How to Apply Residential Window Tint

Tinting your home windows can help reduce your heating and cooling bills.

Window tint, while often thought of in regard to cars and trucks, is a very useful addition to any residence. You can apply window tint to any window in your home for added privacy and to prevent glaring sunlight from entering the room. Window tint comes in a roll of film and can easily be cut to fit any shape or size of window. Applying the film is simple and requires only a bit of patience to get a professional-looking tint.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp scissors
• Baby soap
• Distilled water
• Spray bottles
• Lint-free cloth
• Window tint film
• Squeegee
• Utility knife

Instructions

1. Cut the tint film to the shape of your window with sharp scissors.

2. Mix ¼ tsp. baby soap with 1 qt. distilled water in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle to thoroughly combine the water and soap.

3. Spray the interior side of the window with the solution, and wipe the window with a lint-free cloth.

4. Spray the window with plain distilled water until it is completely wet.

5. Peel the tinted film off the liner. The liner is the clear layer that the tinted film is attached to.

6. Wet the sticky side of the tinted film, using the distilled water in your spray bottle. The sticky side is the side that faced the liner.

7. Place the wet film onto the wet window, sliding the film along the water until it is set in the correct place.

8. Run the squeegee blade horizontally along the film until all the water and air is removed. Start in the middle of the window, and drag the blade to left. Repeat from the middle, dragging to the right.

9. Trim excess film away from the edges of your window with a sharp utility knife.

Tips & Warnings

• Start with a small window when tinting for the first time, so if you make a mistake you won't have wasted much tint film.

• Make sure you are happy with the position of the tint before scraping the water out, because you won't be able to move it once it dries in place.

References

• Snap Tint: Home Window Tint Install Video