A recent news article titled, Keep your condo cool if you want to garner a sizzling sale price, had me thinking about this comparison between a new air conditioner unit or window tint for a hot room.   Here is an exerpt:

So by now we are all wondering when this heat wave is going to break and give us some relief but for those of you selling, the heat can make your condo feel like a sauna. Here are some tips to cool your place down and keep buyers happy when then come through your home.

Usually, window film is recommended for your own personal enjoyment and comfort while living in your home.   I have forgotten that there is value of installing home tint that can be added to the sales price of your home just like any other home improvement.  Not to mention, home tint is an project that pays for itself.

Just a quick comparison to understand why window tint is strongly recommended by more and more people.  A standard window-mount 10,000 BTU AC unit would cost around $350 plus another $150 for installation for a total of $500.  This single AC unit can cool a medium to large room effectively.  For $500, you can purchase 200 square feet of professional grade window film at $2.50 a square foot that can block 99% UV and 65% of solar heat.  Assuming medium sized window dimensions of 3 feet by 4 feet, this would be approximately be around 16 windows that can be tinted.

Sixteen windows could be an entire floor of tinted windows!  Not to mention, tinted windows does not add to your monthly electrical bill to work.  The comparison becomes even more obvious when you consider some of the other options such as a new high efficiency AC unit ($5k-$12k) or new energy efficient windows ($200-$300 per window).

AOL Autos recently wrote up an article about ways to keep your car cool.

Window tinting is very effective in lowering interior temperatures. However, there are different rules regulating window tinting for every state. Some states prohibit tinting of the front windows so police officers can see into a vehicle during a traffic stop. Other states allow tinting, but the degree of tinting is defined, which varies from state to state. So before having your vehicle’s windows tinted, check with your state DMV to make sure you don’t break any laws.

It is nice to see that the effectiveness of window tint is starting to be realized by mainstream media.  Window tint is not just for the young and reckless who want to look cool, the criminals who have something to hide, or the celebrities protecting their privacy.  There is a very practical use to window tint to protect your own health from the heat and UV of the harsh sun.

It is true that each state has its own individual tint laws regarding what is legal and what is not.  Be sure to check out the tint laws in your state before you tint.

Well written article about low-e window film at grist.org.

The author sidesteps the issue of endorsing the film on home improvement stores in the original question.  Low-E film is a very specific type of window film.  It is best to purchase it from a reputable brand like SolarGard, Llumar, SunTek, etc… rather than using the non-professional brands from home improvement stores.

The article also states:

Low-e films should last about 10-15 years, can save you up to 10 percent of your electric bill, and can be applied without too much trouble on a small window but should be professionally smoothed on a larger window.

Window film application is not rocket science as demonstrated by this home tint installation video.  The most common error is not using enough of soapy water between the film and the  glass.  Without enough of this barrier, the film cannot move and slide into place.

The rule of thumb that we have been advising DIY window tinters is that any normal sized window that is less wide than your arms outstretched would not be that difficult to tint.  Windows wider than your arms outstretched will be easiest with two people.

It is refreshing to see that a company does more than just sell a product. A recent article about Huper Optik who took a change in office space as also an opportunity to establish themselves as a energy efficiency leader.

“This was an opportunity to take an existing space and convert it into a green space, so that we’re not just selling green, but we’re organizationally, and in attitude, green internally,” Nazir says. “We have to live it, rather than just sell it.”

No matter where you come down in the climate change shouting match, it cannot be argued that using less energy saves you money.  If there are energy efficient products that pay you back during its lifetime, it doesn’t take a financial genius to consider this during your purchasing decision.

Great signs for window film getting through to a broader audience in this article about a students pursuing a MBA at Climate Corps is evaluating installing window film.

Well, we’re MBA students, so that’s a start. But the bigger issue is that window film is expensive: I have seen estimates ranging from $3 to $12 per square foot (PG&E [PDF] does a good job of providing some ranges).

This can stall the conversation in leased buildings where the tenant pays the energy bills. In long lease situations, this may not be a problem: 3M says it generally takes two to six years for the energy savings to pay back the initial investment. However, in situations like mine where there is uncertainty over how long the company will remain in the building and where there are a lot of windows, the return on investment will be critical.

Tintcenter comment:

$12 is too high for window tint.  I know people think that they are buying a premium window film for this price, and indeed they are; however, the difference between performance between a $12 and a quality $4 film is only 10-15%.  Whereas the price difference is 200%.  Is this worth the cost?

Correspondingly, the payback period lengthens to 6 years when a $12 film is installed due to the high cost of the film.  TintCenter continues to recommend buying efficiently priced quality home tint and keeping the payback period around 2-3 years after installation.

Great article form the Hometown Annapolis newspaper detailing the steps you can take to keep a room cool:

1. Turn on the ceiling fan
2. Go from Auto to On for your AC fan only
3. Apply window film to windows

I agree with all the suggestions; however, I would rank the window film slightly higher to #2.  The reasoning is that the money spent on electricity can never be re-couped.  Whereas the money spent on window film can be earned back within 2-3 years by reduced electrical consumption.

There is only one point in the article I strongly object to:

It doesn’t have metal and hurls the heat out in summer and helps keep it in the house in winter. It’s called the Prestige Series and comes in at $8 to $12 a square foot of glass, depending upon the difficulty of application. So figure about 100 bucks a window and don’t forget the skylight.

