Key Questions to Ask When Ordering Windshield Film

One of the questions we hear all the time is “is there a way to protect my windshield from chips?”. Maybe you’ve just been through the hassle of dealing with your insurance company after paying $ to replace your windshield, or maybe you just bought a new car and don’t want to deal with the cost or trouble of replacing the windshield. No matter what brought you here, your time and money are both valuable and you want to do something about it.
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When you do decide to pick up the to call an installer or walk into a local shop, it’s important that you’re armed with the right information so that you can decide if the installer and product are right for you.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit our website.

Knowing the right questions makes it a lot easier to make a decision you won’t regret, so we put together a list of the top questions you should ask your windshield protection film installer before handing over your credit card.

Tip: Use this online tool to get a cost estimate for windshield replacement.

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1. Will the film affect my visibility while driving?

While most of the windshield protection films installers offer today have high clarity (in other words, you can barely tell they are on the windshield), talk to your installer to find out if there are any issues you should watch out for.
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Some films may be more prone to distortion, which can make driving annoying, or can make you feel dizzy on longer trips. Typically a film that is installed like PPF needs to be stretched to fit the windshield, which may cause it to have higher distortion than a film that is moulded to the windshield using heat.

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2. I park my car outside - do I have to worry about the sun affecting my windshield protection film?

Yes! Well...maybe.
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We could go on forever about the technical details of this (in fact, we have), but in short, the type of technology used to make the film will determine how the film responds to sun exposure.
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Exposure to the sun (or more specifically UV radiation) can be pretty harsh on all windshield films, but especially ones characterized as a TPU film (the same material used for PPF) and polymer-based (sometimes referred to as “self-healing”) topcoat. This type of film contains fewer UV-stabilizing molecules, which causes the material to break down more quickly when exposed to the sun. In contrast, films with a PET base typically use a ceramic-based topcoat which does a better job of preventing UV damage.‍

Asking your installer how the film holds up in high UV is a great starting point. You can also ask them what type of material the film is made of, since this will give you a lot of insight into how it will hold up in your climate. ‍

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3. Will the film get scratched by my wiper blades?

All reputable windshield protection film products are made of multiple layers that serve different purposes. The middle layer is usually the soft, shock-absorbing material (usually made of a polymer like PET or TPU) which is protected by a topcoat layer. This topcoat layer is designed to protect the soft layer from getting scratched as soon as you run your wipers.
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But this is where it gets tricky - the material used for this topcoat will affect how it behaves. There are really only two types of topcoats on the market: ceramic-based coatings or polymer-based coatings. Both have their pros and cons, so it’s important to know which one you’re getting.

Ceramic-Based Coatings:

A nanoceramic topcoat is made of tiny ceramic particles that create a very hard surface that is difficult to scratch. This type of coating actually prevents scratching by the wiper blades, and tends to last a long time on the surface. This nanoceramic coating is most similar to glass and will have the same look and feel as the bare windshield.

Summary: Ceramic-based coatings create a hard surface that is more difficult to scratch, and have the look and feel of glass.

Polymer-Based Coatings:

Although both types of coatings technically contain polymers, polymer-based coatings tend to be much softer than ceramic-based coatings. These coatings are sometimes referred to as “self-healing” - which is a fancy way of describing the fact that the polymer is highly moldable, and will rearrange itself to fill in minor scratches in the surface of the coating. This self-healing property can be effective at removing micro-scratches from the surface of the film when exposed to heat, but typically does not last long and may need to be regularly reapplied.

Summary: Polymer-based coatings will heal most minor scratches, especially in hot environments, but tend to have significantly shorter lifespans.

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4. What warranty coverage options do you offer?

A product’s warranty will tell you a lot about a product. Requesting a copy of the warranty document, or asking some basic questions about the warranty coverage for the products your installer offers can prevent you from getting into a tough situation down the road.

Look specifically at the warranty term length (can range from 1-2 years) and if there are any extra instructions you need to follow for the the warranty to be valid (e.g. special maintenance, required surface treatments or specific care instructions)

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Kingfilm.

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5. Do I have to do anything special maintenance for the film?

Regardless of which windshield protection film brands your installer offers, you should make sure that you are fully informed of all care and maintenance instructions at the time of purchase. While you’ll need to take certain precautions regardless of the film (some basic things like no power washing, regular cleaning, ensuring wipers are in good condition etc.), some films may require monthly or even weekly application of a coating to ensure they work properly.
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Asking your installer about this up front will avoid the added cost and hassle down the road if that’s not something you’re interested in!

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6. Are you trained or certified to install windshield protection?

If you're like most people, you spend a lot of time in your car. Windshields are especially vulnerable, and replacing yours can be expensive and time-consuming. A windshield protection film will help keep your windshield looking good for longer than it would without one.

