D&L Window Tinting has been a customer of mine for a long time. Over the years I’ve gotten to know Jason Gray and Athena Ross. Not only are they a pleasure to work with, if I never met them in business but instead in social circles, they’d be fast friends.
Each possesses a warm heart, a sense of community and a devotion to country and that comes through in how they work with their customers and vendors.
But there is one glaring weakness. They just don’t toot their horn enough so I thought to sit down with them and bring them into the light – to shine upon them our Sponsor Spotlight so that our audience can get to know them a bit better and learn about some of their understated products.
Without further ado, may I present Jason Gray from D&L Tinting…
Tony Lombardi: Jason, for those not familiar with your products and services, please tell us a little about D&L Professional Window Tinting. When did you get started and what your specialties are?
Jason Gray: D&L Window Tinting started in 1991 with my great-grandmother, Delma Fisher, when she opened our first and original location at an old gas station lot on Pulaski Hwy in White Marsh, MD. A couple of years later, Delma’s grandson—my father—took over the business with a vision to take window tinting to another level.
For 10 years, Delma’s grandson worked very hard at taking that small, old gas station lot and turning it into one of the cleanest and best-run window tinting shops around. If you’ve ever driven down Rt. 40 at 7:30 a.m., you would see him out front with his blower, cleaning off not just our lot, but our neighbors’ too. With that constant drive to be the best in the window tinting industry and to serve our community the best way we can, parts of his vision have been realized over the years.
D&L Window Tinting is now proud to announce that the future is here with our brand-new, state-of-the-art facility in White Marsh, MD. We have moved just one door down into a new building that will allow us to serve all of your window tinting, paint protection, vinyl graphics, 3M headlight restoration, and car detailing needs! No appointments are ever necessary.
TL: Many people think that auto window tinting is pure vanity. But there are also a few other benefits as well. Can you talk about those?
JG: As anyone on the road will tell you, cars have become second homes for today’s consumers. Whether it’s an economy vehicle, family sedan, a sport coupe or SUV, we’re all spending more time in our cars and keeping them for longer than ever before, and accidents are sometimes unavoidable.
One of the most efficient ways to add enhancement, improve comfort, increase interior protection, and protect all passengers from injury due to flying glass is to safety coat your vehicle’s windows with automotive window film.
Our window films instantly provide a unique, custom look for vehicles and come in a variety of shades. Manufactured with strong ultraviolet inhibitors, the film nearly rejects all ultra-violet light, so passengers receive “sunscreen like” protection, while the vehicle trim/fabric is much less likely to fade and all passengers are less likely to be exposed to the damaging effects of cancer and sunburn-causing rays.
Plus, the solar control properties block significant amounts of solar energy, so the vehicle is cooler and more comfortable even in the most severe climates. Solar control qualities and film life vary greatly from film to film, so cheaper is not always better.
TL: Perhaps it’s by virtue of your name, but our audience might be surprised to learn that D&L also provides other high quality films that can protect THE BODY of a vehicle. Can you elaborate on that?
JG: Your car goes through a lot in its lifetime—your paint job especially. Every day, it battles rocks, sand, dirt, scratches, road debris and bugs, all of which can eat away at your car’s paint. Getting your car a new paint job can be pricey, even if you’re just getting a touch-up. So why not protect one of your biggest investments before the trouble begins?
This is where D&L Window Tinting and Scotchgard team up to help you and your car out. Car Paint Protection Film is a great form of defense between your car and all that can damage your car’s appearance.
Because of Paint Protection Film’s high impact resistance, its application will protect your paint from chips and scratches caused by rocks and road debris. It creates a barrier from chemical stains, bird droppings, bug splatter, or mineral deposits, acid rain and it will also guard your paint from fading caused by UV rays. The top layer returns to its natural shape after being stretched or disfigured, giving the film a “self-healing” property. That means when light scratches are inflicted in the film, it absorbs the damage and returns to the texture and properties it had before the incident.
TL: One of the more interesting products you provide are car wraps. The wraps can be designed in many different ways — some to achieve a certain look or style but others can be done in such a way that the vehicle becomes a mobile advertising platform for a business. Can you tell us how some companies have employed that service and the typical investment that goes along with that?
JG: Vinyl is very custom and is specific to a customer’s custom needs. We have done jobs as simple as putting a business name and number to as robust as wrapping an entire vehicle in the art work or images of the customer’s choice.
All vinyl is done in house from design, print, and installation. The customer’s vehicle will never leave our hands. No job is too small or too big for us to handle. And since a vinyl job is custom work, the pricing is also customized to the requested work. A customer can stop by either location to speak with a designer to discuss size of job, timing and the pricing.
TL: Back to window films for a moment, you’ve taken the technology and applied it to homes in order to achieve greater energy efficiency. Can you explain how some customers not only save on cooling and heating but also some of the other benefits of home window tinting?
JG: In your home, sunshine can stream in through windows, bringing a cheerful feel and warmness to any room. Sometimes, though it brings in too much warmth, not to mention the harmful ultraviolet light and solar energy that can raise energy bills, drain the color from your fabrics and furnishings and cast a blinding glare on your television or computer screens.
D&L Window Tinting wants to help protect you, your loved ones and your home from the harmful effects of too much sunshine. Our professionally installed window film can block ultraviolet rays, solar heat and energy, while reducing glare, protect fading fabrics and lower your energy bill. Once our team has professionally installed the window films to the interior of your windows, you can expect to experience immediate benefits, such as improved comfort, reduced energy consumption from more regulated temperatures, minimized glare, and a more temperate climate.
Long term, you’ll find the color of your beloved and costly furnishings and décor—whether it’s carpet, paintings, rugs, or furniture—stay brighter and bolder with less chance of premature fading. You and your family will live more comfortably in a home that’s better protected from the sun, and you’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing your home is safer from damaging light while enjoying the benefits of energy savings. Our window films are one of the few affordable products you can buy that provide so many benefits all in one.
TL: How can people make appointments and generally speaking, how quickly are they in and out of your two conveniently located facilities?
JG: Installation is approximately 1 hour or less for jobs like tinting, Vinyl and Paint Protection can take longer depending upon the complexity of the job.
So, there you have it folks! Save money, protect your valuable assets and loved ones. All available due to D&L unique ability to put the shade on the sun for your benefit.
