re: Window tint for home windows

I sold commercial/residential window film for four years. Most manufacturers do not sell there products direct to consumers. You have to go thru a film company especially for the high end ceramic films. Please do not buy Home Depot tint. I've worked with it before and it is garbage. Also it's a lot harder to install than you think. A professional should really do it and it'll make sure your warranty stays intact as most residential films are warranted for a lifetime but only thru an authorized dealer.

There are three basic types of films dyed, metallic, and ceramic. There are mixtures of each as well.

Dyed films are the cheap films. These are typically car tints and bargain film. The dye fades to the purple color we've all seen. They are not to be used in home installations.

Metallic films are the most common residential film. Depending on the strength of the film the exterior will appear shiny (more so on single pane glass than double). There are higher end metallic films that have less reflection. Metallic films have good heat rejection properties (usually 50-80% depending on strength) but typically need to be "darker" to get the same heat rejection as ceramics. Metallic films usually cost $4-7 per sqft for flat glass and $5-9 per mini pane if you have that style window.

Ceramic films are the premium films. They are the most expensive but have the best asthetics and performance. They can reject heat without being too shiny. They typically have a grayish black look to them and reject about 50-70% of the heat. They are definitely the recommended film but usually can only be bought thru an authorized dealer at a cost of $8-15 per sqft.

An important number to know if vlt percentage. Vlt is visible light transmitance. Basically it is how dark a film will appear to be. The LOWER the number the darker it is. I highly recommend a 30-40% vlt film. Anything lighter will not reject enough heat to make it worth the investment.

Brands I sold and liked are huper optic and geo shield for ceramic, solar guard and panorama for metallic. I never cared for the 3m products because they used a "PS" adhesive which could sometimes appear hazy. almost like looking thru a piece of scotch tape. They are not bad films however and their night vision line was my favorite. With that said they charge a HUGE premium for their brand name. Their films cost us as the dealer twice as much per square foot as the others I mentioned.

If you have any specific questions please let me know. I have a lot of experience in this industry. I sold it in Houston which is the window film capital of the world.