Windshield protection film is becoming increasingly popular for car enthusiasts and daily drivers alike, and understandably there are a lot of questions about this product. But don’t worry - we've put together a list of the most burning questions (and answers) about windshield protection. Get ready to dive deep into the world of windshield protection film and uncover everything you never knew you needed to know about it.

How much does it cost to replace my windshield?

Windshields in are no longer just a piece of glass. They protect a variety of sensors and cameras that power features like lane-keep assist and lane-departure warnings that make up your advanced driver assistance system (also called ADAS). These sensors need to be recalibrated in the event that your windshield is damaged or needs to be replaced, which has significantly increased the cost of windshield replacement in recent years. While it really depends on your specific make and model, windshield replacement can cost anywhere from $500 for older vehicles that don’t have any ADAS systems, to $+ for vehicles manufactured in +. If you want to find a quote for your specific vehicle, you can use this safelite quote tool to get an estimate.

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Is it safe / legal to drive with a broken windshield?

Driving with a cracked windshield is dangerous, not just because of the risk of falling glass shards, which is actually highly unlikely. A damaged windshield will significantly affect your vision (and the ‘vision’ of any sensors behind the windshield) which makes driving pretty unsafe. Even large cracks that are outside the driver’s line of sight can easily spread while you’re driving, which could potentially cause an accident that could have been avoided.In most states and provinces it’s actually illegal to drive with a windshield that has any damage that affects the driver’s view (and any crack over 30 square cm is considered a safety risk and is illegal in all provinces), so our suggestion? Avoid it altogether.

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What is windshield protection film?

Windshield protection film is a thin, transparent film installed on the outside of your windshield to protect it from rocks or other debris that can damage your windshield while driving.

Most windshield protection films are made up of 3 layers that are fused together in the manufacturing process: an adhesive layer, a soft plastic shock-absorbing layer, and a protective coating layer. The specific materials used for each of these layers depends on the manufacturer, but generally we categorize windshield protection film into 2 distinct categories:

‍PET-Based Films:The “original” material for windshield protection film, PET-based films are still very much the leader today given they outshine the competition in terms of impact resistance, optical clarity, and longevity. ExoShield is an example of a PET-based film. Most PET-based windshield protection films use what’s called a “hardcoat” on the surface to prevent the PET from being scratched by the wiper blades during normal use.

‍Polyurethane-based Films: While there has been some interest in urethane-based films in recent years, likely because of the popularity of this material for other automotive products like paint protection film, these films tend to short lifetimes. Even a higher-end PU film lasts only a few months before the surface is marred with scratches from the wiper blades if you drive even semi-regularly. This makes them better suited for short-term use on luxury or show vehicles, where frequent driving isn't a concern.

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Does windshield protection film really work?

The primary purpose of windshield protection film is to reduce or eliminate damage from anything that hits your windshield while driving. This includes things like rocks being kicked up by transport trucks on the highway that can cause that loud “crack” sound and leave a hefty mark. While the film is not bulletproof (and is not meant to be), it will protect against most day-to-day damage that most of us are at risk of.

One of the tests we perform at ExoShield is to launch a steel ball bearing at the film at different speeds. Our test is designed to ensure that the film meets our 6X stronger requirement - meaning that a windshield protected with our standard ExoShield GT3 is 6X less likely to break when a rock at highway speeds hits it vs an unprotected windshield (and higher for ExoShield ULTRA).

While impact resistance is the primary benefit, windshield protection films offer secondary benefits as well. Due to the nature of our hardcoat on the film, you will see some increased hydrophobicity of the film, which means you’ll notice water droplets beading and you won’t need to use your wiper blades as often.

It will also prevent your windshield glass from getting scratched or pitted over time, which means that when you remove the film, it will look like your windshield is brand new.
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What is windshield protection film made of?

Windshield protection film is made of thin layers of material laminated together to form the film. Broadly speaking, the bulk of any windshield protection film is usually some combination of a soft polymer plastic (like PET or polyurethane) covered by a coating. The bulk of your impact resistant will come from the polymer layer, since the soft, flexible nature of this layer will absorb the force of impact from incoming rocks or debris as they hit your windshield.

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What's the difference between different brands of windshield protection film?

While we touched on the difference in types of windshield protection film technology above, there are some key differences between brands.

In particular, one major issue in this industry has historically been what is commonly referred to as ‘delamination’, which is a fancy way of saying that the layers of the film start to separate over time.

ExoShield GT3+, which is our next generation windshield protection film, uses our proprietary Endurance Class nanocoatings system, which creates a stronger bond between the layers, guaranteeing longer-lasting protection that doesn’t sacrifice clarity or durability.

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Can I install windshield protection film myself?