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May 27
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Window Tint & Window Film Benefits and Their Differences - Window Tinting and Window Film in Springfield, Missouri

Window Tint & Window Film Benefits and Their Differences

By | Commercial, Home

Ever had to squint your eyes from bright glare or struggle to maintain a comfortable temperature in a sunny room? How about wanting some additional privacy or security from a glass surface? If so, you may have thought about a product that might be applied to your windows to solve this issue. However, if you do even a quick Google search, you may end up more confused. What’s the difference between “window tint” and “window film” for your windows, and which is the right product to solve your issue? This article was written to help clear up this confusion and understand window tint and window film benefits and differences and whether one might be a good solution for you.

Window Tint vs Window Film

First, it is understandable that you might be confused. Even within the industry, these terms are often used interchangeably. However, newer technology actually dictates that it makes sense to differentiate between a “window tint” and a “window film”. Both window films and window tint are an alteration of existing windows and are applied to the window in place in the home or commercial space. There are a huge variety of these applied films. Some can be used to change the color or visible light transmission through the glass. We would typically refer to these as a window tint because they, to varying degrees, darken the glass to which they are applied. However, there are many other films that offer other benefits that do not entail darkening the glass at all. We would refer to these other products as window films.
So, depending on your needs, tastes and requirements, you might utilize a window tint or a window film. The proper thing to focus on would be the benefits these films provide. Once you determine what you need to accomplish, the proper product can be selected. Below you will find some of the more prominent benefits of window film and window tint.

Primary Benefits of Window Film / Window Tint
  • Reduce Glare – Applying tint to your home or commercial windows can result in blocking significant amount of the sun’s glare from passing through the glass.
  • Protect Furnishings – The sun’s UV rays penetrate through windows of your space. With prolonged exposure, furnishings, carpet, rugs and upholstery can become faded and damaged. Window films and window tint offers a great solution for fading issue as it typically blocks 99% of the UV while still allowing you to enjoy your windows.
  • Energy Savings – Window film and tint can act as a window insulator keeping heat out in the Summer and retaining heat in the Winter. This can help decrease utility bills by reducing how hard heating and air conditioning systems need to work to keep the space comfortable.
  • Increase Privacy – Window films can be used strategically throughout a space to offer additional privacy, add decor, integrate company branding or create visual breaks on any glass surfaces.
  • Enhance Safety – Accidents happen and a window can be broken. When this happens with a typical window, the glass breaks in a way that can be dangerous. Safety window films can keep the broken glass in place and reduce the danger.
  • Improve Security – Security window films exists that can provide some of the other benefits listed and make uninvited entry into the space more difficult. This makes these types of films a perfect compliment to a security system.
  • Affordable Alternative to Window Replacement – At some point nearly any window may need to be replaced, but by using window films you may be able to significantly extend the useful life of existing windows while achieving the benefits you desire. Having a professionally installed tint or film applied is much less costly and far less disruptive to your space than window replacement.

If you would like more information or have any questions about window tint and window film benefits or their differences, contact us by calling (417) 823-8715 or fill out a form HERE. We are located in Springfield, Missouri and service the surrounding area. We look forward to serving any window film needs you may have.

May 11
0
Cut Home Energy Bills This Summer. Experts Agree Window Film Helps - Home Window Film in the Springfield, Missouri

Cut Home Energy Bills This Summer. Experts Agree Window Film Helps

By | Home

We have all felt the sting of higher prices lately. Whether at the grocery store, gas pump or in your monthly utility bills, costs are rising. We wanted to offer some information that may help you buck that trend and possibly see your energy bills go down this year. Several recent articles in major publications have experts agreeing that window films can help cut home energy bills. It’s one thing for us to say it, so we thought we would let the experts tell you what home window films can do.

