Reduce Solar Heat Gain – My home gets too hot in summer, can window film help?
Probably the most requested reason we have for filming homes is to "reduce solar heat gain" – bedrooms, conservatories, kitchens, children’s playrooms, any area that gets too hot in the summer, and where people want to make the room a more comfortable place to spend their time. Nobody likes to feel too hot and bothered at home, and it’s a tough task to remove heat from a room in the summer once it’s gotten in, so blocking a large portion of the heat from entering in the first place is the smartest and most efficient move.
For my job, I speak to a lot of people about window film, and the first thing they usually ask is – “What on earth is window film?!” Once I’ve explained the basics (see our other blogs for the answers), most people relate it to “the silvery stuff that goes on offices” – and whilst this is the case, we also have an extensive range of window film for people’s homes too.
"Reduce solar heat gain in...bedrooms, conservatories, kitchens, children's playrooms, any area that gets too hot.."
The challenge we face when specifying the correct film for our customers boils down (pardon the pun) to the aesthetic options. We can easily reduce the ‘81% heat gain’ that is often advertised as the infamous ‘up-to’ figure, but this is with a darker tinted, external grade, silvery mirrored film that can make your house look like the sunglasses of a famous pop icon… not everybody’s first choice for the visual appearance of your home.
Fear not, because there are so many beautiful film options nowadays which will deliver superior heat gain rejection in your home, but with a subtle, distinguished appearance to suit your home’s aesthetic. Many films designed for residential use are what we in the business call ‘dual reflective’ which basically means that the inside face of the film is less reflective than the outside face. This reduces any internal mirror look at night, and offers a superior view looking out. As an added benefit, many of these films also offer enhanced daytime privacy, which is a perfect way to stop the nosey neighbours seeing in to your home!
"...films we end up installing in customer’s homes are actually quite a light visual appearance, easy to see out of, with a low impact on the look of the windows from the inside..."
A lot of the films we end up installing in customer’s homes are actually quite a light visual appearance, easy to see out of, with a low impact on the look of the windows from the inside. Even from the outside, the specific tints and shades we use residentially are subtle, classy, and actually enhance the look of a property by creating a uniform look across all the windows – all whilst performing well to reject the unwanted excessive heat, making your home an even nicer place to be.
As you can tell, we love to talk window film, so if you want to know more about how we can help keep your home from overheating, get in touch today. We’d love to hear from you.
Tom @ Solar Sentry
