Kudos for for the educational marketing campaign by Evolution Window Films of Welland, Canada.  The owner installed window film for free for a class of Grade 3 students at a local elementary school.  In one stroke, he is protecting kids from heat and UV coming in from western-facing windows.

The education for the kids doesn’t stop here!  Evolution Films supplied students with thermometers prior to installation to measure temperatures on surfaces in the room.  Now the students can compare the difference in temperature prior to and after installation of window film.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

This press release from SolarGard caught my eye today.  It was titled SolarGard Releases Nanotech-based Window Film for Cars that Blocks 99% of UV Rays. Although this sounds impressive, does it really mean that much?

What some people do not know is that most quality window films block 95+% of UV rays. Maybe the difference is performance?

It is stated that the SolarGard Ultra film can block up to half of solar energy.  The same can be said about SolarGard’s line of HP car tint as well.

Finally, it is not mentioned is that the SolarGard Ultra product costs 2-3 times the price of conventional film.

So is nano-tech window film worth the price?

TintCenter recommends against using nanotech for car tint, unless your state tint laws or personal preference require the tint to be very light rather than dark.

Stratford County Jail decided to not only tint the 37 windows facing the sun, but the entire 164 windows of the complex.  The reason isn’t for solar rejection and energy efficiency, but rather jail inmates have displayed lewd behavior from inside their jail cells whether intentionally or unintentionally.   Apparently, jailed inmates need their privacy as well.

More details in the Foster’s Daily news article.