Greetings all!

I have a recreation room/lounge in my house that receives too much
light in the morning through some large windows, and in the afternoon
through some large sliding doors. When we were decorating this space,
we put up some nice-looking "matchstick" blinds which cut the glare
okay, but we could really use more help cutting down on the blazing
Southern California sun.

I am considering using one of those window film products that you cut
to the desired size and apply yourself. They may or may not be
vinyl...they are probably some form of space-age miracle textile or
another. They are alleged to cut out some amount of light, harmful
UVA rays, protect furniture, etc.

Can anyone recommend any brands or versions of this product that I
should consider, or things I should be aware of as I pursue this
project? Since this is kind of a basement lounge (albeit a mostly
above-ground basement...thus the light), I am not quite as obsessively
concerned about the aesthetics of this product as I might otherwise
be, but I don't like the "mirrored" variety of this film at all. I am
also less concerned about heat issues...mostly light.

Thanks in advance for any advice at all!

Chuck

"Dolchas" wrote in message
om...
Greetings all!

I have a recreation room/lounge in my house that receives too much
light in the morning through some large windows, and in the afternoon
through some large sliding doors. When we were decorating this space,
we put up some nice-looking "matchstick" blinds which cut the glare
okay, but we could really use more help cutting down on the blazing
Southern California sun.

I am considering using one of those window film products that you cut
to the desired size and apply yourself. They may or may not be
vinyl...they are probably some form of space-age miracle textile or
another. They are alleged to cut out some amount of light, harmful
UVA rays, protect furniture, etc.

Can anyone recommend any brands or versions of this product that I
should consider, or things I should be aware of as I pursue this
project? Since this is kind of a basement lounge (albeit a mostly
above-ground basement...thus the light), I am not quite as obsessively
concerned about the aesthetics of this product as I might otherwise
be, but I don't like the "mirrored" variety of this film at all. I am
also less concerned about heat issues...mostly light.

We had same objectives, and had CPFilms Inc "Soft Horizons" (this is the
line) "Vista" (this is the model) window film installed. It comes in a
great confusion of properties and darkness, so get a number of samples to
hold up on a sunny day, to get a feel for amt of light transmitted.
Installation is a bit tricky, and I'm glad I had it done. If you dont do it
yourself, get several estimates, and check with BBB before committing. There
is a lot of fraud in the business - it is a huge business, and reminds me of
the replacement window types, which also must be screened with caution..This
film rejects 56 per cent of solar energy, 99.9 per cent of UV rays. Has good
optical clarity. From outside, the treated windows reflect much more light,
so the difference in treated rooms is fairly obvious from the outside - the
only downside. We used it to help keep color retention in rugs, and artwork
on walls. Room is also noticeably cooler. We love it. First we had
miniblinds, but didnt like the effect, so just went with film. Prior to
install, window must be razor-bladed and cleaned throroughly, or interior
film will not stick, and bubbles will appear.

You may want to consider a couple of possible problems with these
products. There have been a small number of reports of damage to thermopane
type windows due to the uneven heating of the two window surfaces when using
this type of product. The other problem which we seem even more of is the
problem of removing the film if you decide you don't want it or if it starts
to deteriorate.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math



Dolchas wrote:
Greetings all!

I have a recreation room/lounge in my house that receives too much
light in the morning through some large windows, and in the afternoon
through some large sliding doors. When we were decorating this space,
we put up some nice-looking "matchstick" blinds which cut the glare
okay, but we could really use more help cutting down on the blazing
Southern California sun.

I am considering using one of those window film products that you cut
to the desired size and apply yourself. They may or may not be
vinyl...they are probably some form of space-age miracle textile or
another. They are alleged to cut out some amount of light, harmful
UVA rays, protect furniture, etc.

Can anyone recommend any brands or versions of this product that I
should consider, or things I should be aware of as I pursue this
project? Since this is kind of a basement lounge (albeit a mostly
above-ground basement...thus the light), I am not quite as obsessively
concerned about the aesthetics of this product as I might otherwise
be, but I don't like the "mirrored" variety of this film at all. I am
also less concerned about heat issues...mostly light.

Thanks in advance for any advice at all!

Chuck

Dolchas wrote:

I am considering using one of those window film products that you
cut to the desired size and apply yourself.

Can anyone recommend any brands or versions of this product that I
should consider, or things I should be aware of as I pursue this
project?

