Can window tint be removed without damaging defrost?

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Can window tint be removed without damaging defrost?

By Civic_HatchSI
- Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:26 am #325679 Anybody have any tricks for removing really old and faded window tint without damaging the rear defrost? Thanks

By DirtyEye
- Wed Feb 06, 2013 12:29 pm #325683 Isn't the tint just on the surface and the defrost inside the glass?

By rustyrex
- Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:46 pm #325699 Take the glass off and use pb blaster. It stinks like hell but it eats the glue. Start at a corner and spray the pb under the film, wait a little and pull, spray, wait and pull. It's a slow process

By HeikDiesel
- Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:35 pm #325720 Never tried it but has anyone used the trash bag method?

On a side note, might just be easier to buy used glass without the tint
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By teal_dx
- Wed Feb 06, 2013 5:51 pm #325722
HeikDiesel wrote:Never tried it but has anyone used the trash bag method?


I'd try that first, but it won't work too well in Canada EH until maybe July or August.
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By Civic_HatchSI
- Wed Feb 06, 2013 8:47 pm #325725 Ya its -34c this week lol

I could try heat gun, but I dont know if that would make it worse or not.
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By Gustavo
- Thu Feb 07, 2013 3:54 am #325761 I use to work in a tint shop. Ur best bet is using a heat gun. Now remember it will either come out in 1 whole piece or in tiny little pieces depending if it's good tint or cheapo deapo walmart/autozone tint. Good luck! :thumb:
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By TrailerTrash
- Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:11 am #325766 start by peeling all the tint off. once its off use a rag soaked with something like paint thinner, laquer, ect. maybe even brake cleaner. something that will soften the glue. keep the glue wet and soft and slowly and carefully use a razor blade to scrap the glue off the glass around the defrosting strips. and when u get all u can with the blade use the rag and alot of pressure to kinda scrub away all the glue. move to a different spot on the rag often because it will get gummed up and youll just be scrubbing glue with glue
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By FG2_Andrew
- Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:49 am #325773 DO NOT USE A HEAT GUN UNTIL YOU HAVE GARAGED THE CAR OR RAN THE HEAT FOR A LONG TIME TO ADJUST THE GLASS TEMP!!!!!!!!!!

You will run the risk of cracking the glass. It's far too cold right now to go from one extreme temp to the other.
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By mitch6
- Thu Feb 07, 2013 5:53 am #325775 As a vinyl wrapper and with quite a bit of tinting experience, the ONLY* clean way to remove tint without damaging anything is to *Steam* it off. Any hand held steamer will work, grab a razor blade or use your finger nails and peel off one of the top corners and apply steam on the inside portion of the tint (the portion of the tint with the adhesive, the side that is stuck to the glass)

Please please do not try to use a heat gun or rip it off or you will have a huge mess to clean from all the residue. The steam will leave minimal to no residue behind.

For best results, have a person help you, one person steams and the other pulls the tint off. try not to pull it off 90 degrees but rather pull the tint while the film is parallel with the film that is still on the glass (if that makes any sense?)

whoever is steaming must be careful not to burn the other person haha, but the job is much easier this way :thumb: :thumb:
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By Civic_HatchSI
- Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:40 am #325801 Great tips guys, thanks so much!! Mitch, steamer sounds like a great idea. Now to find one lol.
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By mitch6
- Thu Feb 07, 2013 4:59 pm #325813 http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=rela ... TprbsGGt48

This is a good video to look at. Just make sure you take your time so you have literally no residue left behind :thumb: if you to have a bit left behind steam it up or spay with soap water and scrape it off with a razor blade but do not scrape the defrost lines cuz they will come off if you do. Hope this helps! I still recommend two people to do this :thumb:
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By Civic_HatchSI
- Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:49 pm #325828 Thanks for the vid!

Yes I will get my fiance to help me, even if he don't want to lol..
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By TrailerTrash
- Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:05 pm #325833 wow thats a neato burrito idea :thumb:
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