History of Solar Stop Window Tinting
In 1958 my father, Lester Schatz, founded Ray Stop Window Tinting. We were one of the very first pioneers in the window tinting industry. There was no window film in those early days. In the beginning we were one of several companies that sold window tinting franchises all over the United States and world. We distributed and installed a liquid coating for glass called Flow coating.
In those early years, in my 20's in 1960-70, I traveled around the world, for my father's company, demonstrating our company's services and teaching the liquid flow process. I trained 100's of new window tint dealers, eventually having Ray Stop Window Tinting franchises in practically every corner of the world.
Lester Schatz
The History of Tinting
Ray Stop Van - Sweden
HISTORY OF WINDOW TINTING
Recently my friend Eric Maldonado began to make a documentary about the beginning and the history of window tinting, which can be viewed above in the trailer. Eric and I are connected due to the fact that our fathers worked together back at the beginning. Eric's father Joe did our early installations and dealer training. Here is a little information about how the window tinting industry started.
Back in 1951 the US Army Air Force division needed a transparent paint that could coat the aircraft glass and cockpits to reduce the glare. The Jacoby brothers, who owned a paint manufacturing company in Los Angeles later called Special T Coatings, were able to invent that paint and created a glass coating process they called Flow Coating.
They were successful in manufacturing liquid coatings in many shades and colors and later added an ultraviolet inhibitor to the permanent pigments and resin base paint to use as a protective coating on glass against glare, heat and fading. These coating were later sold by us to the residential and commercial sectors.
The flow process always has blocked UV rays better than the films, there is no comparison as far as heat protection as films are far superior. There was also a toxic odor, which has led to flow coatings slow death. Today there are only a handful of installers who still do this type of tinting.
Jim Schatz - 1972
To install the flow coatings a flowing machine was needed. (See video above) It was a rotary gear, vacuum-pump machine with a tank that held the coating material. There were two hoses, one for outflow and one for suction. We would build a paper trough (see video above) at the bottom of the window to catch the material as it flowed down the glass.
TODAY - SOLAR STOP GLASS TINTING
Today we no longer do flow coating or franchise Ray Stop Window Tinting. We operate today as Solar Stop Glass Tinting specializing in residential and commercial window tinting. We install only USA manufactured window films and the manufacturers logos and linked that we use are at the bottom of this page for your review.
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Reach out to us today to get a free estimate on our services. We serve residential and commercial clients in Los Angeles, CA. We look forward to hearing from you!
Flow Coating Class
Call Us Today At (818) 382-1949