Windscreen tinting in Valencia for the van

After removing the van’s old solar films, it was time to find a company to have the windows tinted again in Valencia. The aim is to improve privacy inside the vehicle, provide sun protection, enhance safety – as the film holds the shards of glass in place should a window break – and improve the appearance; it simply looks better with window tinting.

The way I went about finding a window tinting company in Valencia was the usual one: searching on Google Maps. Here I noticed that there are two types of companies:

• Franchises such as Ralarsa, Carglass and Glassdrive. To contact them, you first have to go through a switchboard, which puts you in touch with the branch of your choice. I’ve found that they don’t usually prioritise solar film installation. In other words, their main focus is on repairing broken glass for insurance claims.
• Businesses specialising in window tinting in Valencia. There are other businesses that deal solely or mainly with fitting solar films. Here I found a few such as Lamival, Soltint, Make make and Ahumaglass.

Where to get your windows tinted in Valencia?

After speaking to a few different places, I’ve decided to have my windows tinted in Valencia by Ahumaglass.

Several reasons led me to make this decision, namely:

1. Reviews

As I mentioned, the first thing I did was look on Google Maps to find them, check how far they were from my home and read the reviews. Other users’ experiences are a very important factor. And the reviews couldn’t have been better.

Now that I’ve had my windows tinted by them, I have to say that I fully and wholeheartedly agree with people’s opinions. I would, without a doubt, recommend having your windows tinted in Valencia by them.

2. Ease of communication and attitude

I started by speaking to franchisees who told me that if I wasn’t in a hurry, that was fine, but that it would be expensive, and even that they wouldn’t do it because it was an older vehicle and the film might not adhere properly, and that they were turning down such jobs to avoid problems. What’s more, to get in touch with them, you had to go through a switchboard, which would then put you through to the specific workshop. Sometimes they wouldn’t answer, and you’d have to try again.

From there, I moved on to speaking to businesses specialising in window tinting in Valencia. At Ahumaglass, I was immediately able to contact them directly, and via the most convenient method available today: WhatsApp.

3. Materials used and advice

I was only familiar with one type of film (the so-called polyester films), but when I spoke to Luis from Ahumaglass, he told me that there are better films available, namely nano-ceramic films. These have superior properties: not only do they protect against UV rays (like polyester films), but they also protect against IR rays (which is particularly important in a van).

The material used by Ahumaglass, a window tinting company in Valencia, is nano-ceramic solar film with the following properties:

1. 99.9% UV protection: This specification indicates that the solar film provides 99.9% protection against ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays are a form of solar radiation that can be harmful to human skin and can cause sun damage, sunburn, premature ageing and increase the risk of skin cancer. 99.9% protection means that the solar film is highly effective at blocking the majority of UV rays, providing significant protection for the occupants of the vehicle or building.
2. 84% IR protection: This specification refers to the solar film’s ability to protect against infrared (IR) rays. Infrared rays are a form of thermal radiation that can also contribute to excessive heating of an interior space. 84% protection means that the solar film is capable of blocking 84% of infrared rays, thereby reducing heat transfer and keeping the interior cooler.
3. 65% solar energy rejection: This figure indicates the proportion of total solar energy that is rejected by the solar film. Solar energy includes both infrared radiation and visible light. A rejection rate of 65% means that the solar film is capable of blocking or reflecting 65% of incident solar energy, thereby reducing the amount of heat entering through the windows.

There are three tint levels: Light/Medium/Dark, and the warranty is for 10 years.
For comparison, polyester films have the following characteristics:

• 99.9% UV protection
• IR protection: 0.0%
• Solar energy rejection: 12%
• Tint: Dark only
• Warranty: 8 years

4. Price

These films aren’t cheap, but they aren’t expensive either. Specifically, fitting these solar films costs 230 euros. There are also other films known as nano-graphene, but the price goes up considerably for those. The polyester ones cost 180 euros. In any case, to find out the exact price for your vehicle, get in touch with them. I’d also like to mention that if you mention my name, Gonzalo from Syncronizados, they may be able to offer you a discount.

So, the price isn’t cheap or expensive, so we’ll go ahead with it – the cost won’t stop us from having them fitted.

5. Opening hours and convenience

Another very important aspect, if you don’t have much free time, is their opening hours and how easy they make it for you to arrange an appointment with them. If I remember correctly, I spoke to them on a Friday and by Tuesday I was there to have the films fitted. In fact, whilst I was there to collect the windows, I also had my everyday car fitted.

The installation takes a maximum of 2 hours.