Home window tint, also called solar window film, goes on the inside of the glass and changes how much heat, glare and UV gets through. For most homes it's a fraction of the cost of new windows. Here's what it does.
More comfortable rooms
Sunny rooms overheat because glass lets the sun's heat straight in. Solar film rejects a large share of it, up to about 80% with reflective films, which evens out hot spots and makes rooms usable on summer afternoons.
Lower cooling costs
Less heat coming in means your air conditioning runs less. Savings are largest on south- and west-facing windows in hot climates. Low-E films also help in winter by reflecting room heat back inside. See how much home tint costs and how fast it pays back.
Film or new windows?
Replacing windows costs many times more per window than film, and it takes years of energy savings to pay back. Historic-preservation groups such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation have long argued that improving existing windows, with film, weatherstripping and storm windows, usually pays back faster than replacing them.
UV protection
Nearly all quality films block 99% of UV rays, even clear ones. That protects your skin when you sit by a window, and slows the fading of floors, furniture, rugs and art. If you like your windows as they are, clear UV film gives the protection with almost no visible change.
Less glare
Glare on TVs and computer screens is one of the most common reasons people call us. A light or medium film takes the edge off bright sun without making the room dark.
Less to dust
Film cuts glare and heat without heavy curtains or blinds, which collect dust. That's a small but real help if someone in the house has allergies or asthma.
Privacy
- Reflective films give daytime privacy: you see out, people outside see a mirror. The effect reverses at night when the lights are on inside.
- Frosted and decorative films give privacy day and night while letting light in. Good for bathrooms, front doors and street-facing windows. See decorative window film.
Safety
Film helps hold broken glass together, reducing the risk of injury from shards. Thicker security films also slow down break-ins. Clear film applied to glass doors can make them more visible, which helps prevent people walking into them.
Looks
A uniform film across all windows gives a house a clean, consistent look from the street and hides mismatched blinds or curtains.
Where to start
See our picks by need, compare the types of window film, or browse home and office film.
Photo: Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