$8 to $12 a sqauare foot is an extremely high price to pay for window film.  I wish the author of the piece did some more research to give a range of possible window film options.  This range should also include installing quality film in a DIY project.  Quality DIY window tint that is custom-cut to the sizes a homeowner needs range from $2.15 to $2.65 a square foot.  The application process for window film is really not very complex.  SnapTint.com provides an excellent window tint installation video that quickly explains the process.

At these DIY prices compared to the $8 to $12 for a professional, a homeowner can afford to install every window themselves 3-5 times over!

This is an excerpt from an excellent and lengthy article in the HeraldTribune.com detailing the various options for protection in hurricane-prone areas.   Often times, readers have the mental image of bulletproof glass in their minds.  They believe that the safety film product can just be added to a window to make it bulletproof.  This is a fallacy.

Window films have long been marketed erroneously for hurricane protection. In 2005, the International Window Film Association sent a notice to the Florida Attorney General’s Office warning that such films were not hurricane-proof.

But some companies, including several in Southwest Florida, still market the product as an alternative, rather than a supplement to standard hurricane protection.

“Unlike shutters or plywood, window film does not need to be installed each time a storm approaches,” claims a Sarasota-based company called The Window Film Specialists.

The company Web site compares film to shutters and cites numerous tests and approvals for the film, none of which include the Florida Building Code.

But company manager Randy Faust said the firm makes sure customers understand what they are buying.

“It’s not as strong as hurricane shutters; we don’t want anyone to be misled,” Faust said.

This is an excellent and researched opinion regarding the use of safety window film against hurricane damage.  TintCenter has always advised users that write in regarding safety films and hurricanes that safety film do offer some level of protection, safety film should not be relied as the primary defense against severe hurricane damage.  Safety window film should be thought of as secondary defense with benefits like holding together shattered glass in the event of substantial damage.

Despite the benefits to window tinting, you often hear the negative stereotype that the only people tinting their windows are criminals.  This is far from the truth, as people of all types and backgrounds are choosing to tint their cars for UV and heat rejection.  Although a tinted car may make police feel much more cautious when approaching as the occupants may not be visible, I do believe that this stereotype is severely overplayed. TintCenter enjoyed a recent window tint rant by the LRC blog

As of July 1, Florida cops are permitted to impose about a $100 fine for each person in a vehicle who is not wearing a seat belt.  So tinted windows, which are pervasive in Florida, are seen as a major obstruction to tax collection.  Just in case the Booboisee might object, the news show put on the screen an A-K47 that was allegedly taken from a car with — you guessed it — tinted windows. It just stands to reason, then, that the Florida legislature should outlaw curtains and all other forms of home window coverings.  Who knows what heinous crimes might be committed behind those curtains!

I repeatedly express my admiration for the people in uniform including our cops on the streets, but I subscribe to the greater good theory.  In 2008, around 130 cops die in the line of duty of which a small percentage is due to tinted cars.  On the other hand, consider these facts about skin cancer in the US:

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than one million skin cancers are diagnosed annually.
• Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
• Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the two major forms of non-melanoma skin cancer. Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have either skin cancer at least once.
• In 2004, the total direct cost associated with the treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers was more than $1 billion.
• About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
• Up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun.
• Contrary to popular belief, 80 percent of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is not acquired before age 18; only about 23 percent of lifetime exposure occurs by age 18.

It is pretty clear which side is the “greater good”.

Although it sounds like a joke, but there is really is decorative window film designed with the leaves of the marijuana plant.  Sold by hipstuffnow.com, the Pot Leaf Window Film is an excellent addition to any home a way to subtly express your recreational activities.   Thanks to windowfilmmag.com for bringing this unique product to our attention.

On a serious note, decorative film is a great product to add privacy to your windows at the same time as a decorative touch.  Decorative films come in slightly varying flavors, some come with adhesive backing, others utilize static cling to stay on the glass.  Both types are easy to instasll and can add meaningful accents to bathrooms, kitchens, and even home offices.

I recently read an article by the Skin Cancer Foundation regarding their recommendations to help prevent skin damage in children.  I am happy to see that in one passage, the foundation explicitly recommends window film as a way to help protect our children:

Infants 0-6 months: Infants under 6 months of age should be kept out of the sun. Their skin is too sensitive for sunscreen. An infant’s skin possesses little melanin, the pigment that gives color to skin, hair and eyes and provides some sun protection. Therefore, babies are especially susceptible to the sun’s damaging effects. o Use removable mesh window shields to keep direct sunlight from coming in through the windows of your car or invest in UV window film, which can screen almost 100 percent of ultraviolet radiation without reducing visibility.

Many people have told me that glass itself naturally blocks UV, and questioned whether the claim that window film has any added benefit.  I would like to clear the air regarding this issue.

There are three different types of UV rays.  UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C.  UV-C is naturally blocked by our ozone layer.

Although it is true that glass naturally blocks a percentage of UV-B.  UV-B rays are shorter in wavelength and are also known as “tanning” rays since they cause the tanning effect and sunburn.

Glass does not naturally block UV-A rays.  UV-A rays cause premature aging in skin.  Additionally, recent studies have shown that both UV-A and UV-B contribute to cancer risk in both children and adults.

Some frightening statistics about skin cancer:

• more than 1 million cases of skin cancer is diagnosed annually
• 1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer

Now the good news.  Quality window film blocks both 99% of UV-A and UV-B rays.  So not only does window film improve comfort inside your home or car, it also is a green product that reduces your energy usage.  Finally, window film also protects your health.