You will find the film looks perfect, when it first goes on. It then has to go through a curing process, where the water residue has to migrate and the adhesive needs to cure.
This process can take as little as one day on a hot summers day, or as long as three months with a very thick security film in winter.
The curing also varies with the type of adhesive being used. The most common one is called "pressure sensitive" or PS. All the car films, safety & security and opaque films utilise this system. The adhesion is instant, comparable to cellotape. Many of today's flat glass films also use PS. To work with, it has advantages, such as good laying down properties, but not as forgiving as the next type.
Dry adhesives have been used by many film makers. Also known as DA, the adhesion is water activated and is a chemical bonding with the glass. It takes time to develop over a number of hours or days. DA can only be used on flat glass. Manufacturers claim to achieve better optical clarity. I am disputing this "fact", as good quality PS adhesives equal or better optical properties.
So what do you have to expect, when the film is curing?
First, it will get hazy or cloudy. You will see the strokes the installer used. Mine always look like a skeleton, with a line down the middle and then horizontal side strokes. If the glass is thin and we can't get enough pressure on the film to expel all the water, you will find lots of water bubbles appearing. These will be clear in appearance at first and then go cloudy towards the end.
You should not clean the film before the curing process has finished. We recommend to wait at least 2 weeks. Once it needs cleaning, avoid ammonia based or abrasive cleaners. We actually suggest you use a damp or lightly wet micro fibre cloth. First, you do not risk to damage the scratch resistant coating, and second, by not using any chemical or detergent, there will be any streaks. And you are kinder to the environment.
If the film is not clear to see through after the curing, you either experience refraction, when the sun light comes in at a low angle. Generally more a problem in winter and with metallised or dyed films. Ceramic window film virtually eliminates this problem. The other reason the haze will not go away, is when you have purchased a cheap film, with poor optical qualities.
I recall a few years back, the company I was contracting for started to get a cheap Korean film. I was called to see what the problem was. One room with windows on three sides was so bad, that I thought I needed glasses and made me feel dizzy. The business owner told me recently, that every single installation had to be replaced within two years. Ouch!
Here is another reason I prefer to use PS films. Every film will need replacement at some stage. A lot of the modern glass is toughened, making it stronger, but also much easier to scratch. Using a film with DA, will make it very hard to remove the film without the risk of scratching. A PS film can be removed with much less of a risk.
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