Care & Maintenance

Important Details About Your Installation Of Scotch Tint Film And/Or Scotch Shield

Congratulations! You have just purchased the finest sun control product available. 3M has devoted over 40 years to the development and improvement of ScotchShield Ultra Safety and Security Film and Scotch Tint Sun Control Film so that today you may enjoy the sun without experiencing the full effects of its harmful rays.

As with all products containing an adhesive system, a drying time is necessary for the achievement of the proper adhesion to the window. During this process, some changes may be observed. So that you will understand these differences, we would like to note some of them for you. They are normal and should be expected to occur. Listed below, by way of recap, are the points covered by our installers:

• Drying time is dependent on weather conditions and the season of installation. Drying time may range from 30 to 90 days. Please do not wash your windows during this period. Any haziness you may see is water under the film. You will see less and less of this as the days pass. A milky appearance might be experienced in certain areas, but it too disappears during the drying period (60 days).


• All water bubbles will dry out, but a few small particles or points are inevitable with an applied film. These points, sometimes viewed as small bubbles are very tiny bits of dust and debris that are always present in the air and should not affect your normal viewing of the glass or outward views. They will not affect the film’s performance.


• The 1/16” to 1/8” (1-2 mm) border you may notice is a requirement of the application according to 3M.
• Cleaning should be done using any nonabrasive window cleaning solution such as Windex and paper towels such as Bounty. We use and recommend a mild solution of Lemon Joy or baby shampoo (4-5 drops/gallon) sprayed on the window. Gently loosen the dirt with your hand and squeegee with a good quality squeegee.

NOTE: Sometimes a customer feels that they see a defect in the film when it is, in fact, in the glass. It is quite natural that one should look closely at a new purchase. We follow the Visual Standards of 3M which state no visual imperfections should be visible when viewing the glass from six feet away under normal day lit conditions. This is the manner in which we normally look through a window and the way in which you should observe your new Scotch Shield or Scotch Tint Window Film—looking through it, not at it. We and 3M hope you will enjoy your installation. With proper care, we know you will receive many years of benefit from its presence on your windows.