Home Window Tinting: What To Know Before You Buy | The Family Handyman
If you live in a climate where the air conditioner runs almost all the time, energy-saving home window tinting tin can help you salve coin.
More than a chiliad years ago, tinted glass windows were reserved for the grandest cathedrals, mosques and palaces of Mesopotamia and Europe. Fifty years agone, high-tech window coatings were bachelor only to scientists at space agencies like NASA.
But today, window tints and films are an accessible pick for u.s.a. regular folks who want an piece of cake and affordable retrofit for energy efficiency and privacy. Here's what you need to know.
What Is Dwelling Window Tinting?
Window tinting is a thin film applied on existing windows every bit a low-cost culling to installing energy efficient windows. Information technology tin as well add together privacy and ambiance.
But wait: Are you having visions of a peeling, bubbles mess on a car window? Don't worry. Today'southward dwelling house tint isn't like what came on that sweet early '80s sedan.
"Modern films can be made to be almost invisible and volition not chimera or pare over time," says Martin Religion, president of Scottish Window Tinting in Centennial, Colorado. "They can actually heighten a view through the glass and do not need to have any reflective look from within or exterior.
"In short, looking through a window with high-quality film is like putting on a really expensive pair of sunglasses."
Types of Home Window Tinting
Tint is made from diverse materials, depending on its purpose. Some of the more sophisticated ones can block up to seventy or eighty percent of summer's solar heat. Tint also is touted for improving insulation during common cold temperatures, although that's not its primary job.
"Window films are more of a summertime saving than a winter saving," says Faith. "This depends on the windows, simply it'southward more than a example of how much energy is wasted in summer from running the Air-conditioning constantly."
Thus, tinting tin cut cooling bills dramatically, as well as block most UV rays and some infrared ones.
There are more than 300 residential films, which come in various shades of tint (or Solar Heat Proceeds Coefficients) from decently dark to transparent. Some are meant simply for decoration and to enhance curbside entreatment. Some are mirrored for privacy, some reduce glare for computers and dwelling house entertainment systems, and others assistance with home security. Typically, they're applied to the inside of the window.
Why Tint Home Windows?
These are some of the benefits of home window tint:
- Free energy efficiency and savings in warm and cold weather.
- Condolement from creating even temperatures most windows.
- Sunday protection to keep furniture and carpets from fading.
- Skin protection from blocking UVA and UVB, the equivalent of SPF one,000 sunscreen.
- Daytime privacy through tint and one-fashion mirroring.
- Glare reduction for computers and TVs.
- Safety. The pic can hold shards together when glass is cleaved, which can also hinder break-ins.
- Outside noise reduction.
- Darkening spaces that are too often as well sunny.
- Adjourn appeal.
Why Not Tint Dwelling Windows?
These are some of the drawbacks of home window tint:
- Could void some window manufacturers' warranties, although film manufacturers ofttimes award the warranty.
- Difficult to install on some frames, latches and lites on really old windows.
- Poor awarding tin can make information technology visually unappealing.
- Improper tints may counteract passive solar oestrus in colder climates.
- Darker shades impact outside views.
- Changing the look of the glass from the exterior might violate Homeowners Association regulations.
Should I DIY or Hire a Pro?
Go pro. Most people hire a tinting professional simply because it's affordable. Installation requires meticulous attending to detail and knowledge of the tint materials, and so it's tough to DIY properly.
Common Home Window Tinting Mistakes
Don't say we didn't warn you!
- Not washing windows throughly prior to tinting, and/or cleaning with rubbing alcohol.
- Hiring a less-than-reputable installation company, or one that doesn't specialize in residential window tinting.
- Using the wrong flick, which can crack some double-pane windows.
- Buying tinting not certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC).
How Much Does Home Window Tinting Cost?
Information technology depends on your window size, shape and accessibility, and also where you live. Co-ordinate to Faith, a typical 3-ft. x five-ft. tinted window usually costs between $120 and $200. Window moving picture materials range between $2 to $8 per foursquare foot, plus labor at between $v and $x a square foot. Full: $seven to $18.
Organized religion says free energy-efficiency tint projects usually pay for themselves in 3 or four years. Some utility companies offer rebates for installing films and tints, and some municipalities offer revenue enhancement incentives.
Should I Tint All of My Windows?
Information technology depends on your solar exposure. "The more dominicus that comes through the windows, the more free energy savings from the film," says Faith. "And so S, West and East windows are the first ones to film."
If you can only afford to do a few and y'all run your air workout a lot, focus on the South- and West-facing windows first. If you live in a colder climate, consider the passive solar that comes through those sunnier windows, and whether lessening information technology is worth the summer savings.
Home Window Tinting Maintenance
If properly installed and treated with intendance, window pic tin last 15 or even 25 years. Because window picture show is less porous than drinking glass, the film probably won't get equally grimy equally quickly. That means fewer window cleanings on the chore list.
The best ways to insure longevity:
- Merchandise in the paper towels for a soft sponge.
- Squeegee off actress water and smooth with a lint-free microfiber cloth.
- Ditch abrasive chemicals for gentle natural cleaners such equally vinegar and water, or dish lather and water.
- Allow the tint cure fully before the first wash.
- Apply silicone polish annually for more protection.
Source: https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/home-window-tinting/
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