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Can You Tint Your House Windows? (Answered)

Tinting is the process of applying a thin laminate film to the glass of a vehicle or any other glass body that we would want to tint. There can be a plethora of reasons why people would tint the glasses of their vehicles.

A tint is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family. This particular product can be surface applied to a variety of materials.

Moreover, the product can adhere to almost all surfaces because of its clarity, dimensional stability, and tensile strength of the product. Tint can be seen on car windows commonly.

Cars do the tinting process of their windows because they want to keep the interior from getting hot. Tint also blocks up to 90% of the harmful UV rays of the sun from entering. The tint also helps protect the car’s window from shattering on impact.

Well, today we will learn about tinting house windows. If it is possible or not and if it is then what are the nuances of the tinting process. All of those will be explained in detail below, so keep reading below. 

Can you tint your house windows?

You can tint your house windows. This is pretty easy and an inexpensive process that can give your house a nice contrast. This in turn makes the house more valuable if it is an old one. Tinting old windows also benefits them by enriching them with heat-resistant coating.

When it comes to window tint, we can easily go about choosing the particular one that we like. However, since there are so many options, there are things that we need to make sure of and check before going and making the purchase for real.

It can be hard to get the right type of window tint when you are buying that by yourself and without proper knowledge about it as well. It is hard to know exactly the type of window tint you need without the right knowledge. 

However, there are only three main things that need to be taken into consideration when buying tints for your houses. The things are Security, Solar, and Decorative.

When it comes to window tints there is so much to choose from that people get confused and ultimately just get overwhelmed. From changing the performance of your glass against sun rays to changing the look of the glass itself, there are many options.

Regardless of such options, it is clear that we can tint the windows of our houses. Although if we do it ourselves, guidance will be required as well as knowledge about the different tints and how they work.

This is what we can help you with. So just keep reading below to know more about the window tints and the different kinds of them. While you are at it, also learn how to tint your house’s window. 

Can you tint home windows for privacy?

Yes, you can tint home windows for privacy. This is because normally the most popular windows are the solar windows films. However, they do not provide the privacy you would want.

During the daytime, the windows will reflect the sun waves. However, when it is late at night there is nothing to reflect and if we have our lights on inside, then everything will be clear from the outside.

In order for us to get the privacy we want; we would need to choose a dark window film. One example for such windows would be the 15% visible light transmission (VLT) such as 3M Night Vision 15. 

This dark window film will make it almost impossible for the people on the other side of the window to be able to see anything.

Is it illegal to tint your house windows?

It can be illegal to tint your windows. However, it depends on the region and the type of windows you’re going to tint. For example, a car’s window is illegal for tinting in some countries and states.

The argument is that if it is too dark or covers too much area than necessary then it is illegal to tint your car’s windows. Tinting is measured in percentage by the VLT. A lower VLT amount means the tint will be the darkest.

However, with all that said, there are no regulations made by the state when it comes to tinting the windows of your house.

How much does it cost to tint your house windows?

Tinting the windows of your houses is a necessity in some regions of the world. This is because tinting windows makes it harder for the heat waves to come in. This way the inside of the house does not get hot.

Other than that tinting is to be honest a lifesaver if you want to have some privacy inside your homestead. When we tint windows, the visibility decreases from the outside. In this way, we get both the privacy and the added benefit of low-emissivity (Low-E) coating.

Furthermore, it is not expensive to install either. According to HomeAdvisor, the cost of home window tinting can range from $316 to $907. However, the national average cost can be in the ballpark of $587.

What tint to use on house windows?

This is a very hard topic as it involves multiple choices. There are a lot of things to consider when buying a tint for your house’s windows. Here are some of the main ones to get you started.

UV Window Tint:

One of the performance window films that can protect you and your family from the dangerous UV rays of the sun. The residentially available films of this kind can block almost 99% of the harmful UV rays.

Decorative Window Tint:

When the appearance of your house is more important than its security or performance, then you can consider getting a decorative window tint film.

Security Window Tint:

If you are the type of person that is concerned about their family’s security then you need not look any further. The security window film will reinforce any weak points of said home.

How dark should I tint my home windows?

Window tinting is inexpensive and anyone can do it for their amusement or the concern of security. Tinting has other benefits like having a coating that will protect the homeowners which comes with the new windows but is not available in the old ones. 

Moreover, there are some regulations regarding the tinting of windows, but there is no such regulation for the windows of houses. Therefore, if you are concerned about security then you should consider making the tint of your homes at least less than 50% VLT.

How do you tint your house windows?

If you do not want to spend some money and hire a company to tint your windows, then this DIY endeavor will be a bit confusing. It is not as easy as it looks. However, if you follow the steps below, you will be fine.

Clean them thoroughly: 

This step might seem not that important but, this first step is rather very important because if we mess up there will be no going back. When we first get our desired tints, we need to clean them thoroughly. 

If we do not clean the dust particles, they will stay there permanently.

Measuring the windows: 

Next step comes with measuring the windows. We need to measure accordingly and cut the film. For obvious reasons, make sure to measure twice.

Attach the tint to the window frames: 

Now we attach the tint to the window frames. We will need to peel off the backing of the tints to expose the adhesive. Most of the adhesive for the window tints usually activates with the addition of water.

If in any case, the instructions are unclear, spray both ends of the window and the tint for corrective measures. This step is by far the most difficult among the others, so once you get this done, you will be good to go.

Check and remove the bubbles: 

This is just the finishing step, check to see if there are any bubbles and proceed to remove them by pushing them out. Do the same for the imperfections as well.

Final Thoughts

It is not common for people to do it themselves, but it is not unheard of. Tinting windows is a normal practice for people that want privacy or want to reduce the heat that comes inside their homes through the windows. So, if you want, yes you can tint the windows of your house by yourself.