Are you thinking about tinting your home windows, but aren’t quite sure what tint percentage to choose?
Window tinting offers many benefits to homeowners. It can increase your privacy and security, increase the value of your home, and decrease your energy costs, just to name a few.
But, figuring out the level of tinting you need can be difficult. Check out this guide to learn about the different levels of window tinting.
What is Home Window Tinting?
Before we talk about the different levels of window tinting, we must first answer the question, “What is home window tinting?” Home window tinting involves applying a thin layer of film to your windows to block out UV rays and control the flow of heat.
Additionally, home window tinting can help you:
- Cut down on energy costs
- Reduce glare from the sun
- Increase your safety
- Enhance the appearance of your home
- Reduce fading to your furniture
Home window tinting can also help you minimize your risks of sun-related health issues, such as skin cancer.
What Percentage of Window Tint Is Best for Home
So, how do you know what window tint percentage to choose? Here’s what to consider:
Privacy
If your main concern is privacy, then a window tint percentage of 20 or below is typically best.
While this will allow for added privacy, you’ll still be able to get a decent amount of sunlight into your home.
If you want a higher degree of privacy without sacrificing natural light, you can opt for a textured tint.
Textured tints are particularly useful for bathrooms and entryways. They can also make it so people can’t see into your home at night.
Reduce Glare
If you want to reduce the glare of the sun, then you should opt for a sun-controlled window film. This type of window film blocks out about 70 percent of heat while still reducing glare.
However, even though it reduces glare, plenty of natural light will still be able to shine through.
Keep Heat In or Out
If you live in a climate with cold weather, then you’re likely going to want to keep heat trapped inside your home. I
f you live in an area with warm weather, then you’re going to want to allow heat to escape from your home.
If your goal is to trap heat inside of your home, then you’ll want a window tint percentage of 50 or higher.
If you want heat to escape from your home, then you’ll want the percentage to be between 20 and 30.
Types of Window Film
In addition to considering the tint percentage, you also need to think about the types of window films that are available. Here are some of the top options to consider:
Decorative Window Film
This type of window film is made with the use of dyes. It’s the most affordable type of window film, and it’s mainly used for decorative purposes.
While decorative window film won’t increase the strength of your windows or block out UV rays, it will increase your privacy levels. Plus, the aesthetic appeal can add value to your home.
Carbon Window Film
Carbon window film is non-reflective and creates a matte finish. It blocks out a good chunk of UV rays as well as infrared light.
In addition to keeping heat out in the summertime, it can also help your home retain more heat during the wintertime.
Carbon window film can also help protect your furniture from sun damage and increase the strength of your windows.
Metal Window Film
Made from microparticles of metal, this type of window film is very durable and does an excellent job of reflecting heat and light.
Metal window film also strengthens your windows, and best of all, it isn’t visible to the naked eye.
It also lasts much longer than other types of window films on the market, and it’s not as susceptible to flaking or fading.
Metal window film can save you money over time, as it blocks out heat and regulates the temperature of your home, therefore lowering your cooling costs.
It can also block out some of the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Ceramic Window Film
Ceramic film is the most expensive type of window film on the market. It doesn’t contain any metal, carbon, or dyes.
The properties of ceramic allow for the film to be both non-reflective and non-conductive. This type of window film can block out as much as 99% of the sun’s UV rays and 50% of infrared light.
It’s also known to be incredibly long-lasting. Ceramic window film can even protect your home against damage caused by storms or attempted burglaries.
The only downside to ceramic window film is that it’s the most expensive option on the market.
Spectrally Selective Film
Some of the best residential windows are coated with spectrally selective film.
Spectrally selective film is made from either multiple layers of ceramic or metal.
The sun’s rays reflect between the layers of material so that the infrared rays collide and cancel each other out.
This makes it so infrared rays are unable to penetrate into your home. The only real downside to this type of window film is that it comes with a high price tag.
Are You Ready to Tint Your Windows?
Now that you know about the different levels of window tinting, it’s time for you to purchase some film for your windows. Once your window film is installed, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more tips and tricks on how to improve your home.