Ever given thought to shade your home windows? There are things you should put into consideration first.
However, here is a successive compiled list on types of films that would definitely assist you in making the best decision.
Window Film Types
Individuals make use of window tints for several reasons. It can be used in eliminating sun glare, reducing heat in the home or even discouraging guests from opening some doors as it provides privacy from strangers.
Identifying the specific need you want to meet would help you determine the kind of film you will need to purchase. Some of the film’s include:
Heat Control Film
Controlling solar radiation is not as easy as adjusting the knob on your thermostat. Actually, it is; but it is not cheap. If you have a room with windows facing the east or west direction, you’re probably all too accustomed to solar heat.
A room with a window facing the sun can significantly increase the temperature thereby causing your cooling charge to upsurge each summer.
Heat control film allows sunlight to come through but filters solar heat and UV rays. This provides the rooms in your home with some sunlight benefits without the deteriorating impact that sunlight has on both walls and furniture.
Glare Control Window Film
No one wants glare spoiling their TV lounging time, and this brings about the glare control film which helps to decrease glare on electronic devices via enabling sunlight to pass through.
However, it decreases the glare that can occur when light manages to diffuse through the glass.
Energy Window Film
For those who are unaware, window film can be entirely clear even at times when you do not need to decrease light infiltration and still need to keep the heat out especially during summer.
While roughly sixty percent of the cooling energy in the home is lost through windows during summer, about twenty-five percent of energy can also be lost during winter. However, energy window film is the ideal solution to the issue.
Privacy Frosted Window Film
You can make use of privacy films in any room in the house, but two rooms that really stand out are bathrooms and kitchens.
Often times, you may want as much light possible coming into these two rooms, but if you are experiencing privacy problems, you may decide to make use of curtains on the windows, but this eliminates light and can make the room feel smaller.
For frosted window film, it allows maximum light to come through the window but prevents vision both in and out.
A great solution for double-paned windows is applying the film to the bottom windows, especially in a kitchen.
Privacy Mirror Window Film
Mirror film comes in both one-way and two-way options. The one-way mirror option is best recommended for homes. Applying a one-way mirror film to your windows will allow light to come in and at the same time prevent anyone from seeing inside your home.
This is useful if you have large windows or glass doors that peers directly into living areas of your home.
Privacy Black Window Film
If one of your rooms is too bright, or you depend much on shades or curtains, black window film might be what you need to invest in. Much like vehicle shades, black window film helps reduce sunlight coming into a room.
This is useful for keeping rooms dark, like an office, a photo room or a bedroom. Black window film also has the added benefit of offering complete privacy as it prevents most incoming visibility.
Decorative Film Window Tint
The decorative film has varied unique applications. It can add a lot to your home. They can mimic ornate stained glass or even offer some privacy for rooms that probably should not have glass doors or so many windows.
Window Film Types For Your Home
Windows are amazing as they allow us to receive natural sunlight as well as view the world around us. But, when they are not properly placed, they bring about the inconvenience and not pleasure.
There are expert instead of residential window films that make it easy to resolve. So, if you feel uncomfortable at home, look at your windows, and then look for the right film to fix the problem. There are various types of window films, and they include:
Decorative Window Films
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With just a little decorative film knowledge, you will see glass surfaces and windows in a different light. Possibilities that were previously invisible will be revealed such as the means to enhance privacy, design, brightness and so much more.
Solar Window Films
With solar window films, you will have no reason to hide behind curtains that are heavy or shades that are dark in order to get relief from the sun. Solar films aid in reflecting harsh UV rays, glare and heat as it enhances comfort and protects the furniture.
Safety and Security Window Films
Thin, clear and barely detectable, the diverse protective range of safety and security films available in the market today can withstand rough handling. You can depend on them to help in protecting the people and properties you value most in cases of vandalism or accidents.
Does Window Film Keep Heat In?
Basically, the heat insulation of window film is designed to insulate against the cold in the winter and minimize heat gain in the summer. Also, the UV reflective window film allows in light while blocking harmful UV rays.
There are a number of other benefits to window film. Here are some ways in which residential window heat insulation film can enhance your home. They include:
• The steady climate inside your home
• Safety is increased
• Protects home furnishing
• UV ray protection
• Reduces Excessive Heat In Your Home
Your windows let in the sunlight and provide cool views of outside. However, they cause excessive heat build-up. Blinds and window treatments block light and help keep your home cooler.
As for window films, they control excessive heat build-up and allow you to enjoy uncompromised views of the outside.
Do Tinted Windows Reduce Heat?
The main focus of window tint is to reduce the highest volume of thermal rays from the sun.
However, it is designed in a way that only a certain amount of radiation can pass through your car windows. This way, heat is filtered and only wavelengths that create light passes through.
It is vital to know that different tints and their types provide different percentage of solar heat rejection. Before installing the window tint, ask the manufacturer questions concerning the heat rejection percentage the tint offers.
A normal window tint offers about thirty-five percent to forty-five percent of heat rejection, and premium tints provide heat rejection of about seventy-five percent to eighty percent.
Does Solar Film Reduce Heat?
Solar window films were designed to control issues of excess heat as well as fading from ultraviolet light exposure that is caused by direct sunlight through the home or office windows.
These films are frequently called “retrofit” products that alter existing after-market windows and circumvent the need for new and modified window units.
Also, the window films provide the best return-on-investment in existing buildings in warm climates, especially high-rise buildings or homes with single-paned glass.
Can Window Films Damage Windows?
