THE Window Thread (merged)

dbarberic · Heavy Crude Joined: Sep 27, 2005 Posts: 240

Thought I'd share my review of the heat control window film by Gila.

http://www.gilafilms.com/Residential/window-film-heat-platinum.htm

My south facing windows let in a ton of heat during the summer sun and my wife wanted to buy roll down window shades for the patio door and side windows. I was against the shade because I always felt that a dark room was depressing and I liked being able to see outside. I decided to try Gila Window Film which promised to block out 70% of the heat and blocks 99% of UV rays.

I purchased the film at Lowe's and installed with the help of my wife last summer. I have modern sealed double pane windows, but the instructions say that it can be installed on single or double panes too.

Huge difference in the amount of heat that is blocked! I was so impressed with its performance that I installed the film on all of my south facing windows during this winter. Last week on a 92 degree hot and humid day, I was able to close all the windows in the morning, trapping the cool air in the house and then go nearly the whole day without A/C. Only towards the early evening did the house finally heat up and the A/C was used, which cooled down very quickly and ran occasionally in very short spurts. I credit the improvement to the window film.

The only downside that I can see is that if you live in a cold climate you will not experience the warming effect of the sun on a sunny winter day. The film claims that it reflects 55% of winter heat back in, but I’m not so sure that it is enough to offset the loss of solar heating.

I live in Northern Ohio, but I do not have an issue with the loss of solar heat. I run my wood stove and value being cool on a hot and humid 92 degree day over putting on an extra layer in the winter.

This product would be great for those living in mid to southern states were winters are non-existent or very mild.

Overall I’d recommend it as one of the lower cost energy saving items.

uNkNowN ElEmEnt

I bought something like this at wal-mart for $13 CDN a roll. Its great you can get it in different tints, I got the reflective one but you can get a dark, black looking one. I loved it but make sure you don't clean it with anything other than vinegar and water. No windex etc.

TommyJefferson

Cool. Thanks for the heads-up. Looks like an inexpensive and easy addition.
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FoxV · Last edited by FoxV on Thu Jun 08, 2006 12:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

gees dbarberic you beat me to it, I was going to post a window tint review topic just as soon as I got some stuff off my plate.

I've installed this window tint from Real Goods (lots of neat stuff in there).

This window tint is rated for 60% sun blocking, 40% indoor heat blocking. I've placed it on my unshaded East and West windows, and so far for the summer part I would say that 60% blocking is correct. Our AC use to be totally over powered by the late afternoon sun resulting in a 4-5C heat rise with the AC fully on. Now the heat rise is only about 1-2C (our AC is very old, but window tint is cheaper than replacing it).

As for the dimming effect of the tint, the tint is a bit darker than regular low-E windows (typically seen in office buildings). It actually gives the rooms a nice amber glow to them. However on cloudy days it can be a bit gloomy (although you get use to it after a while).

This window tint also has the advantage that it does not require an adhesive, and can be removed and re-applied if needed. This also makes removing bubbles no problems if they develope

I have also looked into this tinting (full selection here). This window tint is very effective, however it is also VERY dark. It will turn your window into a one-way mirror. During the day your room is on the see through side, but during the night you are on the mirrored side (great for you narcissists). Their Reflective series of tints are also pretty good for keeping out the sun, but all but the Light silver is pretty dark (get samples before buying)
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FoxV

btw dbarberic, how much effect did your tinting have on the lighting of the room
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uNkNowN ElEmEnt

two tips for putting this stuff on; you are supposed to use a soap solution, its better if its so soapy (not too much mind you) that its more goey than wet. I use pink solution to apply this stuff.

this lets you kind of move it a bit as you are applying it.

tip 2: make sure the window is really clean and the sun isn't hot and shining brightly the day you do it. then use a wet sponge with more soap on it to wipe the bubbles out from under it.

FoxV

dbarberic · Heavy Crude Joined: Sep 27, 2005 Posts: 240

Frank

We used to use something like this on a south-facing sunroom during summer months. It worked well.

BrownDog

We live in a warm climate, I can definitely feel a benefit to the film. I applied it to the south and west facing windows, as it helps keep the hot summer sun from overheating the house.

As for applying it, I used baby shampoo/water solution, and it worked well. The real tricky part for me was getting the window completely clean, so you don't have little pieces of lint between the film and the glass when it dries. I used coffee filters during cleaning, which worked well.

And_over · Tar Sands Joined: May 30, 2006 Posts: 45

Does anyone know of a good way to keep heat from escaping through windows? This would be for New England winters. I've heard that two panes filled with argon is a very effective insulator, but is this true or are there easier ways to insulate the windows?

Frank

I use some of that shrinking plastic stuff on north windows in our house. Insulated curtains are supposed to work well also.

Laughs_Last · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jul 26, 2005 Posts: 851

[deleted by author]

Peakprepper · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 15, 2006 Posts: 104

Anyone know if we can get this in the UK?

HamRadioRocks · Heavy Crude Joined: Jul 19, 2006 Posts: 108

Some of the windows on the southwest and northwest faces of my house are exposed to direct sunlight due to the lack of a tree or awning to provide shade. (Since I rent, I'm not authorized to make home improvements.)

So I just taped aluminum foil to the interior of these windows. The blinds don't do the best job of shading - they are beige and only partially obscure the direct sunlight. Aluminum foil, on the other hand, is opaque and also reflects the sunlight AWAY from the house. Since less direct sunlight can get in, the rooms should heat up less. If I really want to be a purist, I'd cover the glass entirely, but I'm leaving small gaps between the window frames and the foil coverings to let in a little bit of light.

I'm surprised that none of the experts on energy conservation suggest this. This is a cheap and easy solution. I also figured that if aluminum foil works well for the window shade in the car, it should work well for the house as well.