is not to be mistaken for problems. We usually tell people to give things a week. And after this time something still doesn't look right then please don't hesitate and let us know. Window films do take two weeks to fully cure (in most cases) to look like they are supposed to.

We only recommend using a damp towel (like the towel you have just dried your clean car with at the car wash) or a mild dish washing soap and water solution mixture (ratio we like is 1 small drop of liquid soap, or baby shampoo, to 1 quart of water (1 quart spray bottle)...

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