Why Does My Window Tint Bubble?

Why Does My Window Tint Bubble?

We’ve all seen it, a car driving down the road with big nasty bubbles in the back window. Not only does it look bad, large bubbles in your tint can make it nearly impossible to see out of the glass, putting you at risk for an accident. So bubbling is bad, but why does it happen? There are a few main reasons you might be experiencing bubbling in your window tint which stem from: the quality of the film, improper installation, and age.

Bubbled Tint

Not All Tint Is Created Equally

Unfortunately, there are many installers out there using shoddy products that are not designed to last. These may look good at first and are often cheap to get installed. But between 1 to 3 years, more often than not you’re going to start seeing problems. A few signs that your window tint may not be high quality are changes in color(purple), fading, and the tint looking hazy or blurry.

Purple Tint

Due to changes in temperature, and the natural weathering your car’s glass will experience every day; low-grade window tint products typically don’t last long . Window tint is essentially plastic, so the hot sun baking your car’s glass every day takes a real toll on the film’s structure. This extreme heating and cooling cause cheap tint to fade and breaks down the adhesive, resulting in blurriness. Without a functioning adhesive the tint can no longer conform to the curved shape of the glass and begins to stretch, crack, and bubble; leaving you with a real mess of a back window.

Different Types Of Bubbles

There a few different types of bubbles you may see when inspecting a car’s window tint. Air bubbles, water bubbles, and trash bubbles. Large air bubbles are the ones I just mentioned, they are usually an inch or more in diameter and are caused by tint/adhesive failure. Small air bubbles (¼ inch or less) can be caused by an improper installation, but are pretty uncommon. Water bubbles are difficult to see and should only exist after the first few days/weeks of an installation, as water will evaporate. Trash bubbles are the most common to find in a low-quality install. They are extremely small and are caused by tiny pieces of dust/debris being caught between the tint and the glass. Any good window tinter knows how to properly clean your glass to avoid these annoying little trash bubbles. However it’s not uncommon to see a piece of dust here and there, even in the best window tinters work.

Auto Window Tinting

What To Do?

Before you pay to have your windows tinted by someone, be sure which product they are using. Do a little research about the installer and the product. High-quality window films, like Autobahn and Huper Optik’s products, are designed to last and will typically include a lifetime warranty against bubbling, peeling, cracking, fading and any other issues. This warranty ensures that even if your window tint does experience issues, it will be replaced for free.

If you already have tint and see it is starting to fade or bubble, have it removed as soon as possible. Low-grade window tint becomes much harder to remove the longer it is left on which can cost you more time and money.

Window Glue

Northridge Auto Spa Is The Best Raleigh Car Window Tinting Facility Around.

No one else in Raleigh provides professional window-tinting like we do.

We use Hüper Optik and Autobahn Performance films because they are the best in the business.

Professionally installed window tint can reduce heat in your car in the summer and retain heat in the winter, reduce glare coming into your car making it safer to drive, reduce the amount of damaging UV light in your car, and it makes your car look great!