Pentagon: Car Window Tinting

At Pentagon we have a price list, which covers every make and model available in the UK. Prices start from as little as £95 + VAT for a simple three-door car up to £1,250 + VAT for a complex car fitted with tinted Supaglass. Call us for a quotation.

No there is no difference in cost, darker films in some ranges are slightly more expensive but we absorb the cost.

We don't price match. We believe our quality, customer service and warranty already make us excellent value for money. Nothing devalues/spoils a car more than poor workmanship - please see our 'What To Watch Out For' section.

We advise that your side windows are kept up for 36 hours and that your windows should be completely dry within a week. Full curing can take 30 days; Supaglass can take up to 3 months to completely cure.

Not really - the normal soft cloth and glass cleaner. Cheaper valeting companies sometimes use traffic film remover on cars that can damage plastics; this will destroy the films (hard coat) surface. That said, high strength TFRs should only be used externally on the underside of trucks.

Yes - but it needs to be done professionally. Steamed off rather then simply peeled off as this can cause damage to rear screen demister bars and radio antennae.

Manufacturers guarantee their better films for 10 years, some offer a lifetime warranty. Economy films have a limited warranty of between 3 and 5 years. At Pentagon Glass Tech reading we guarantee our products for as long as you own the vehicle.

Yes if hit with sharps objects such as rings and seat belt buckles (much the same as glass).

No - even the Supaglass, which can be 350 microns or ten times as thick as average tint film, causes no problems.

No - in fact some of the hybrid metalised film will help conduct the heat and clear the screen quicker. You do have to be advised on the type of film for your rear screen as heavily sputtered metalised films can cause radio interference on certain model cars.

The Pentagon finish is so good that it looks like we do but for window tinting 97% of windows remain in. For Supaglass all removable windows are taken out so the glass is completely covered for maximum strength - bonded windows are done in situ unless specifically requested.

No - the regulations on front side window tints changed in 2004. To be 100% legal they should stay in the same condition as at their time of manufacture. However, police and VOSA do make allowances for clear security films and very light spectrally selective films that are used for people with light sensitivity issues. For full details see here.

Window tinting is not, at the time of writing, part of the MOT.

This is incorrect and undoubtedly comes from the legislation that states the front driver and passenger must allow 70% of visible light to pass through. Some misinformed companies/people take 70% from 100% and come up with the idea that a 30% tint is allowed. Whether this is genuine ignorance or sharp practice it's difficult to say - but since the law changed in 2004 I'd say it is probably sharp practice. In the first instance nothing is 100% clear - not even the air we breathe. Car glass as it comes from the manufacturer is legal and generally at the legal limit of 70%, and any film (even clear) will render it technically illegal. The Police and VOSA do have a banding system that they work to which makes allowances for clear and spectrally selective films for people with medical conditions - this has to be verified with a VLT meter. Speak to us at the time of fitting so we can advise what we can do.

Llumar do make cheaper film and they make very expensive film. As with all the window film manufacturers they produce films for every market. It is not enough to say you want Llumar, Suntek, Madico or Solargard - you need to know the film in their range that is being put on your car.

In essence films use red, blue green and yellow dye to achieve their colour. The yellow and the green are the weakest dyes and with daily exposure to UV they give up first and you are left with red and blue, which combine to turn purple. If the film has a one, three or five year warranty it will almost certainly turn purple; how quickly depends on how much and how powerful the sun exposure is. More stable yellow and green dyes along with new deep dyeing processes means there are now colour stable films that can compete with metalised, sputtered and ceramic films - but these are more expensive.

No - you will not be able see to any light gaps.

These white dots are known as contamination (dust or dirt, paint overspray) when the water dries out the particle looks like a bubble as it causes the film to sit off the glass. The white area around the particle is trapped air. These will not disappear. At Pentagon you can expect a clean installation with none of these problems.

Depending on the type of film installation and type of car anything from 45 minutes up to a whole day. This is why we have a price list for all the different models.

No, not to any noticeable degree - all that can be fitted are sun strips, spectrally selective films and clear security films.

As long as you have a wing mirror on either side of the vehicle you can go as dark as you wish.

The darker background that tint gives to glass means that imperfections in the glass show up more easily. If the scratches are uniform then it could be from grit trapped in the external seal or a windscreen wiper, grit caught even a chamois when cleaning or from an ice scraper - all of which can do this. Some companies cut film to shape on the outside of your car glass this can cause scratches - especially in laminated glass. If the scratch has a pattern to it such as it follows the ceramic edge all the way around or part way around your rear screen then the tint company has probably done this when cutting the film to shape.

No - at Pentagon Glass Tech in Reading we have always made soft and hard templates for windows - we have always gone to great lengths to avoid even the possibility of damage to your car. That said, there is no doubt this can be done, as this is the way most film manufacturers train people to tint cars.

We believe in taking as little car apart as necessary in order to get a perfect job. When fitting Supaglass security film we have to have complete glass coverage so that the film is anchored by the window mounting on the mechanism - so removing windows is something we regularly do. On some cars you have to remove the quarter window to get a clean install without light gaps but this is a small number. A professional window tinting company should be able to get a flawless result without removing the windows on greater than 90% of cars. We would say if a company has to routinely remove all windows in order to get a clean install then they have not had proper training. If they are not willing to invest in proper training or able to get a clean install once trained - which is an art - then they should not be allowed to take your car apart, as what guarantee do you have that they possess the patience to put it back together properly.

The film goes on the inside although in the preparation stages film can be shrunk to shape on the outside of the glass.

In the short-term, incorrect mounting solution which can attack the adhesive in the film, or dirt particles once dry can cause bubbling. Longer term adhesive failure caused by Sun damage, the sun always wins in the end. Once UV inhibitors in the glue have been worn away it's only a matter of time before adhesive failure takes place.

Yes, best method is with a steamer and extra care has to be taken with rear screens and demister bars.

Depending on the type of film fitted as an average you can expect at least a 50% reduction.

The mounting solution used for fitting films can take some time to dry out. Depending on conditions and type of film this can be anything from a day to a month.

Whilst we attend training seminars Pentagon staff are largely trained in-house. We keep up to date with the latest ideas and film, test them and keep what we find useful. Film manufacturers are interested in selling film so quality installations are still down to the individual.

No, we would not and would advise against it. Plastic polycarbonate windows "off gas" this process means the film will bubble. It may take a week it may take a year but it will happen. Removing this film and adhesive will then cause damage to the polycarbonate surface.

Depending on the film chosen and car make and model you can experience some signal interference, especially with all metal sputtered films. Once we know your requirements we can advise you on the best film for your car.

Depending on the film chosen and car make and model you can experience some signal interference, especially with all metal sputtered films. Once we know your requirements we can advise you on the best film for your car.

We do have films that are spectrally selective and stop more UVA and UVB then the average film. If your condition is particularly sensitive ask your specialist to let you know which part of the light spectrum is causing you the most problems and we can fit the most suitable film to block that part of the wavelength.

In 98% of cases, yes. With the exception of a handful of cars such as Porsche 944 and 968, we would say almost all are done in one piece. That said, because we are specialists in car window tinting we still have the ability to fit film using a virtually invisible splicing system. Although rarely used this is an important skill to have - some films with high metal content give the best heat rejection and can only be fitted this way on screens with a high compound curve. Any company telling you they fit all screens with any film in one piece simply do not have the experience they claim.

No. We need to know what film we are using and often the unknown brands of film are cheaply made imports that are re-boxed or factory seconds. They don't last and can damage you car when being removed.

For a factory finish these have to be removed. We can try and keep them but experience tells us the glue does not hold up or the sticker stretches.