What The Experts Say

Cut Home Energy Bills This Summer. Experts Agree Window Film Helps - Home Window Film InformationFrom Reader’s Digest, in an article entitled “13 Clever Ways to Slash Your Home Energy Bills“, PJ Feinstein stated “If you have the money, replacing old windows with energy efficient ones is a worthwhile investment, as they also add value to your home. A lower-cost option is to install window film that blocks out the summer sun’s heat, reducing demand on your cooling system, and helps keep warm indoor air from escaping during the winter.”

In addition, the Orange County Register in California had an article entitled “4 Ways to Help Older Homes Meet New Energy Goals” in which green-building guru C.R. Herro stated “Install energy-efficient window film: These clear films filter out ultraviolet light, keeping homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. That will greatly improve your air conditioning costs,”

Herro also said. “It has additional benefits, since UVs bleach-out floors and break down fabrics. So it will improve the durability of things that get direct sunshine.”

Finally, the Fox News recently had an article entitled “7 Ways to Cool Your Home Without an Air Conditioner” their resident handyman said “Window films offer a ton of benefits, from cutting energy costs to providing you privacy while still enjoying the view and light of the great outdoors. They can provide up to 98 percent infrared heat reduction compared to unprotected windows, and reduce temperature imbalances in your home.”

With these experts taking about how window film can cut home energy bills, isn’t it worth you looking into it this Summer as the temperature rises? If you would like to learn more, click HERE and then contact us by calling (417) 823-8715 or fill out a form HERE.

We would be happy to discuss the options with you and provide you with a free, no obligation quote of implementing a residential window tinting product into your Springfield, Missouri area home.

Apr 14
0
Home Window Film Benefits - 3 Ways They Are Useful As Spring Arrives - Home Window Tinting in the Springfield, Missouri

Home Window Film Benefits – 3 Ways They Are Useful As Spring Arrives

By | Home

This is always an exciting time of the year! Spring has officially arrived and Summer will be here before we know it. This time of the year also brings in longer daylight hours and plenty of sun. While most of us typically look forward to this time of the year, that extra sun can play havoc in your home, with your health and on your budget. In this article, we wanted to focus on 3 ways that home window film benefits can help make all that extra sun more enjoyable.3 Home Window Film Benefits3

Home Window Film Benefits

  • Window Films Can Save Money on Energy Costs – The extra sun that Spring and Summer brings also often brings high utility bills because your air conditioning system is working overtime. Through the use of modern window films, you can dramatically reduce the amount of heat entering your home through the glass and subsequently reduce how hard your AC unit has to work to keep the home cool. If your AC system is working less, you are using less energy and your utility bills will reflect that savings.In addition, although not specifically a utility bill, your AC unit working less throughout the Summer can extend the service life of that unit and reduce maintenance costs. So, window film can actually save both on the energy cost of running the AC and the maintenance costs associated with the usage of your AC.
  • Home Window Films Provide Many Useful Benefits As Spring Arrives 2Window Films Can Make Your Home More Comfortable – The longer days of Spring and Summer can also bring about things that make your home less comfortable. Specifically, many homeowners deal with excessive glare and hot spots in the home at this time of the year. Whether it is for watching TV, using a computer or just kicking back with your favorite book, glare can make a room an uncomfortable place to be.

    By using window films strategically in your home, you can reduce the glare in rooms where that is an issue. Additionally, does your home suffer from hot and cold spots at this time of the year because one side is in sun most of the day while the other side is in the shade? You can use window film on the side of the home with excessive sun to reduce the heat entering in that area and equalize temperature throughout the home.
  • Window Films Can Preserve Your Furnishings and Your Health – The extra sun that Summer brings can also bring about fading issues with your flooring and furniture. Most windows offer no protection from the UV rays pouring through that account for a full 40% of the factors that cause fading. With modern window films, even the lightest shades block 99+% of the UV rays from entering through the windows. By eliminating this major cause of fading, you have taken a major step to extend the life of your flooring and furnishings.Also, The Skin Cancer Foundation has warned that this UV entering your home can also be detrimental to your health.

