safety/solar window film for an eichler
I have a 2-year old toddler and a 8-month baby, so naturally I'm very concerned about the vast glass (single pane, regular non-tampered type) in our echiler home. I'm looking into installing safety window films on all the glass. I'm wonderinf if anyone has done that before? If so, how does it work (Is it easily scratched? obstructive to the view through glass? strip off easily? need special cleaning?) and how much does it cost (I'd like to get a rough idea of the cost for an flat-roof, altrium model 4-bedroom eichler)?
Another concern is the ultraviolet light from sun. My house faces south and we get a lot of sunshine inside the house duirng winter months and heat during summer and I still don't have any window covering after two years in the house (part of the reason is that I still haven't decided on a window convering that works well with an eichler, well, that's another issue...). When I talked to a window tinting company, they recommended a safety film with tint to reduce the heat, glare and fading from sunlight, while providing protection. The added feature is nice, but I'm concerned about the aestheticsof tinted glass in a house. Will it be too commercial looking? The lightest colored sample the company showed me still looks dark to me.
Any experiences on window films, as well as recommendations on any products (brands, types) and services (installer in the south bay) are greatly appreciated.
Joanne
Joanne,
You'll likely get lot's of feedback and opinions from folks who done this. My next door neighbor has done it with the primary objective of UV protection. They used the lightest tint available which they characterize as "barely even noticeable". To my eye, it is fully tinted windows, has a significant impact on both the appearance of the windows and the view through them. I would never do it.
This doesn't address safety. I do not want to sound callous or ignorant and I have three young children of my own. But the reality is I can accept that there are a innumerable things we can do and countless fortunes we can spend on safety. As events have shown, I am putting my children at greater risk of harm when I take them to Disneyland then by raising them in an Eichler.
I think the money will be well spent on an excellent choice of window covering/shades when you find what you are looking for.
Humbly,
Rick
I just had Sun Chek (on this website's service pages) come over for a quote yesterday -we just bought an eichler and have a preschooler and 1 year old.
Their clear saftey film looked clear enough for me. Because of sun issues, we're getting a couple walls worth of glass done in a tint, but most of it will be the clear safety film.
Will we be able to see the difference vs non-filmed glass? Personally, it doesnt bother me. As long as the entire wall is a consistant material it will please my eye, and I like the extra safety. Obviously its a tradeoff.
Interestingly enough, I found out the hard way that replacing a pane for a sliding glass door with new safety glass costs about as much as covering it with film, so that can be another option.
Anyways, its probably worth it to at least call Sun Chek and ask them all your questions.
