Ytdyklly

I always get some kind of flaw when applying window film. Obviously I've read the instructions, watched diy videos, and even asked for advice before. I have changed up my technique as a result but I'm still getting flaws. Here are some pictures of my progress and current methodology. I’m getting better but the final results are still far from perfect.

1. The workspace (a rough cut piece of particle board covered in duct tape)
   




2. Glass onto film (picture was taken the day before when I hadn’t taped the particle board yet)
   




3. Ready to start smoothing!
   




4. Done (with flaws)
   

You can’t see it in the pictures but there are some flaws. Flaw type 1 is just regular air bubbles that you can press down on to eliminate. Flaw type 2 is a “hard” air bubble. I assume flaw type 2 is from a spec of dust but I don’t see any dust when I get my eye really close to it. …it just looks like an air bubble. Finally, flaw type 3 is the rainbow discoloration on the film. I had assumed this would go away when I wiped the mirror down with glass cleaner but it’s still there. You can actually see this a little bit in the picture. But in real life it’s unbearable, at least to me.

I have a USB microscope which I might use to try and get a better idea of what’s going on with flaw type 2. I will probably try poking the flaw type 2 that is on this mirror with a needle to see if I can remove it that way. But if/when that doesn’t work I guess I’m just going to keep trying?

I’m really not sure what to do if the problem is dust. I realized that when I was cutting the film around the glass that the razor knife was digging into the particle board and probably bringing up some particles. So on this mirror I used scissors to avoid bringing up particles from the particle board. Also, if you’ll notice all my blocks are 4x4s wrapped in duct tape. Before I began working I thoroughly swept every surface and hit the whole area with compressed air. …of course I could be attracting dust in some way that I’m not considering. IDK. I just feel REALLY bad at this. Any words of advice encouragement?

btw, I have been looking on Amazon and they want a TON of money for this. As much as $100 for a 12x24" sheet of two way glass! Of course there are cheaper options but I don't know if they look good enough. I’m basically looking for perfection. That is, no flaws or warping or discoloration at all. You know, like a mirror.

From my days installing car film, I have two basic suggestions.

1. Get off the floor. You can't work down there without dust being blown into your workpiece every time you move. Get up on a table in a room without a lot of human or pet traffic, where the air remains still. Most installations are on the window in a wall anyway.




2. Use plenty of solution. You don't want things drying out before you have a chance to squeeze out all the air bubbles. They shouldn't be difficult to move if you have things wet enough. Using more will also tend to flush out dust. Per one comment on the product page: "1/4 tsp of tear free no conditioner added baby shampoo per 1qt of water works better than the $3.97 per bottle of Gila spray."