Five Ways Tinted Window Films Can Benefit Your Home

Tinted residential windows do more than just provide privacy. See some of the benefits offered by different types of film products to help you select the best tinted window film option for your specific needs.

1. Decrease Your Home Energy Usage

Lowering your home's energy usage saves you money while also making your home much more environmentally friendly. Most homeowners employ multiple tactics to lower energy usage, but all too often the windows are overlooked even though they are responsible for a lot of the thermal exchange between indoors and outdoors.

Tinting the windows can lower summer cooling costs because tint can reflect sunlight so it doesn't heat up the house as readily. The energy performance rating is labeled on the film by the National Fenestration Rating Council, so you can easily compare how different films perform in the realm of blocking solar gain.

There are many tinted films on the market that can increase energy efficiency. Standard tinted films will block some solar gain, while multi-layered films can provide a bit of insulation as well as sun blocking. There are also low-emissivity tinted film options. These films block solar gain and also provide some thermal blocking capabilities that decrease heat loss in the winter.

2. Prevent Sun Damage in Your Home's Interior

Sun coming through the windows of your home poses a risk to furniture, flooring, wall paint, and even electronics. The most obvious risk is from fading. Constant exposure to sunlight can cause upholstery, carpeting, and even the paint on your walls to fade. Fading rarely occurs evenly, so the lighter and darker patches of color can be quite obvious.

Fading isn't the only concern, though. Sun and the heat from being in its path can dry out wooden furniture and cause it to crack. The heat exposure is also hard on electronics like televisions, so being near a window can shorten the life of these items.

Any window film that cuts down on the amount of light coming into the home will reduce sun damage. If you are worried about losing natural light due to a heavy tint, opt for a window film that has a reflective coating. The coating will reflect the sun while still allowing light into the room.

3. Block Dangerous UV Rays

UV rays can lead to skin damage and health issues, such as skin cancer. Unfortunately, being in your home doesn't necessarily protect you from these rays as they can come in through your windows.

There are different types of UV radiation, but those that cause the most concern are long-wavelength UVA rays and short-wavelength UVB rays. Frequent exposure to solar radiation can result in sunburns, skin cancer, and premature aging. Indoors, UVA radiation is the greatest concern because the glass in your windows should block most UVB rays.

Fortunately, UVA blocking window film technology is quite developed because it has been required in automobiles for many years. You can now purchase window tinting for your residential windows that are designed to block those dangerous UVA rays, as well. Low-e films, for example, can block up to 99 percent of the UVA rays.

4. Cut Down On Annoying Glares

Glares inside the home can interfere with your daily life. Glares occur when light reflects off shiny objects either inside or outside of the home. You may be distracted by the glares of car windows outside or reflections off mirrors and artwork inside the home.

Annoying glares can interfere with TV viewing and working on your computer, or they may distract you from reading or home tasks. Although glares are rarely dangerous in the home, they can have a major impact on how you use and design a room.

Tinted window films cut down on glares that come from inside the home, but they may not completely eradicate glares that originate from outside. To reduce glares from outside, opt for a tint that has a silvered or reflective surface.

5. Increase Home Safety

A broken window can be a major hazard, especially if you are home when it happens. Whether the window is broken during a bad storm or simply is hit by an errant baseball when the kids are playing outside, shattered glass can cause injury and be difficult to clean up.

Window films prevent glass from shattering because the glass is held together by the tint. It may still break, but it won't burst inward and it will be much easier to clean up.

Look for tinted window films that are labeled as security films. These are made of thicker, more durable material that won't tear in the event the window is broken. In some cases, the addition of the film may also provide additional strength to the glass so that more force is necessary to cause a break in the first place.

Contact Ken Caryl Glass, Inc., to learn more about the window film options available so you can upgrade your residential windows today.