In hot weather, going out to the balcony located on the sunny side of the house is another challenge, don't you agree? And, if, on the first floors, the trees growing nearby save the situation a little, then for residents of the upper floors the air on the balcony warms up to such an extent that it becomes uncomfortable to be there. The situation can be saved only by tinting the windows on the balcony, which will help protect the room from the scorching rays of the sun.
In this material, we will tell you about which films for tinting windows are used, how to choose the appropriate option, as well as how to independently install the film on the balcony windows.
The content of the article:
- What is window tinting?
-
Types of tint films
- Option # 1 - sunscreen
- Option # 2 - mirror
- Option # 3 - shockproof
- Option # 4 - decorative
- Features of the choice of film
- Self-tinting instructions
- Advantages and disadvantages of tinted windows
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
What is window tinting?
Windows are an integral part of every home. It is through them that sunlight penetrates into our houses and apartments. But sometimes there is a lot of this sunlight, which is why the air warms up too much.
In addition, under the influence of direct sunlight, furniture, appliances deteriorate, wallpaper fade, etc. In order to avoid all these troubles, tinted windows on balconies and loggias are used.
Tinted windows not only look much more attractive against the background of ordinary ones, but also give the inhabitants of the apartment a long-awaited coolness.
Window tinting involves covering the glass with special films. At your discretion, you can choose the degree of shading, giving preference to the darker / lighter option.
This service is quite expensive, but you can perform tinting on your own, without resorting to the services of specialists. To do this, you need to choose the right material and do the pasting yourself, but more on that below. First, let's figure out the types of tint films.
Types of tint films
Having finally decided on the need to tint the windows, not everyone thinks about how important it is to purchase high-quality material. As a rule, they purchase the first film they come across, but it is highly undesirable to do so.
First, you need to figure out what kind of protective films are, and then finally decide on the choice of a suitable material.
Option # 1 - sunscreen
Sunscreen or blackout film is one of the most popular materials for tinting balconies and loggias. It is able to trap about 98% of ultraviolet radiation.
Having pasted over the glass on the balcony with a sun-protective film, you don't have to worry that the sun's rays will harm equipment or interior items
In addition to its main function - to protect the room from sunlight, such a film allows you to maintain a comfortable temperature on the balcony all year round.
Option # 2 - mirror
This version of the film is used to create a view from only one side of the glass, most often the inside.
At the same time, from the side of the street, the effect of a mirror surface is created, thanks to which no one will see the atmosphere of your loggia, clothes dryer or mess on the balcony.
Mirror film reflects up to 95% of sunlight and 75% of heat, thus creating a comfortable indoor atmosphere.
Mirror film can reduce the room temperature by 6-14 degrees Celsius. In addition, it becomes a reliable barrier to UV radiation.
Option # 3 - shockproof
An anti-shock or protective film is most often used to protect glass units by residents of the lower floors. It protects the glass from chips and cracks, for example, if a small stone is thrown into it.
In addition, the anti-shock film has fire-retardant properties and protects balconies from direct sunlight.
Option # 4 - decorative
This film option is perhaps the most diverse of all. Many colors, patterns and designs can be found on sale.
In addition to the variety of colors and patterns, decorative films may differ in their texture - there are matte and glossy options
If you wish, you can choose an option that fits perfectly into any room design and, in addition to practical use, perfectly complements the interior.
Features of the choice of film
In order not to disappoint the result obtained, when choosing a tint film, be sure to pay attention to such an indicator as light transmission. It is expressed as a percentage and the higher this value, the higher the ability of the material to transmit light.
The next thing to look out for is film color. Of course, choosing the color of the film that suits the interior of the room is not so difficult, but do not forget that the color is directly related to the ability of the material to transmit sunlight.
| Film color | Transparency level,% |
| Silver | 15-50 |
| Purple | 15 |
| Gold | 15-35 |
| Bronze | 15 |
| Smoky | 20 |
| Green | 15 |
| Gray | 15-35 |
| Blue | 15-35 |
| Solar bronze | 20-35 |
Brand and price. You should also not save on material by purchasing cheap and low-quality products. It will be wasted money. Such material will not provide sufficient protection from sunlight, and is unlikely to last long.
Therefore, it is better to give preference to well-proven manufacturers. Among which are: Armolan, Professional Window Film, Sun Control, Ultra Vision, Eastman Chemical.