    In an article, they state, “While it’s understood that taking sun safety precautions is important outside, few people realize they can sustain sun damage indoors, too. While both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from the sun can harm the skin and lead to skin cancers, UVB is effectively blocked by glass. However, at least 50 percent of UVA rays can pass through windows. Window film is an increasingly effective solution, offering substantial indoor protection by blocking up to 99.9 percent of UVA radiation.” The use of window film can help block these harmful UV rays and preserve your health in this area. You can read the entire article from The Skin Cancer Foundation by clicking HERE.

So, don’t avoid the sun, but welcome its arrival by embracing these home window film benefits. If you would like more information on these innovative products, click HERE. If you have any questions, please contact us today by calling (417) 823-8715 or emailing us at HERE. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about home window films and schedule a free assessment and quotation for your home. We are located in Springfield, Missouri and serve the surrounding area.

Apr 01
0
Home Window Tint and Film Benefits Discussed In Million Acres Magazine - Residential Window Film in the Springfield, Missouri

Home Window Tint and Film Benefits Discussed In Million Acres Magazine

By | Home

We wanted to share information from a recent article in Million Acres by Matt Frankel, CFP that discussed the pros and cons of having home window tint retrofitted to your existing windows. In this article, we are going to primarily summarize the benefits as the only negative the article mentioned was the potential out of pocket cost up front. Other than that, home window tint and film provides a fairly substantial list of positives. The great thing about this home improvement is that in most cases window film can be installed directly on your existing windows with very little disruption to a household. So, without further delay, here are the pros of home window tint.

The Benefits of Home Window Tint and Film
  • Reduce Excessive Heat or Eliminate Hot Spots: In general terms, sunlight generates heat, and utilizing tinted windows allows less sunlight in. The result is less heat entering the home through the windows. This can be used to cut heat in a room that has a south or west exposure and gets too hot during the day or in targeted areas to eliminate a hot spot in a very particular area of the house. The article quotes a HomeGuide claim that tinted windows can block as much as 85% of the heat generated by sunlight, which can mean a difference of as much as 15 degrees in the interior of the home. While the amount of heat reduced depends on the particular windows installed, home window film is an effective way to reduce heat from entering though the glass.
  • Help Prevent Sun Damage: As the article states, “natural sunlight isn’t just hot, it can be damaging to the inside of your home“. Wood floors and furniture are especially vulnerable to long-term sun damage. This sun damage is caused primarily by a combination of UV rays, heat and natural light. Window films can reduce the combination of these three primary elements to help prolong the life of your furnishings.
  • Lower Energy Costs: This goes hand in hand with reducing excessive heat. The goal is to maintain a comfortable environment in your home for the least amount of cost due to energy usage. The article explains that, “as sunlight heats the air in your home to an uncomfortable temperature, you probably use your air conditioning system to cool it. Reducing the sunlight in your home means you’ll run your air conditioner less, which can save you money on electricity.“
  • Improved Privacy: The article states that, “tinted windows make it more difficult for people to see into your home, which can add to the feeling of privacy (and security) in your home, without the need to keep your shades drawn at all times“. While this is true of some window tint during the day, when it becomes dark outside others will be able to see in. That being said, there are specific window films that can be used to give you privacy both day and night.
  • Cut Irritating Glare: Like a quality pair of sun glasses, window film can be used to cut irritating glare. The article says it this way, “tinted windows help eliminate glare caused by sunlight. As a personal example, I can’t use my home office after 3 p.m. without my blinds down. The glare is too intense for me to see my computer screens comfortably. Window tint can solve this sort of problem“.
  • Add a Decorative Element: In addition to films that reduce the light transmission, some types of window film come in attractive textures, designs and patterns that can add both decorative and privacy elements to your home.

If you would like to read the entire article in Million Acres, click HERE.

We hope that this summary of the article gave you some insight into all the great things these innovative home window tint and films can do. If you would like more information about the home window tinting films mentioned in the article, click HERE. If you have questions about our services, call us at (417) 823-8715 or fill out a form HERE. We would be happy to provide a free, no obligation consultation and estimate of implementing a window film solution in your Springfield, Missouri home.

