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home window tint

C

chipy

Golden Member
hey guys,

it's summer again and it's getting pretty hot here in texas. i'm wanting to put tint on my house windows but don't want to pay $$$ for a professional installation with top-of-the-line tint. also, since i like to work with my hands i would like to try it out myself. i'm wondering if anyone has ever done tinting by themselves and if so, any tips or product/brand recommendations are welcome.

thanks

chipy
 
I've never even heard of window tints on houses. I've seen people use drapes, shutters, etc to keep the sun out though!
 
Tint is useless, i put limo tint on my half moon window and it did squat. So i got a big piece of cardboard and cut it out to shape and it blocks everything.
 
Yes you can tint your house windows.

It is easier than tinting car windows, because the glass (normally) doesn't have curves.

However, it is harder than tinting car windows, because there is a lot more of it.

If you've never used window tint before, I'd consider hiring a pro to do it... it'll make a huge mess, you'll ruin a few sheets of the stuff (as soon as it creases, it's no good) and at the prices you'll probably pay to buy it retail, you _might_ not end up saving that much money. (although I'm honestly not sure, don't know what the going rate is for pro tinting)

Having said all that - you can get "static cling" window tint film, which is a lot easier to put on and deal with - but I'm not sure if it is NEARLY as efficient and energy-rejecting as the standard type. I've tinted (small) house and car windows before, and when I moved into my most recent home, I decided to just use the static cling type as an experiment..which is when I learned that my house windows aren't glass, and most tint won't stick to non-glass windows. 🙁
 
flot,

thanks for the input... i guess i'll have to look around for products. i heard the going rate for professional tinting is kinda expensive but i'll look it up firsthand to make sure. i got tinting on my car windows and it helps so i thought i'd try them on my house... that way i can see outside and still have some sun-blockage.

thanks

chipy
 
this is the stuff you can get at lowes or home depot..

Text

There are instructions on how to do it here...you should to use the blades that snap off off in sections and use a new section for each window...dulled blades will make the job much harder...i would also recommend using their solution (bottle is like $4).

i put the mirror privacy tint on my windows...

i had friends that have tinted cars before, so i had some idea of what I was doing...it may not be worth it doing it yourself if you haven't done it before...

here is how it turned out:

outside
 
keep in mind that at night, if there is more light inside your house than outside (like normal) your windows will be mirrored on the inside instead of out. This was the case with our old house, but maybe they've made improvements in tinting technology since then.
 
Originally posted by: jteef
keep in mind that at night, if there is more light inside your house than outside (like normal) your windows will be mirrored on the inside instead of out. This was the case with our old house, but maybe they've made improvements in tinting technology since then.
Click to expand...

nope it is still the same....we just close the blinds at night...
 
I did it to a bunch of my west facing windows. It takes time, but once you get used to it you can move along at a pretty good clip. The company I ordered from is in California, they have several tints available in different lengths and widths. Your order comes with all of the tools and a video to show you how to do it. They also sent me a sample pack of all of their tints. I taped them up to see what they looked like from the outside and after narrowing down the colors, I chose the one with the best protection ratings.

I didn't go with the Lowe's product because 1) the widths were not big enough for my windows and 2) the ratings (yes, different colors of tint have different ratings) weren't that good.

Here is the company. Let me know if you have any questions.

Oh and if I remember I paid somewhere between $400 and $600 for the tint.
 
You need to be careful when applying films to home windows, especially double- or triple-pane windows. These films are typically applied on the interior of the window and some manufacturers have noticed that they tend to cause the seals that maintain the rarified gas separating the window panes to break down.
 
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