Up until the past 10 years or so, the majority of window tinting products were dyed or metallicized to provide all of the benefits window tinting offers for buildings, cars, and homes. Now, newer products have entered the market – and at notably higher price points. It’s important to learn about the pros and cons of each as you determine which window tint product makes the most sense for the application and your budget.
In this post, we’re exploring the difference between traditional or regular (dyed) window tint and ceramic window tint options.
Basic Differences Between Regular and Ceramic Window Tint
To start, let’s look at the basics of how these two different products are made. After that, we’ll go through the pros and cons of ceramic vs. regular window tint. As always, your best is to speak to licensed, experienced window tinting contractors who can provide an insider perspective on which one makes the most sense for your project in terms of your overall goals, the scope of the project, the level of durability and maintenance desired, as well as your project budget.
Regular Window Tint
Regular or standard window tinting (also called window film) products are used almost exclusively for sun protection as well as privacy. Thin laminate, or polyester sheets, are dyed to specific gradations, from lighter- to darker. Usually, these are made in browns, grays or into the black spectrum, but can also include some amount of color variation. While it does block the sun – sort of like sunglasses – these products are not known for efficiency overall as UV rays still enter the interior and elevate temperatures.
To protect the window film, the dyed sheets are covered with a scratch-resistant coating. While this can protect the film from regular wear and tear, it is easily compromised when hard or sharp objects scratch or gouge it, and will eventually wear thin – or through – over time. Advances in technology are improving this “weakness,” so there are some regular window tinting products that have lifetime warranties – although the warranty parameters are quite specific and narrow in scope.
The interesting thing about window tinting is that while it blocks the sun, reducing solar heat gain on the interior of the building, home, or your cars, tinting products increase the thermal stress on the glass products on which it’s applied. Therefore, you always want to make sure you use a product that is approved by the glass manufacturer. Otherwise, you risk voiding their warranty if tinting-related damage occurs to the glass or widows.
When it comes to cost, regular window tinting is your more affordable bet. However, remember that it isn’t as durable. There’s a chance you’ll have to re-tint again (and again) over the years if the product is scratched or torn, which could mean you save money at the outset but wind up spending more over the long-term.
Ceramic Window Tint
Ceramic window film products are slightly different. Ceramic window tinting is considered the top of the line in the window film options. It uses the same types of thin, sheets as regular window film, but these sheets are coated with ceramic particles as the result of emerging, nano-ceramic technology.
While invisible to the naked eye, they reflect the sun, so they reject UV and sun glare, as well as heat. Ceramic window film also comes in varying shades, so consumers benefit from whatever level of privacy and security desired. Because there is no metal involved (as with metallic window film, which is excellent at blocking UV rays and sun glare), ceramic window films do not interfere with cellular or gadget wi-fi or cell tower reception.
In laboratory studies, ceramic window tint outperforms all of the other window tinting products on the market in terms of:
- Visibility
- Sun glare reduction
- Heat absorption/reducing solar heat gain
- Infrared rejection
- UV ray rejection
- Structural stability
Its structural stability makes it far less susceptible to scratches, nicks, or tears. It is also good at preventing or mitigating window shattering, which is beneficial to commercial buildings, residential buildings, and automobiles or business fleets.
We Have The Answers
Interested in learning more about the differences between regular vs ceramic window tint? Or for professional assistance determining which one is best for your application? Contact us here at Daystar Window Tinting. 510-749-7505. Customer satisfaction is our top priority, which is why we’ve remained one of the Bay Area’s leading, locally-owned window tinting company. We will never try to push or upsell a product that exceeds your needs or project budget.
