Qatar's intense heat, wide roadways and ample traffic mean that drivers spend a large portion of their day in their cars absorbing harmful UV rays and temperatures of up to 50 degrees. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, there is a direct link between more time spent driving an automobile and a higher incidence of left-sided skin cancers. Although all types of skin cancer increase with exposure to unprotected skin, particularly common among drivers is a form of melanoma that is caused by cumulative sun exposure rather than the more common form of melanoma that occurs from intense, intermittent sun exposure. Health-related consequences aside, the immense heat can also cause vehicle accessories and coatings to degrade, erode, or break down over time. The easiest way to avoid such premature damage while upgrading your vehicle's appearance is to install a protective window film or tint.
Car tints are made of Polyethelene Terepthalate (PET), a thermoplastic polymer resin that absorbs heat, provides thermal insulation, and filters out harmful ultraviolet rays. In Doha, where summer temperatures go close to 50 degree celsius, tinting your car is more a necessity than a luxury. Window tinting helps limit the amount of UVA and UVB rays that enter the car by up to 99%, and add a layer of privacy which many families prefer. While most car owners choose to tint their side windows, having a slight tint on your windshield is a great way to reduce dangerous glare while driving. Window tinting also protects your car upholstery from cracks, fading, and deteriorating by limiting the amount of UV rays your seats are exposed to. It offers the added security benefit of shatter-proofing you windows in case of an accident. The adhesive tint acts as a net, keeping glass shards and pieces carefully attached together. Tinting can also help you run your car more efficiently by reducing the inside temperature and keeping the main compartment cool and comfortable for longer, while adding a strong scratch resistant coating to your windows.
Choosing the right tint and tinting professional - like the experts at Moteri Auto Car Center, now known as
Abdullah Abdulghani C&I Automotive, or
Perfect Detail - goes a long way in ensuring that you're getting the full benefit of your investment. And it is an investment! Basic tinting starts from about QR 750 for four windows to QR 3500+ for more premium services. Quality tints are expensive, but the difference is palpable and lasts much longer. Most local companies use Carbon Nano as the basic package, and offer higher-end options like the Ceramic, Metallic or Chromic tint for customers looking for a better finish and more coverage. Ceramic tints, which are the most top-end options available are made of ceramic nano fibres and allow for optimum UV absorption and cooling.
While there are lower-quality tints available on the market, they offer lesser benefits and low heat rejection. Poor quality tints can also interfere with the automobile’s navigation, defrost, irrigation and radio systems, and tend to bubble or change colour in a matter of a few months or changes colour, reducing visibility and leaving the glass surface damaged
Top-of-the-line window tints also have UV protection that help make your car literally cool, so you can ease up on the energy-inefficient air conditioner. Some offer precision machine-cutting to ensure your tint is perfectly placed on your car windows.
Tints usually come in charcoal or neutral black, and in percentages ranging from 5%-70%. Please check with your preferred local tint shop about the legal tinting limit allowed on Qatar's roads.
How is tinting done?
Once the film is selected, the sheet is cut and heat-shrunk to fit into the contours of the window. The tinting mechanic cleans the car’s glass surface to make sure no dirt is trapped between the film and the glass surface as that can affect visibility. Masking tape is applied to the edges of the glass to seal the windows. The pre-cut, heat-shrunk film is placed on the windows from the inside. The professional mechanics use baby shampoo and water on the glass surface to dampen it. Any other chemical such as detergent or harsher shampoo can trap hazardous chemicals. The adhesive coating of the film is placed on this damp surface and pressure is applied. The process is repeated until the entire surface is covered.
The process takes less than an hour and your car is ready to go within two hours after the process. On damper or colder days, it might take a maximum of three days for the film to get completely dry, but your vehicle is still useable in the meantime.
What are the different types of window tints?
Dyed Window Tinting: Great for the budget car-owner, this relatively inexpensive option block sunlight using multiple layers of dye. The dye absorbs solar heat and prevents some of the heat from entering your vehicle. However, this type of film doesn’t provide the level of protection offered by other types of films. It adds some opacity to your windows and amps up privacy, but will fade over time and need to be replaced. They provide some level of heat reduction but it is not as high as other counterparts. Metalized Window Tinting: Similar to dyed films, metalized Auto Window Tinting also helps in filtering out heat by reflecting it, using tiny metallic particles to block sunlight. This type of film also adds to the window’s strength and increases its shatter resistance. This type of film can be recognized by its shine. It has higher scratch-resistance compared to dyed Auto Window Tinting. It's highly effective in blocking out heat, offers effective glare reduction and UV protection and lasts for longer time without fading. Hybrid Window Tinting: These types of Auto Window Tinting films have both metallic particles and dye. Hybrid films provide the positive effects of both while reducing their negatives. A commonly used combination is titanium and grey dye. This combination is neither too dark nor too reflective or mirror-like. Thus, the film is decently bright and not too reflective, providing some privacy while blocking a good percentage of heat and UV rays. Carbon Window Tint Film: This type of film has a unique matte-finish that makes it attractive. Its carbon content helps in blocking around 40% of the IR radiations responsible for heating the interiors. This not only helps keep the vehicle’s interiors cool, it also prevents or slows down upholstery fading. Carbon tints also help save energy by reducing the need for cooling during summer and don’t fade like dyed tinting. Crystalline Tinting: If you're looking for all the benefits of tints without the darkened shade, go for a crystalline window tint. These tints block ultraviolet radiations and solar heat without the need for a dark film. Ceramic Window Tinting: These tints contain ceramic particles known for their nonconductive properties. A relatively new type of tinting, it is expensive yet proven for its performance. It can block up to 50% of solar heat without blocking visibility. While metallic tinting offers similar benefits, it can affect the functioning of electronic equipments because it blocks signals. Ceramic tints also offer a strong resistance to fading and glare, increases shatter resistance, blocks up to 99% of UV rays from entering your vehicle’s interiors.