Judging solely from my father-in-law's application thereof, they wrinkle and
scratch easily. But he is a hack, screws up everything.

--
dadiOH
_____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
____________________________

Some of the other replies reminded me of two add'l things:

If you choose to go with film, wash windows with clean soapy semi-dry sponge
and a rubber squeegee. Do not use any paper product to clean them, as this
is, after all, plastic.

Also, I second the comment about double pane windows, as films can raise
temp. inside panes, possibly affecting performance, and window warrantee.
Our windows were single pane, so this didn't apply.

Hello again,

Those who responded to my query make good points about having these
window treatments professionally installed, and the very real
possibility of bubbles appearing and/or the film being difficult to
remove.

In the regular living area of our house (second floor and third
floor), we are planning to have just about all our windows
professionally replaced maybe within a year's time (the windows in our
house are very old and have appalling insulation capability). In the
"basement" (first floor...only partly below ground) where our rec room
is, it is possible...indeed likely...that the sliding glass doors and
the other large windows will be replaced when we replace all the other
windows in the house. But in the year or so it takes us to get around
to that project (we go from one huge project to another, and the
window replacement project currently enjoys around a mid-level
priority status) I don't want stuff to fade down there.

So I am willing to invest some money in this project, but since the
windows are likely to replaced in the not too distant future, I don't
want to pay the presumably astronomical cost of having some kind of
professional installation.

Thanks again!

Chuck

In article , Dolchas says...

Greetings all!

I have a recreation room/lounge in my house that receives too much
light in the morning through some large windows, and in the afternoon
through some large sliding doors. When we were decorating this space,
we put up some nice-looking "matchstick" blinds which cut the glare
okay, but we could really use more help cutting down on the blazing
Southern California sun.

I am considering using one of those window film products that you cut
to the desired size and apply yourself. They may or may not be
vinyl...they are probably some form of space-age miracle textile or
another. They are alleged to cut out some amount of light, harmful
UVA rays, protect furniture, etc.

Can anyone recommend any brands or versions of this product that I
should consider, or things I should be aware of as I pursue this
project? Since this is kind of a basement lounge (albeit a mostly
above-ground basement...thus the light), I am not quite as obsessively
concerned about the aesthetics of this product as I might otherwise
be, but I don't like the "mirrored" variety of this film at all. I am
also less concerned about heat issues...mostly light.

You might consider using a solar shade instead. This is the same type of film,
but is installed on a roll type window shade. This allows you to retract the
shade in the evening or when you want more sun. We previously had the adhesive
type installed on our windows and did not like the darkened views in the
evening. Solar shades darken only when you want them to. They come in a variety
of operating mechanisms.

My 2 cents...

There are two basic kinds of window film.

The most common is ultra thin and is carefully applied to the INSIDE of
windows. Made by 3M and others (carried by Home Depot & Lowes in the
Atlanta area). DIYers that are capable of following written instructions
can apply this stuff with few, if any wrinkles or other problems. I've done
it numerous times. The comments about cleaning the windows thoroughly,
applies here. The 3M brand can be removed easily while the other brand may
require some additional effort.

There is also a film that may be applied to either the inside or the outside
of the glass. Two years ago, when Home Depot couldn't provide me with 3M
film larger than 48" wide, they special ordered this stuff. It is probably
4 - 5 times thicker but appears to hold up when applied outdoors (so far).
It is not quite as free of distortion as the thin stuff but most visitors
could not tell they were looking through film.

"Dolchas" wrote in message
om...
Greetings all!

I have a recreation room/lounge in my house that receives too much
light in the morning through some large windows, and in the afternoon
through some large sliding doors. When we were decorating this space,
we put up some nice-looking "matchstick" blinds which cut the glare
okay, but we could really use more help cutting down on the blazing
Southern California sun.

I am considering using one of those window film products that you cut
to the desired size and apply yourself. They may or may not be
vinyl...they are probably some form of space-age miracle textile or
another. They are alleged to cut out some amount of light, harmful
UVA rays, protect furniture, etc.

Can anyone recommend any brands or versions of this product that I
should consider, or things I should be aware of as I pursue this
project? Since this is kind of a basement lounge (albeit a mostly
above-ground basement...thus the light), I am not quite as obsessively
concerned about the aesthetics of this product as I might otherwise
be, but I don't like the "mirrored" variety of this film at all. I am
also less concerned about heat issues...mostly light.

Thanks in advance for any advice at all!

Chuck