Residential Window Tinting

[Gunner]

Looking to tint 3 large windows and a door that get sun from about 2pm til sunset. Mostly for glare and energy savings also the added daytime privacy will be nice.

40"x100' rolls can be had fairly cheap on ebay. If I get the big roll I'll do every window in the house and sell the rest. Looking at a metalized 35%.

Has anyone else done this, or had it done. Advice or personal experience appreciated.

 

[senorFrog]

Yo! Pimp my house.

Just joking.

 

[Sandor]

I use white steel mini blinds.

The blinds are closed during the summer to reflect the sun's IR energy, and left fully open most of the winter for the solar gain.

 

[kevinmoelk]

Gunner, tinted windows are done all the time on commercial buildings, on residential not as much but sure it has been done. My advice coming from the automotive side... hire a professional to have it done. I've seen it all too many times where folks tint their windows and say "See, I can do that, it was easy" and it does indeed look good for 6 months or a year, then it starts to bubble up or peel up from the edges. The only way take it off is with a heat gun from the opposite side, and a whole lot of scraping, then you'll have to remove all the adhesive after the tint comes off.

If you do decide to tackle the project yourself, I'd practice on something not attached to your house first.

-Kevin

 

[begreen]

I'm with Sandor. I'd install a blind system or solar shades on the windows to reduce the glare and heat. Tinting rarely looks correct on a residential home and might reduce property values. An alternative might be to add exterior awnings or maybe plant a large shade tree on the west or southwest side of the house.

http://www.theshadestore.com/product/solar-shade
(broken link removed to http://www.bestblinds.com/blinds_category/sun-control-shades.php?gclid=CNTknYvZ3o0CFRUHWAod1mO0mQ)

 

[Gunner]

I have venetian blinds and just planted a locust tree last week but it will be a few years before I get the benefit of it's shade.

What I like about the tint is being able to have the blinds open and enjoy the view without the heat, also the fact that you basically have one way glass during the day.

It just feels wrong drawing the blinds shut on a nice sunny day.

 

[Mike Wilson]

Three words...

Hunter Douglas Architella.

-- Mike

 

[karl]

I had a friend who tinted car windows as way to pay for college. I helped him some. Car windows are a pain because they are curved. He was great at it and I got where I was fair. I could do a good job it just took me alot longer. He also did residential windows a few times and asked me to help him, mainly because the sheets were so big. Flat glass is piece cake. Just make sure to really clean the windows well before you start and to keep the film wet while you're working it. As for the edges, I'm not sure. We used Lumar tint on cars and left no gaps and never had a problem. They say to leave a small gap on flat windows to allow for expansion of the glass. They even sell a little trimming tool that makes a perfect 1/16 inch gap. Also, if you don't want the tinted look, they sell clear tint that still gives you the ultraviolet heat rejection. My advice is to make sure you buy a good quality tint and take your time.

 

[begreen]

I have venetian blinds and just planted a locust tree last week but it will be a few years before I get the benefit of it's shade.

What I like about the tint is being able to have the blinds open and enjoy the view without the heat, also the fact that you basically have one way glass during the day.

It just feels wrong drawing the blinds shut on a nice sunny day.

I can see your point, but first, check out the posted links. They're for solar shades, not blinds. The nice thing is you can roll them up on cloudy days. Tinting is relatively permanent. There are alternatives that will allow you to have your cake and eat it too.

 

[cbrodsky]

I used to live in Austin Texas, and the common method there was "solar screens." These are just like normal removable window screens execpt the black screen grid is slightly thicker and the holes are a bit smaller. You can still see outside just fine and they definitely made a big difference in heat gain.

We had a two-story living room with 2 rows of three large windows - the bottom ones had the screens but the top three were the only windows in the house that didn't. You could feel a tremendous difference coming down the stairs as you got past the sun coming through the top windows vs. bottom solar screened windows. A couple months into my first summer, I went out and bought the screen kits and installed them on the upper window and it was a huge improvement in overall comfort in the living room. Also a dirt cheap solution - probably less than any other option discussed here except maybe miniblinds.

-Colin