There are a number of projects that I wish I never put off after we moved in our new home three years ago. This is one of them. We’re talking about UV window film. To make matters worse, we bought the material for this project over a year ago. This thin, cellophane like plastic wrap gets slapped onto windows and blocks out something like 99% of ultraviolet rays. Why is this important? Well, skin isn’t the only thing that gets sunburn. A lot of home furnishings, fabrics and flooring can suffer some fading or discoloration due to prolonged exposure to UV rays. The sun has already managed to slightly fade some of our hardwood floors in our entry. Installing this window film should arrest any further fading.
The film has an added bonus of reducing the amount of heat and light that enters, reducing cooling costs.
The window film comes in varying widths and lengths. It installs fairly simply. We’d definitely recommend picking up the application tool kit. Both items are available from Amazon.
It can be a frustrating installation and I’d recommend it only be installed with an abundance of patience. The film loves to stick to itself. The application kit comes with a spray bottle of solution that deters the self-sticking. I thought using some scotch tape to keep the excess from falling down was extremely helpful.
Here’s what our entry looked like before we applied the film. It doesn’t look too much dimmer afterwards.
Round windows are kind of a pain.
After installed…
Here’s a side by side comparison shot.
We still have a good amount of the film left after applying it to all the windows on the front door. We’re going to add it to our high morning room window and the transoms in the family room. Installation can be trying, but it’s a lot easier than replacing faded hardwood flooring.
