Residential Window Tinting. Has anyone tried it? (California: hardwood floors, credit)

[MocoJulie]

With the recent heat wave, my husband and I have been seriously considering having residential window tint installed in our home. I've read that it can help drastically reduce heat and cut down on glare. Has anyone had this done to their home and what was your overall experience with its effectiveness?

[existence]

Last year I had window tint installed in my home because my energy bill was out of control. It was without a doubt worth the investment. Not only does the film reduce energy costs, I definitely noticed a reduction in the glare entering my home and the fading of my hardwood floors.



The company I hired and highly recommend was District Solar which is based out of Maryland. When the film was being installed, Bill the owner had me stand behind both a treated window and an untreated window and you could easily feel difference.

[molukai]

Thanks for the tip, existence! How much does District Solar charge? Did you shop around on pricing?

[macroy]

Had it done a few years ago. It's more effective in reducing UV damage to furniture and floors than it is at reflecting heat. I'm not going to say it doesn't work at all, but we've seen little result in terms of heating/cooling costs. So "will drastically reduce heat" is probably a bit of a stretch.

The biggest factor is how well insulated your house is to begin with. If you have cracks/leaks or windows that don't insulate very well... applying tinting isn't going to help a whole lot. I've also read that you really want to block the sun from ever reaching the interior of the house (the tints are adhered on the inside of your windows). I guess this is why most of the solar shade used in the desert SW are exterior. That's not really an option here in the mid-atlantic as you'll have a moldy sail around the house with the local climate.

Also - tinting does little in terms of the winter time. If you go the traditional route (blinds, shades etc.), you at least will also have added insulation around the windows (again, it depends on the quality of your windows to begin with)?

Not saying its not the right solution for you. But having done it in the past, if I was going to do it again, I would probably just opt for shades. Its more manual, but its also more proven to work.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by macroy

But having done it in the past, if I was going to do it again, I would probably just opt for shades. Its more manual, but its also more proven to work.

There are motorized shades which could be put on timers, or maybe solar-control devices.

[existence]

Molukai out of all of the authorized Llumar dealers that I had quotes from, District Solar had the best price and was able to begin the installation that same week. Keep in mind, I had one company tell me they were booked for a 2 months. I always get a little nervous when choosing a company with the lowest bid because my paranoia tells me there has to be a reason. Not the case here. I watched them cut the plastic ties from a new box and the quality of the installation was wonderful. (No bubbles and invisible gaps)

Macroy I don't know how you can say that window shades are more proven to work? The window shade industry has never received energy star approvals for their products nor has anyone ever been given tax credits for having window shades installed. The reason is because shades don't reject heat, shades simply trap heat after it's already entered your home.

I read that California is the first state to add window film into its building code. http://www.businesswire.com/news/California-Nation-Add-Window-Film-Building-Code

Maryland should consider doing the same.

[Renznceman]

Residential window tinting? I thought darkened windows was something that only the ghetto fabulous did to Escalades and other pimped-out rides. Sure you're not tryin' to hide something??

[macroy]

Originally Posted by existence

Molukai out of all of the authorized Llumar dealers that I had quotes from, District Solar had the best price and was able to begin the installation that same week. Keep in mind, I had one company tell me they were booked for a 2 months. I always get a little nervous when choosing a company with the lowest bid because my paranoia tells me there has to be a reason. Not the case here. I watched them cut the plastic ties from a new box and the quality of the installation was wonderful. (No bubbles and invisible gaps)

Macroy I don't know how you can say that window shades are more proven to work? The window shade industry has never received energy star approvals for their products nor has anyone ever been given tax credits for having window shades installed. The reason is because shades don't reject heat, shades simply trap heat after it's already entered your home.

I read that California is the first state to add window film into its building code. http://www.businesswire.com/news/California-Nation-Add-Window-Film-Building-Code

Maryland should consider doing the same.

I should have indicated that its my own opinion/experience. In essence, the variations in temperature of the rooms that have tinting vs. those that have shades are enough that I feel - in my home - the shades are doing more of the work. Again, that's just my perception. There are certainly a number of pros to tinting, UV, glare, privacy... but for cooling/heating, I don't think it provides as much 'real-life' benefit as touted. Again, I know there are other factors in play - just offering my opinion that the OP should do their research first.