Window tint removal

[Sam]

The aftermarket tint on my 9 years old car is getting wavy, no bubble yet. This is on the rear windshield. The view is getting annoyingly distorted.

Have you removed window tint before? What method did you use? I want to make sure it will done right the first time. No residue, no damage to the defogger.

Is this something that can be done by an amateur, or does it requires real skill and experience? I'm in Houston, is there a reputable place that specializes in this removal service?

 

[Nords]

Have you removed window tint before? What method did you use? I want to make sure it will done right the first time. No residue, no damage to the defogger.
Is this something that can be done by an amateur, or does it requires real skill and experience? I'm in Houston, is there a reputable place that specializes in this removal service?

Our Altima had this problem when we bought it and we lived with it for a couple years, assuming the repair would be expensive yet crappy. Then one day we were waiting to pick up our kid at a shopping center and we happened to browse an auto-tinting franchise. It turned out that removing/replacing was only about $75/window, and it's completely fixed. We felt pretty stupid for not researching it.

Then we had our eastern bedroom windows tinted. It took the guy nearly 30 minutes per window to clean, mount, trim, smooth, trim some more, and clean up. He was far more knowledgable on materials & tools than you'd expect to get from learning about it yourself. He also had access to a wide range of tinting films & special cutting tools that you just won't find at Home Depot.

I'd pay real money for real quality. It can be done on your own but the niggling level of detail (plus the lack of access to quality materials & specialized tools) would drive you nuts.

That reminds me of a funny story when my FIL decided to tint the windows in his house but wanted to save money by doing it himself... eh, never mind.

 

[bow-tie]

A razorblade would do the trick, no?

 

[My Dream]

If it was on any other window other than the rear, I would say that soap and a sharp new razor would do the trick. What you have to be very careful of is if your rear window has defrost, in other words the very thin lines that go across the rear window. If that the case, the razor will most likely destroy the defrost lines. Depending on how secure the tint is, just by peeling it off may remove the defrost line.

 

[Ibid]

I once just peeled off window tinting using a razor blade, soapy water in a spray bottle, and some patience. Not sure I'd want to try it on a window with a defroster though. I'm pretty frugal/cheap, but have learned that sometimes it pays to call and talk to the experts at it. Finding an expert is another problem all together.

 

[OAG]

Hair Dryer (start at low heat) and plastic scraper (so as to limit any damage to defroster wires AND some radio antenna). Go slow and it should, more or less, just come off pretty easy.

 

[Sarah in SC]

If it was on any other window other than the rear, I would say that soup and a sharp new razor would do the trick.

What soup do you recommend? I like Chicken Noodle!

To the OP: What Nords said: Go with a professional. You won't regret it.

Sarah

 

[Sam]

Thank you all for the inputs.

I think I'll follow Nords' advise for the rear windshield with the defroster. I might try my luck on the side windows myself, after watching the professional performing the operation on the rear windshield.

 

[mickeyd]

Would WD40 work? I used it in our shower to help me remove 20 year old applicas (sic?) from the floor and it worked great. What the heck spray it on the corner of the window and give it a tug!!

 

[My Dream]

What soup do you recommend? I like Chicken Noodle!

To the OP: What Nords said: Go with a professional. You won't regret it.

Sarah

Thanks Sarah.