Ceramic Window Tint versus Regular Window Tint

It’s hard to find a quality shop with multiple options that are willing to explain which tint is better for your car's needs. 

When you think of window tint, you most likely just think of shade on the windows of your car. Most people believe that the amount of shade that’s applied to your car equals the amount of heat rejection you’d get, but that is simply not true.

The Following Films are the most commonly used window tints in houston, and are based of the Different Tints offered here at Ada's Window Tint and Auto Glass.

What's the difference between ceramic film and regular film?

Everyone associates higher shade with cooler temperatures, and for the early part of the decade, that was true. 

Back then, In order to block out more heat using window film, you either needed to add more dye (Increase the Darkness) or add a slight layer of metallic film to reject the solar rays. The result was a very inexpensive film with very little heat rejection that would last anywhere from 1-3 years. 

That was then, but within the past 10 years, higher quality Ceramic window tints have hit the Houston market that allows for longer-lasting shade with greater heat rejection, regardless of the visible light transmittance. 

Any Tint is better than No Tint

Standard window tint does have its purpose.

Having any form of window tint on your car is better than not having any at all. There’s a full spectrum of films out there, and which is best for your car is entirely dependent on the length of time you plan to have the vehicle and your budget. 

I know what you’re probably thinking...

“Wait, you said there is a full spectrum of window tint. How many different kinds of window tint are there, and which is the right one for my car?”

In this guide, we’ll attempt to help you choose the right automotive window tint for your car in Houston!

What is Standard Window Tint?

It is a “Looks and Privacy” tint more than anything.

This is by far the most easily available film there is. It’s a simple polyester or Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) that is dyed to look a certain percentage with a thin layer of adhesive.

That’s it.

Its main advantage is that it is very low cost and can provide your ride with a new look without breaking the bank. The disadvantage, however, is that it can (and most likely) will fade over time.

The lower quality standard films usually turn a different color once the fading process begins, but the highest end standard film, such as SunTek's Standard Pro, will normally fade with a very slight, if any, color difference. 

Carbon Window Tint 

The more carbon particles that are added to the window film, the darker and lower the percentage of the visible light transmittance.

Remember how I mentioned that Standard films are DYED in order to provide shade?

Well, Carbon films are nothing like that.

Instead of getting its shade from being dyed a certain percentage, Carbon Films like Suntek's Carbon Series visible light transmittance is provided by the number of carbon particles within the Polyester or PET. They are built into the film, not added after the manufacturing process.

This film normally will last you anywhere from 4-5 years without any visible fading, and due to the added carbon particles, it provides reasonable Infrared rejection.

Carbon CXP Window Tint

Higher quality Carbon Tint with a higher level of solar Energy Rejection.

Up from the basic carbon-infused window tint, there is a class of films provided by SunTek called the Carbon CXP Films. The main difference between the CXP and Carbon is that CXP is made of higher grade materials that have a higher level of solar Energy Rejection. 

Ceramic Window Tint (CIR)

Ceramic Window Tint is the most high-quality type of tint available in Houston and is well known for its incredible heat rejection capabilities. 

It’s time to explain the star of the show, the one you came to learn all about!

According to www.sciencelearn.org, "A ceramic is an inorganic non-metallic solid made up of either metal or non-metal compounds that have been shaped and then hardened by heating to high temperatures. In general, they are hard, corrosion-resistant and brittle."

Now add that same insulating material to a high quality film with a long lasting clear adhesive and you have the Ceramic Tint Everyone knows and loves in Texas.

The mixture of ceramic nano-particles infused into the window tint make it have far more UV light and heat rejecting power when compared to any other different class of film out there in the window tint market.

It’s so good, that you don’t need much shade to reject up to 99 percent of UVB and UVA rays, including infrared light. Which is important, since the Skin Cancer Foundation highly recommends window tint to reduce skin cell death and help prevent Skin Cancer.

This means that even an 80% ceramic tint can and will outperform a 5% standard film ANY DAY!

It can withstand years upon years of direct sunlight, even without containing any metallic inner layer. Your phone signals will work just fine and never be interrupted by the Faraday Cage effect.

Typically, this ceramic tint can be expected to last a lifetime with a manufacturer's lifetime warranty that protects against any fading, bubbling, or peeling. 

Is Ceramic Tint the best? 

To put it simply, It has a superior blockage of all of the harmful and uncomfortable rays of the sun when compared to any dyed, carbon, or CXP film. 

Want to learn more about window tint in the Houston area? Give us a call!

We’re always happy to talk to our customers and help you decide which tint best suits your needs!

Visit our E Business page Auto Glass and Window Tinting in Houston