I was wondering if I should apply for a window tinting permit in Illinois. My home was built in the 1980’s and I am concerned about the potential for it to be damaged by the sun and rain coming through the window. I’ve never tinted my home, but I’ve read that it’s common to tint all new homes built in the 1980’s, 1990’s, and prior.
No, you shouldnt. Tinting is a cosmetic process that helps protect your windows from the sun and rain. You can tint windows so they don’t reflect the sun (which they will), or so they don’t reflect rainwater (which they won’t). You can even tint windows so they don’t let in lots of light (which they won’t). But you shouldnt tint your windows.
There are many benefits to tinting your windows, not least of which is the fact that your windows will be less likely to absorb light from the sun, and you’ll be less likely to get your windows wet when it rains. The other advantages are that it will reduce your energy bills significantly, and it should also reduce your carbon footprint.
The state of Illinois is the only state that doesn’t offer a law mandating that all cars come with tinted windows. I suspect that this is because the state budget was so small that they only had the money to buy the tinting equipment at the price they were asking for it.
A recent study found that the laws mandating tinted windows may actually be working. The study found no significant differences in the weather when tinted or non-tinted windows were used. In fact, it was likely that the tinting laws didn’t do the least bit of good because the sun would still be shining in the non-tinted windows and it would be a pretty bright white.
That’s right. Even though the state budget was so tiny, that’s probably the most logical explanation for why the state of Illinois is actually a pretty sunny state these days. Not only were the laws mandating tinted windows (that they were forced to buy) working for some time, but the weather was actually better for tinted windows than non-tinted windows.
I think we all know the real reason why tinted windows are bad. It’s because the sun can bounce off of them and cause them to reflect more heat back at you, causing your windows to be hotter than they need to be. However, the laws mandating tinted windows were too simple to be effective, so they made the law look like it was a good idea.
This is a long story that I have to tell you, but it’s worth mentioning that the law is a little complicated.
In Illinois they now have a law that requires a $30 fee for anyone to apply tinted window tint. The bill was originally written to be a $500 per person fee, but in the course of trying to come up with a better bill the law makers had to revise it. What the new bill will require is a $50 fee for the first application of tint to be completed, then $1 per person every week the window tint is applied until the window is completely replaced.