From energy efficiency and saving on bills to increased privacy and natural light all day, window tinting is growing ever more popular among homeowners in many parts of the world. There are plenty of reasons to join those who favour window tinting, but just what tint should you be using, and is it truly OK to tint your windows?
If you are considering tinting your windows at home, read on to discover why it is worth it and how you can go about it today…
Is it OK to tint house windows?
The first question many people have is whether or not it is actually OK to tint your windows. Many places do have tinting laws, but these refer predominantly to which of your car windows you can tint and how. If you are looking to tint your gas or electric car, you should check to make sure that you are following any laws and common sense arguments as well.
For the windows in your house, you can choose to tint them however you want or not at all, it is entirely up to you. You may prefer to tint your bedroom windows only, for example, to keep out the early morning glare and allow you to sleep better.
Or you may choose to tint your living room windows so you can keep your curtains open without fear of neighbours and strangers seeing in as well. You can vary the level of tint and the materials used, and generally tint your windows as you wish.
Which tint is best for your home?
The best tint for your home will depend on why you are getting your windows tinted in the first place. The optimum choice for privacy may not be the same as the best for security or the most energy efficient, though some tints do boast many benefits all in one. Some of the best options for your home include:
- Safety and security window tint – ideal for homeowners who also worry about safety, this tint actually helps to strengthen your windows making it harder to break in. They are also trickier to see through giving you increased security and privacy that way.
- Solar window tint – a hugely popular option in a world that now knows better than ever the harsh effects of the sun’s UV rays, some tint can keep out as much as 99%. You won’t have to worry about wearing sun cream indoors, or the fading and warping that can happen to your furniture in too much sun.
- Decorative window tint – available in all kinds of designs, colours and frosting, decorative window tint can add aesthetic value as well as provide greater privacy in certain areas. Many people, for instance, will use this tint on their bathroom windows.
- Glare control window tint – there can be nothing more irritating when you are trying to work from home, chop up veggies or carry out all kinds of tasks than if the sun is in your eyes. It can even be dangerous at times. Glare control tint keeps the sun out of your eyes without you having to shut your curtains and lose the light.
- Ceramic window tint – a little pricier than classic tints but with many positives to show for it, ceramic tint keeps out UV rays, strengthens windows and will outlast many of the other options available.
- Metalized window tint – containing both decorative qualities and the ability to reflect heat and light back saving on energy bills, this tint contains tiny particles of metal to change the look of your windows.
As you can see, there is no shortage of options and you may wish for just one of these, several choices or even hybrid options in your home. If you are in any doubt, a leading company like SolarGraph Glass Tinting can help advise you on what may be best suited to your location and needs.
Is DIY window tinting worth it?
Now you have seen some of the types of tint available and what they can do for you, it should be clear that window tinting is very much worth it. Especially if you live somewhere that gets a lot of sun.
That being said, is tinting something that you can do yourself? Or is it best left to the professionals? The answer is a bit of a mixed bag. Many people will tout one of the main benefits of window tinting as being how it is relatively cheap and simple to install. For the more basic tints over smaller areas, this can be true.
However, poorly applied window tint can actually be worse than not tinting at all. If you know what you are doing, installing window tint can indeed be fairly simple, you just have to follow all the steps. Make sure you have properly and thoroughly cleaned the surface, measure the amount of film needed perfectly and carefully apply it to the glass.
If you haven’t got the years of experience and know-how that a professional window tint expert has, however, this is where things can really go wrong. Any bit of dirt or lint underneath, any air bubbles that aren’t dealt with or a poorly cut piece of film may require you to start all over again.
This can be time-consuming and costly just for one window, never mind all of the windows in your home. You can see now why it can actually be more cost-effective, and certainly, more time-efficient, to utilise the skills of a professional.
Professional window tint installation is already relatively inexpensive. And between the cost of your time and energy as well as potentially having to buy more tint than you need as you make mistakes, getting a professional installation is often the better choice.
Final thoughts
Window tinting your house windows can be a fantastic idea, saving you on your heating and electric bills while also increasing your safety and privacy in your home. There are many tints that you can choose from with different benefits and purposes, but all can benefit from being installed by a window tinting expert.
Don’t take the risk of making mistakes and expending all your time and energy on an inferior job. Get a quote for a professional window tinting job for your home today.