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Professional window tinting tools are a must if you want to get a professional-grade installation. Plus, you’ll need a few items you have around the house. Window film installation is easy if you have the right tools to get the job done. Just what kind of tools do you need for a successful window film installation? Read on to discover – and know that all of these items are available in our Window Film Installation Tool Kit.
You may be wondering why you need a razor blade scraper to install window film. The answer is: to clean your windows! As with all home improvement projects – preparation is key and pros don’t just spray and wipe when it comes to prepping for a window film installation. They ensure ALL the dirt, grime, and any adhesive from tape or stickers is completely removed from the glass with a razor blade BEFORE any film hits your windows.
Why is this important? Because anything left on the window is going to get trapped under the film and will bother you every time you look at it. So don’t miss the important step of scraping your windows clean with a good razor blade scraper that has a new, clean blade! And carefully wipe the blade clean between passes so you don’t transfer gunk from one window to the next.
A good squeegee is the next most important tool in your arsenal.
While most DIY kits only give you a small hard card to smooth film, that’s not what the pros would use to install film. A good, firm – but not too stiff – squeegee is used in two phases of installation. It’s essential for cleaning your window after you’ve scraped it as well as for smoothing the window film onto the window during installation.
Window film is very durable for the most part, and ComforTech™, like all professional-grade film, has a hard coat to protect the film from damage. But, there is a chance you scratch the film if you use an old, dried-out squeegee from your garage or a hard card or credit card to smooth the film. Any imperfection in the squeegee or card can potentially scratch your film leaving unsightly marks.
We like a handled squeegee for good leverage on our 2 Mil thick film and that’s what we include in our installation kit.
You may be saying, I have a spray bottle, I don’t need a new one!
And while we agree that most households have a spray bottle hanging around, it most likely was filled with something else before. Using a bottle that may have traces of old product in it is not recommended when installing film. You mix up the mounting solution in the bottle and spray it directly onto the dry adhesive on ComforTech™ film to activate it. If there is some other solution left in the bottle, we can’t guarantee the adhesion of the film. You don’t need to use our bottle, but please make sure the bottle is new and unused.
We provide a bottle of our Slip-Tack mounting solution in our installation tool kit. Mounting solution is important because our film uses a dry adhesive that needs to be activated with water. A dry adhesive (as opposed to a pressure-sensitive adhesive most DIY films have) is superior because it makes the film easier to handle during the installation. The film won’t stick to itself or anything else. In addition, dust and other debris don’t stick to it as easily either.
You mix a few drops of our Slip-Tack mounting solution with 32 ounces of water in the spray bottle and you can use it to both wash your windows during prep AND install your film. The Slip-Tack is a gentle soap that will help to clean and also allow your film a bit of “slip” to move around the glass a bit so you can position the film easier. You don’t want the film to adhere immediately to the glass as you are working to get the piece of film in place and the slip-tack prevents this from happening.
For this item, there is a reasonable substitute you may have in your home: baby shampoo. Use it in the same ratio as the Slip-Tack for similar results.
A small utility knife is needed to trim the film to your window glass. We suggest a handheld pocket knife with breakaway blades. You can use one blade per window or even per sash to ensure your knife is sharp and creates a smooth cut.
Again, you may have a utility knife at home and this is fine to use as long as the blade is new. Your cuts will only be as good as your blade is sharp!
Another pro tool we provide in our Window Film Installation Tool Kit is a grease pencil – sometimes called a China Marker – to help with measurements.
Our window film kits all come precut to size depending on the window type you have (double or single hung, casement or gliding, and patio door). These sizes are large enough to accommodate 80% of the sash sizes in the United States for each window type. So, depending on your window size, you may have excess film that needs trimming before installation.
This is where the grease pencil comes in – you use it to gently, but visibly – mark your film
Paper towels are used to dry the windows thoroughly after cleaning and for drying the film at the end of installation. Most major paper towel brands are perfectly good choices. Stay away from $ store and bargain brands as they can be harsh and could potentially scratch the film.
Once you start your installation project, you’ll notice you are spraying a lot of installation solution. You’ll spray when cleaning and installing – multiple times. To protect your wood window frames and sills as well as your walls and floors, it’s a good idea to place some drop cloths or towels on the floor.
We also suggest opening your window, placing a towel under it, and then closing the sash on the towel letting it hand over the sill and down the wall for protection against spray.
You’ll need a sharp pair of scissors to cut your film to size if you need to trim any prior to installation.
Cellophane tape can be used to help remove the liner from the film if your film doesn’t come with tabs (all our kits come with tabs!). And you can use tape to secure the film to the window as you are measuring it for the rough cut and if you need to when removing the liner.
Installing window film yourself is an easy weekend job if you have the right professional window tinting tools. All of the pro tools listed above are available for sale on our website in our Window Film Installation Tool Kit. Visit our site for more window film installation instructions and videos. If you have any questions about their use – feel free to reach out to us: [email protected] or 888-206-1413 – and good luck with your project!