The best way to not damage your windows is by choosing the right film. Different films suit the glass type better than some others.
Do you have single-pane, double-pane, or Low-E glass? This dramatically affects how your windows respond to shade.
It does not matter the type of glass that your windows actually are, there is always a compatible window film for it. You will need a professional window film installer to guide you through the selection process and to apply the film for you properly.
How To Remove Window Tint
Your window tint needs to be discarded or removed before it loses its whole efficiency as a UV protectant as well as a privacy screen.
There are several reasons to have shaded windows on vehicles, and they may include:
• Extra protection from UV ray
• Cosmetic appeal
• Degree of privacy, etc.
Over time, general wear and tear can take a heavy toll on tints. This toll may lead to damages that can show up as scratches, peelings around the edges, and bubbles that are not just unattractive but decreases its efficiency.
Furthermore, critical temperature be it cold or hot can start the separation of the tint film from the glass of the window. Immediately separation starts, the bubbles or the peelings get worse.
There are people that attempt to peel off the damaged tints off the window, but it leaves a sticky residue that takes more than an hour to scrape off. Nonetheless, there are diverse, highly effective do-it-yourself techniques for removing the tints.
There are five methods and they include:
Technique 1: Soap and Scrape
Materials needed for this technique include:
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Razor knife or blade
• Paper towels
• Dish soap
• Glass cleaner
For the removal of small areas of window tint film, you will simply need to use the soap and scrape technique. Majority of the people who utilize this technique have every necessary tool as well as material at their disposal.
Using this technique involves the following steps:
• Use your knife to lift a corner and create a cut in one corner of the film. It will aid in creating a tab that you can lift from the window
• Grasp the free corner of the film tightly and peel it off the window. If it does not peel off in a distinct piece then start the whole lifting and peeling process all over again.
• Set up a mixture of soapy water in a spray can through the use of a mild detergent such as warm water or dish soap. While there is no specific proportion that is vital, the mix is equal to the volume you would likely use in washing dishes.
• The next step is to richly spray your soapy mix on to the residue that has been left behind and peel the shaded tint.
• Subtly scrape the adhesive from the glass using a razor knife.
• Finally, clean the window with paper towels as well as glass cleaner once the whole adhesives are removed.
Technique 2: Newspaper And Soap
The materials needed here are:
• Newspaper
• Paper towels
• Bucket or bowl
• Glass cleaner
• Dish soap
• Sponge
• Water
• Razorblade
Though quite similar to the soap and scrape technique, here, it demands far less elbow grease. Also, it is an ideal way to recycle old papers that may have been idle and have no specific skill set to perform well.
The steps:
• Create a mixture of dish soap and warm water in either a bowl or a bucket.
• Place the mixture on the window and cover it up with the newspaper. Also, apply the soapy water on the damaged tints of the window and cover it as well. It should be in this position for about an hour.
• Peel off the newspaper and time using a know or blade.
• The remaining shade should be rubbed off using the blade in a strip-like way. It is going to come off very easily. But, if it is hard to come off, you will need to start all over again from step one.
Technique 3: Ammonia and Sun
The materials needed for this technique to be achieved include:
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• Dish soap
• Paper towels
• Scissors
• Black plastic garbage bag
• Razorblade
• Steel wood
• Spray bottle
• Spray bottle of ammonia, etc.
Once the sun starts shining, you can make use of ammonia as a way of removing damaged window tints. The ammonia that is left trapped in a heated environment that has been heated up by the sun will make the adhesive soft in order for simple removal.
The steps include:
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• Like the older techniques, prepare a soapy water mixture then cut some plastic garbage bag pieces that is huge enough to cover up both outside and inside of the window that is affected.
• Directly outside the window, spray the soapy mixture and apply just a single piece of plastic on top.
• The ammonia should be sprayed inside the window and covered up with plastic. For the inside, you can spray it and leave the vehicle open for more ventilation. The car’s insides can be fully covered and highly protected via a tarp.
• Next, allow the plastic to sit in the sun for about an hour. The plastic will trap the heat inside just to loosen the adhesive that joins the tint in place. The plastic pieces should be removed too.
• You can pry up a part of the tint with your nails, razor or knife and gently peel the tinted form.
• The remaining adhesive can be wiped off and cleaned dry.
Technique 4: Hairdryer
The materials needed are:
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• Cloth
• Hairdryer
• Razorblade
• Paper towel
• Glass cleaning
The steps involve:
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• Use the hairdryer to heat up the window tint. When the hairdryer is placed on high and held for over two inches away from the corner of the window tint, you can remove the prying from the tips of nails.
• Peel off the tint slowly.
• You can firmly rub off the adhesive left with a neat towel. Should there be any problem removing it, then you can heat up the adhesive with the hairdryer once more. This will aid in wiping it off much more easily.
• Clean the window with paper towels and a glass cleaner
Technique 5: Steamer Removal
The materials that are utilized here are:
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• Adhesive remover
• Water
• Paper towels
• Fabric steamer
The steps involved include:
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• Fill up the steamer with water and swiftly turn the machine on.
• Hold on to the steam attachment over one inch away from the side of the window tint you need to remove. Leave it there long enough till you can use your nails to loosen it.
• Peel off the tint as you keep on holding the steamer at the exact same distance away from the glass.
• Wipe it with a clean towel after spraying an adhesive remover on it.
Thoughts?
It is highly possible to take off tint all by yourself with any of the five techniques above. However, you may decide to make do with experts in the field instead. For the window tint and types, now you have an idea on whichever one to select from and purchase for your home.
