Watching the news last night, there was a funny report regarding an elevated park in Manhattan that put pedestrians at eye level with some floor to ceiling hotel windows. The problem being that exhibitionist hotel guests may accidentally or intentionally put on a show for all to see!

Most residential and office window film can be installed in these hotels will provide complete privacy for the hotel’s guest as they enjoy their room during the day; however, at night, there does not exist a window film that will provide complete one-way privacy. The exhibitionists will still win!

For so many people, the immediate reaction is… no true! What about all those police movies where people are looking through a one-way glass at the interrogation without the suspect’s knowledge? In these instances, the room that the suspect is interrogated is well lit, and the room behind the one-way glass is kept dark. This setup ensures that little light makes it through the privacy film for the suspect to see, whereas, everything happening with the suspect is visible.

In the hotel scenario, persistent exhibitionists can keep their hotel rooms bright. During the day, the hotel room’s lights cannot compete with the sun, but at night, pedestrians will still be able to see most of the show!

In the middle of a very well written article about keeping cool and lowering energy bills contains 4 paragraphs about window films:

The same holds true with 3M’s Prestige series of performance window films, which preserve the view from inside the home. They allow natural light into the home while blocking up to 97 percent of the sun’s heat.

…

Prestige comes with a lifetime warranty against bubbling, peeling and color change. It costs about $9 to $11 a square foot, depending on the scope of the job and style of window.

While it is great to see window films deservedly making it into articles such as this, I am continually disturbed to see that only the most expensive films are being written about.  The 3M marketing manager in this case has a new high-end film product they wish to publicize; however, I think most of the newspaper audience would be scared away by a product that costs $9 to $11 per square foot especially in these hard economic times.

It is just my opinion, but I believe the reader would be better served by a true range of costs for window film.  Here is a comparison between Prestige and what TC thinks is the best bang for buck window film in 2009.

3M Prestige films

• Blocks 50-59% of total solar energy.
• Costs $9-$11 per square foot.

Suntek  Symphony Neutral

• Blocks 50-80% of solar energy
• Costs $2.65 per square foot for DIY install (Additional 30% off tax credit available)
• Costs $5-$6 per square foot for professional install

With this information, I feel consumers are better able to make a cost-effective choice regarding window film purchases.

Sun safety should be practiced at all stages in life.  From infants to adults, it has been shown that your risk for skin cancer later in life increases in direct proportion to the amount of sun over-exposure.  Sun safety is especially important for infants and babies whose skin contain just a little melanin, the pigment in the skin that offers protection from the sun.  Without this added layer of protection, the child is much more susceptible to sub burns.  Parents should try to monitor exposure at all times whether the child is out in the open, in the car, or even at home near windows.

TPGonlinedaily has tips regarding child sun safety.  One tip recommends installing window tint on the windows in the car.  If you do not like the “Dark” look of window tintint, there is UV blocking film that is completely clear without any tint added.   These films do not have as good heat-rejection qualities as film with heavier tinting, but they do block 99% of UV radiation.   These clear UV window tint is available for purchase at SnapTint.com.

Of course, some exposure to sunlight does good to the body.  Your skin requires 10-15 minutes of sunlight every day for your body to  manufacture the a daily dose of vitamin D.  A natural source of vitamin D is cod liver oil which can be used to supplement your body’s protection.  Beyond this 10-15 minutes every day, practice sun safety with window film, sunblock, and your common sense.

Readers sometimes write in ask about the differences between static cling film and standard window film.  Here is a comparison of the various factors you should consider when making a decision between the two types of window films.

Solar Heat Rejection Performance

Winner: Regular Window Tint

Static cling film is not as reflective as standard adhesive-based window tint.  This causes heat to be absorbed rather than reflected away from inside the house.  After periods of absorbing heat, sooner or later this heat will be transferred into the home as well.

Due to its non-reflective nature, static cling film should not be installed on dual pane windows unlike regular window tint.  This problem is especially troublesome as the standard for windows now are dual-pane construction.

UV Rejection Performance

Winner: Tie

Both types of film are generally block 99% of UV radiation.

Preserving your Window’s View

Winner: Regular Window Tint

The optical clarity of regular window film is much better than the thicker but removeable static cling film.  When installed, regular window tint looks as if there is nothing on the window at all, whereas there will be minor to major optical distortions with static cling films.

Installation and Maintenance

Winner: Tie

The major win for static cling film is that it is removeable; however, there are also negatives with this feature.  Due to its static nature, it is likely to adhere to dust and small debris particles.  When removing and reinstalling, great care needs to be taken to make sure that the film is kept clean before the next install.  Once static cling film is dirty, it is quite hard to get it clean again.

On the other hand, although regular window tint cannot be removed, the installation methodology for both films are nearly the same.  After installation, regular window tint does not need any special maintenance besides avoiding using harsh window cleaner or ammonia based products on it.

Winter Performance

Winner: Static Cling Film

This is where static cling film really shines.  Once removed, the winter sun can help warm up your home.  With regular window tint, the sun will continue to be weakened by the window tint.  Although regular window tint provides some insulation to the windows, this insulation effect is not as substantial.