All good points!

-AC

further update?
 

Nice thread. Thanks! Any further update? What cause the "milky" look? Did it get worse? Was it a defect or can this deterioration be expected as part of the normal aging of the product?

@rhizomatic:

No "milky" effect happened to any of my filmed windows since Feb 2011. Still looks just as good as day 1.

Q.

Awesome. Thanks. was going to buy some and experiment. This makes-up my mind.

I put the film on the upper window and also the lower window. The upper window is hit by full sun, the lower is partially shaded. In my situation, it is the lower film that is getting milky... not so much that I can't see out, but enough to look milky. An yes, it does seem to be getting more milky. I've probably had them on for 5 years or so.

Good luck with your experiment, I had a very difficult time getting wrinkle free adhesion working alone.

-AC

I had also applied it but it did not gives that good result that is expected.then i tried another technique known as nansulate insulation coating techniques.this technique based on nanotechnology.its a insulation that prevent the outer heat to transfer to inner side and keep the inside cool.

You haven't been cleaning that lower window pane with any window cleaners containing ammonia, have you? Ammonia is commonly used to remove window tinting films in the automotive world. I've always wondered why some car tinting jobs turn to a bubbly mess while others stay perfectly fine for 10+ years. I suspect it has to do with owners not realizing ammonia based window cleaners break down the adhesive. :rolleyes:

*update*

It's been 3+yrs since my first application of Gila film on my various sun-facing window (panes), and they have been holding up very, very well so far.

Other than the master bathroom (1 of them corners slightly peeled off, around 1/4 " corner) due to rather frequent moisture exposure, which at this stage I wouldn't bother with them until summer comes and I'll get an exacto knife and trim it off carefully, all others are doing extremely well. No milky results, no film turning yellow, nada.

Good luck on those who are pursuing this direction.

BTW: I too, used ammonia-based cleaner to perform the initial grime/grease stripping. My difference is that during application, I made the glass pane surface very, very wet with water spray mixed with baby shampoo before applying the film, and then with a hard plastic card and some mechanic's blue paper towel: I scrape the inside of the film to rid of the trapped bubbles, until the film is fairly clear of big bubbles. All smaller bubbles, as the film dry and the moisture trapped within the film and the glass pane, will eventually go away and smooth out the film.

Q.

During the time I was running a "pimp my ride" shop, I became very good at removing, repairing, and installing window tint. Here are a few tips and tricks:

The cheaper films in most every brand are only good for used car dealers and house flippers. They're basically just dyed cigarette cellophane. Only good for two to three years before they're visibly faded or wrinkled. Very transparent to heat. Not very good for crash test dummies or stopping burglars, either. All those cars with the pink and purple tint most likely got the cheap stuff. Go buy a big pack of single-edge razor blades and a little yellow carrier for them, as well as a few snap-blade knives or exacto knives. Bondo applicator set assortment pack will work ok, but the real cards work even better.

The metallic and low-e lines of tint are the best heat reflectors for the money. They go on much easier as well. When cared for normally (no comet cleanser or windex, bleach, ammonia, oven cleaner, scrubbing bubbles, lime-away, etc.), they will last a decade or two before showing their age. On windows sheltered from daily sunburn, they can last much longer. Just clean with dish soap or baby shampoo and water.

Before you try your hand at a large project, practice on something small. No matter what brand or quality level product you buy, this stuff is flimsy like wrapping paper and charges with static when you separate it from its backing. It creases and tears if you look at it wrong. Tape your edges every foot or so. On many occasions, i tore the edges of the tint merely by separating it from its backing. Practice cutting corners and curves on something that is worthless first.

Make sure you have an acceptable environment to install the film. This means two things:
1. spotlessly clean the area within a few feet of where you are applying it. anything oily, greasy, grassy, rusty, dusty, hairy, or dirty will find its way onto your job.
2. NO WIND! any drafts or wind gusts that happen while you are trying to trim or apply the tint will be deadly. Even if you don't crease the film, something hairy or dusty will appear shortly afterwards.

On many occasions, I had to clean the windows three or four times to get them spotless when prepping for a job. First wash, use simple green or purple power. Second wash, use denatured alcohol, acetone or xylene. Third wash, use bottled or distilled water with soap from a new pump spray bottle. Between washes, use only new squeegees and microfiber cloths to scrub or dry the glass. Respray immediately before applying tint. Newspaper, paper towels, terry cloth, etc all have lint and fibers in them. Some of my guys used super shammys or shamwows to scrub with.

Application is very similar to putting up wallpaper, except you can see through the film (spotlessly clean factor). Just like wallpaper, you will have to trim some of it after it is up, no matter how hard you try to mock it beforehand, Best bet is to closely pre-trim a tight corner or the hardest spot to get to, and follow a single edge from there. Cut everything else out roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch too large. Roll the tint up on a dowel or broomstick like a poster, tint facing out, so that your cut edge goes on last.

Scotch blue is my tape. 3m green or gold also works wonders. In a pinch, frog tape or post-its will do the job. DO NOT USE duct tape or black electrical tape or regular masking tape, they stick too hard!

For large, square or rectangular windows, just leave the tint on the roll it came packaged with. Cut the tint on the roll, 1/2 to 1 inch longer than your window is wide. The less you have to handle the stuff, the better. Wet, squeegee, rewet the window. Tape the tint at end of the roll after roughly lining up the edge against the glass. Separate the leading edge slowly so it doesn't pucker or rip, pulling the backing away from the tape so it and the tint stick to the wet glass.

Once you have the leading edge separated from the backing, and the tint taped at the leading edge, make sure the glass is good and wet before you peel off any more backing. If you have a helper, have them hold the roll while you pull the backing and spray. if not, pull backing with one hand, spray with the other, and haul arse so you don't drop the roll. Don't worry too much about bubbles, just make sure the tint goes on wet glass without wrinkles.

When the backing is all off, you can make minor adjustments by sliding the tint and peeling and resticking tape. Again, be gentle and don't crease the tint. Once your leading edge is in position, you can anchor the tint by LIGHTLY running a squeegee or microfiber from the edge towards the middle in a few spots.

Before you cut your edges, lightly squeegee the large puddles and bubbles out along the uncut edges you are about to cut. You can use a little soapy water on top of the tint to help things slide better. The tint should be anchored enough that it doesn't easily slide around, but not so well that it is free of visual distortions.

When the edges are trimmed to size, they will naturally stick to the wet glass underneath. Don't try to sop up the glue water that comes out. Change blades often to avoid cutting jagged edges or making creases. Use a card or straightedge to make long, straight cuts if you need to. We used the dollar store stainless rulers with the cork backing when we had to. They sell french curves that work well also. Most importantly, DON"T SAW YOUR TINT! the urge is strongest in tight corners; resist it at all cost!

Once the film is cut to size, begin wiping bubbles and puddles from the middle out LIGHTLY. If you push too hard, the tint will anchor against the window, trapping what is in there. Repeat the process and let it sit for a few minutes. Come back and inspect the job, again wiping LIGHTLY the little bitty bubbles. Either go have a drink or peel the tape off carefully now.

Keep this in mind: no matter how good of a job you do, with window tint someone can find inconsistencies if they look hard enough. Unless the window tint is put on in a vacuum chamber clean room by a robot (like LCD panels), the job can never be perfectly flawless.

I did 3 windows with the gila platinum peel and stick temporary last spring. They were the only ones that claimed a low e ratting. Happy with the overall effect, less heat. I couldn't get the last couple of inches from the rolls to lay down perfectly. This was okay, these were bedroom windows behind roman shades. I don't think I could get this nice enough for the front picture windows to not bug me.