In the modern market, the choice of tint films is huge. Everyone will be able to find a suitable option, but you shouldn't skimp on the purchase. Better to pay a little more and buy really high quality products.
It is also important anti-scratch protective layer. Most cheap materials simply do not have it, so you cannot leave a mark on such a coating. will be difficult, which cannot be said about branded films that have reliable protection against mechanical damage.
If you live on the ground floor, it would be nice to purchase a protective film of class A1 - A3. With such a coating, double-glazed windows will be almost impossible to break.
Self-tinting instructions
To save a little on glass tinting, you can do the work yourself. There is nothing complicated in this, and the tools that will be required for work are likely to be found in every home.
So, for work you need to prepare:
- tint film;
- window cleaner;
- spray;
- microfiber cloth;
- stationery knife;
- plastic or rubber spatula (the second option will be preferable).
Having prepared everything you need, you can start pasting the glass on the balcony.
On some resources, you can find information that tinting can be carried out both outside and inside the room. This is not entirely true. The film, which was glued from the inside, will last much longer, since it is not exposed to snow, rain, it is easier to care for it
It is very important to thoroughly clean the glass before pasting windows. To clean the canvas from dirt and dust, you can use robot vacuum cleaner for windows. Then, using a window cleaner, alcohol or a special agent, degrease the surface.
Make sure that not the slightest trace of dirt remains on the glass. After all, even the slightest lint or speck of dust, being under the film, can cause bubbles or delamination.
At the next stage, you need to measure the visible part of the glass and cut out a piece of the necessary size of glass from the film. This can be done in advance, even before cleaning the glasses, prepare blanks of the required size. This will save you some time.
Next, you need to sprinkle the glass surface with water from a spray bottle, free some of the film from the protective layer and gently attach it to one of the upper corners of the glass.
Gently, using a spatula or a towel, glue the film to the glass. In the course of work, bubbles may appear, they will need to be immediately smoothed out with a spatula. Try to carefully smooth every millimeter of the film - this will affect its service life.
During work, it is important to monitor the air temperature in the room. So, you should not carry out work in rooms where the air temperature exceeds +35 ° С, or less than +10 ºС
When all the film is glued on, check if there are any protruding edges beyond the edge of the glass. If there are any, they can be carefully trimmed with a utility knife.
During the pasting of glass, you need to monitor the level of humidity in the room where the work is being carried out. Too dry / humid air can cause poor adhesion of the film to the glass, which, accordingly, negatively affects its service life.
Advantages and disadvantages of tinted windows
The main advantage of tinting windows is dimming sunlight. This is especially true when the balcony or loggia is on the south side and the bright sunlight does not allow you to comfortably stay indoors.
Tinted windows allow you not to draw up the curtains, even on a clear sunny day. They dim the sunlight significantly. In addition, if the choice is on a mirror film, then passers-by will not be able to see what is in the room from the side of the street.
Unlike curtains, films do not accumulate dust in incredible amounts, so they do not need such careful maintenance. To maintain cleanliness in the room, it will be enough to only occasionally wipe the windows from dust.
Another indisputable advantage of films is their durability. Having tinted the windows on the balcony, you will get rid of the bright sun rays entering the room for a long time.
In addition to protection from bright light, the material also protects humans from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, which is also important.
With the help of a decorative film, you can decorate any room, give it a kind of "zest".
It is also worth mentioning the fact that the tint film does not heat up from the sun's rays, but reflects them. This will help reduce the room temperature by a few degrees, which is especially true on hot sunny days.
The last-named advantage of tinting can be simultaneously considered its disadvantage, because in the winter seasons of the year, the air in the room will warm up much slower than in rooms with non-tinted windows.
Also, do not tint the windows that are located on the north side, since sunlight practically does not penetrate into such rooms.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
A specialist tells how to tint windows with his own hands:
How to tint windows with dismantling double-glazed windows will be discussed in the following video:
As you can see, there is nothing difficult in tinting windows on the balcony. The main thing is to have a little free time, patience, a minimum set of tools and strictly adhere to the instructions. And choosing the right material will not be difficult, since the assortment on the market is quite extensive.
Have you ever had your own window tint? Please tell our readers if there were any difficulties during the work and how you dealt with them. Or are you just going to do tinting and you still have questions? You can ask our experts - the feedback block is located under the article.