Feb 10
0
Reduce Glare and Harsh Light Making Homes More Comfortable this Winter - Home Window Film Services in Springfield, Missouri

Reduce Glare & Harsh Light To Make Your Home More Comfortable

By | Home

Need to Reduce Glare and Harsh Light? Window Film Can Help!

Most people think of window film or window tinting primarily as something that helps in the Summer. It can reduce glare and heat coming through the glass making a room uncomfortable. However, Winter is often the time when glare and harsh light become big issues that create discomfort in a home. There are three reasons this is the case:

  1. The sun is lower in the sky during these months which means that it is shining more directly into your windows versus from a more overhead position in the Summer months.
  2. There are no leaves on the trees to block the sun. Many homes and commercial properties have foliage in the Summer that serves to offer some shade. In the Winter, with this gone, they have to deal with glare issue that are not present at other times of the year.
  3. The refection of the sun off of the snow. When there is a layer of snow on the ground, it acts like a big mirror to reflect the sun’s rays. This can make any harsh light issue even worse at this time of the year as it is actually amplifying the light coming through the glass.

What Can Window Film Do?

The window film we offer is likely not like the picture in your head of a darkly tinted car. Technology has enabled current window films to block a great deal of glare as well as heat without restricting your view. In fact, like a high quality pair of sunglasses, the innovative technology found in window film today actually serves to enhance your views. The harsh light and glare is eliminated allowing your eyes to relax and your home or commercial space to become a more comfortable place to be.

We hope this article served to “shed some light” on how window films can be used to reduce glare and improve comfort in the Winter. If you would like more information, check out the link located HERE and call us at (417) 823-8715 or fill out a form HERE. We would be happy to provide a free, no obligation consultation and estimate of implementing window film solution in your home. We are located in Springfield, Missouri and service the surrounding area.

Jan 31
0
Solar Control Window Films Save Money And Conserve Energy - Commercial Window Tinting and Film in Springfield, Missouri

Solar Control Window Films Save Money And Conserve Energy

By | Commercial, Home

These days, a more energy efficient commercial space helps you go green in two ways: it’s better for the environment, and it’s better for your wallet. With the costs of utilities going through the roof, you want to find ways to conserve wherever possible. The energy savings from solar control window films can help you avoid costly utility bills, and these innovative films retrofit to existing windows to avoid the cost and disruption of replacing inefficient windows.

Adding one of these window films to your commercial facility will give you energy and cost savings that can have a real impact. Let’s talk specifically about how they work and what they can do for you.

How Solar Control Window Films Conserve Energy

You might be imagining that window films reduce heat simply by tinting the window a dark color and blocking light, but that’s not the only way a window film can work. Modern solar control window films actually decrease a building’s heat gain through various technologies embedded in the film that absorb or deflect solar radiation….and they can even do this without noticeably darkening the glass.

When solar radiation hits untreated windows, some is reflected off, but most penetrates through the window and enters the internal spaces. Window films act to reflect or absorb a significant portion of that radiation at the glass surface, keeping it out of your space and maintaining a more temperature-controlled interior. 

Solar Control Window Films Save Money And Conserve Energy - Commercial Window Tinting and FilmThis results in a number of significant benefits:

Looking for a partner in energy and cost saving window films? Give us a call!

We hope that this article provided some useful information about how commercial solar control window films. If you have any questions, or would like to arrange a free, no obligation consultation at your commercial space, contact us by calling (417) 823-8715 or fill out a form HERE. We would be glad to explain these innovative and functional window films available and help you get exactly the right film to fit your needs in the Springfield, Missouri area.

Dec 10
0
The Perfect Home Gift Might Be A Window Film Retrofit To Existing Glass - Home Window Tinting in the Springfield, Missouri area

The Perfect Home Gift Might Be A Window Film Retrofit To Existing Glass

By | Home

It’s officially that time of year again! People are often scrambling around to come up with gift ideas. Why not give a gift that continues to provide value well into the future? Considering that many people are spending more time in their home since the beginning of the pandemic, we wanted to share what we thought might be the perfect home gift. Who couldn’t use a gift that will improve comfort, save money and help preserve furniture, floors and furnishings in your home? That is exactly what retrofitting a window film to the existing glass in your home can do. Sound interesting? Let’s learn more!

3 Reasons Window Film Is The Perfect Home Gift
  1. Help Save Money On Utility Costs – As a result of spending more time at home, many have noticed their heating and cooling system working harder to maintain the desired comfort level throughout the day. When these systems are working harder, they consume more energy. Window films retrofitted to your existing glass can help reduce the demand on your system by making your windows more energy efficient. With the projected significant rise in utility costs this upcoming year, this reduction in demand on the system can result in some nice utility savings.
  2. Improve The Comfort Of A Home – Nothing impacts the comfort of a home more than being too hot or too cold. That is exactly what often happens in areas of the home near windows. You can experience hot and cold spots throughout the home that the heating and cooling system cannot address. A properly chosen home window film can help eliminate these hot spots in the summer and cold spots in the winter, making a home more comfortable all year round.
  3. Preserves Floors, Furniture & Furnishings – A home window film retrofitted to existing glass will block virtually all of the sun’s UV rays as well as a portion of solar heat and visible light. These are the 3 main factors related to sun damage and fading. By reducing this combination of 3 factors through the use of window film, you can extend the life of floors, furniture and furnishings.

We hope that this article explained why we feel might be the perfect home gift idea this holiday season and beyond. If you would like more information about the residential window films we offer, click HERE. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a free, no obligation assessment and estimate, call us at (417) 823-8715 or fill out a form HERE. We would be happy to provide a free, no obligation consultation and estimate of retrofitting a house window film solution onto your home’s existing windows in the Springfield, Missouri area.

Aug 05
0
House Window Tint Useful Information And The Pros & Cons of Using It - Home Window Film in Springfield, Missouri

House Window Tint Useful Information And The Pros & Cons of Using It

By | Home

When discussing house window tint with homeowners we often get asked many similar questions. As a result, we wanted to write an article that explains some facts about these innovative films and also shares some pros and cons of having them installed in your home.

4 Fast Facts About House Window Tint

  • Window Film Retrofits To Existing Windows – Window film is installed as a retrofit to your existing windows allowing you to significantly improve the performance of you windows with minimal disruption to your home.
  • Window Film Improves The Comfort In Your Home – Window film can enhance comfort by reducing excessive heat and glare throughout your home or strategically only in areas most impacted by the sun.
  • Window Film Extends The Life Of Your Floors & Furnishings – Most window films will reduce 99% of the sun’s harmful UV rays. This along with the reduction of heat and glare mentioned above will significantly reduce the contributors of fading and extend the life of your floors and furnishings.
  • Window Film Can Enhance Privacy – By using decorative window films in areas like entryways and bathrooms you can add privacy without resorting to blinds, curtains or shades that obscure the windows.

Pros and Cons of House Window Tint

  • Home Window Film Pros – In addition to the facts listed above, window films can also be used to add safety and security to a home, protect the skin of the occupants in the home and improve the insulating value of your existing windows for far less than the cost of replacement units.
  • Home Window Film Cons – The primary negative of window film is the fact that it can void your existing window warranty if you have one in place. You would have to verify you have a warranty in place and that window film would void the factory warranty. If so, a supplemental warranty from the window film manufacturer is often available to replace the voided manufacturer warranty.

We hope that this article shed some light on house window tint and the pros and cons of using it in your home. If you would like more information, contact us by calling (417) 823-8715 or fill out a form HERE. We would be happy to discuss this with you and provide you with a free, no obligation quote of implementing a window film product into your Springfield, Missouri area home.