Heat Control Window Films

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Heat Control Window Films or Sun Control Window Tinting is what Google says it's called, but we would normally use the term Solar Film.

Film and Tint are practically interchangeable terms, sometimes film sounds nicer......but really that's the title because that's what Google said you're searching for.  Ok, it's exactly as it's described and likely the reason you're here.  Most of our window FILM installations are requested to cool you off.  And boy does it work.  Life changing. Now, there's 2 ways to slow down heat at the glass.  You can reflect it, or you can absorb it.  

Reflective Film - The Boogey Man Of Tint

Most of the time people who suffer from ravages of heat choose to go with a reflective film.  That's also what gives it the privacy effect.  But don't let the term 'reflective' create an unpleasant picture in your head.  You can go all the way down to full blown silver mirror 5%, or up to 35% that has very little visual reflective effect.   Dealer's choice.  Well really it's your choice.  We can do both.  We mostly install 15% with a nice warm neutral tone.  

Absorptive Film - The new kid in school who thinks they're better than everyone

If you're begging for relief from the Sun but you have absolutely got to maintain as much visibility in and out as possible, there's still hope.  Bring in......the clear films.  TA DA!!!!!  Ok, clear isn't really an industry term but that's what everyone always asks about.  Non-reflective would be more appropriate.   Absorptive films limit heat through the glass by holding it, right there on the glass.  Hugging it.  Caressing it. "Shhhhh.......sh....sh.....sh...shshshshshsh........sh.  Chill out, my Sun"

Sorry.  Yeah, you can seriously reduce heat through glass with a transparent film.  Up to 65% Total Solar Energy Rejected.  Now it cost more, about 30% more, but for most who end up picking it to enhance their home, or Bridal Shop, the cost difference is irrelevant.   The thing to remember though is anything below 40% absorptive on a LOT of different types of glass will run the risk of cracking.  We got some tricks though if the application calls for dark non-reflective, ask us for details.  

But Wont it be too dark?

The percentage number represents VLT - Visible Light Transmitted.  So the inverse of the VLT is how much light it blocks.  45% blocks 55% of the light. Yay, Math.  Now 55% SOUNDS like a lot, when in fact that's the very unnoticeable absorptive film we use most often.  It's not uncommon at all, especially on commercial window tinting, to install a 5% film!!  Can you believe it!!  That's like a welding mask!!

Well, it's really not even close.  We're not going to recommend a film that's "too dark".

 Sunlight is so stinking powerful that even blocking 95% of it, on a big enough window with no clear glass next to it to compare to,  you can hardly tell.  And that 15%, that we love so much, has a nice neutral warm tone to it.  Just like putting on a nice pair of sunglasses.

But really, you just have to see it on your house, with your lighting conditions.  We'll come install a sample for you to look at it....put on some coffee.

Ok I asked Claude, welding masks go down to .0003% VLT.  Howbahdah

You've been asking for clear film your whole life — you just didn't know what it's called.

Most people picture window tint and immediately see dark, reflective glass staring back at them from the outside. That's not this. Clear film goes by a lot of names in the industry — non-reflective, absorptive, neutral. The one we use from Avery Dennison is called spectrally selective film. You can get it in different VLT levels — VLT stands for Visible Light Transmission, basically how much light passes through. A 45 VLT adds just a hint of shade, enough that you'd notice it's there if you were looking for it. A 70 VLT is practically invisible — you'd have to know it was there. Both block a serious amount of heat.

And that's the part that surprises people. It looks like nothing. From the street your windows look exactly the same as the day you moved in. No mirror effect. No darkening. No drama.

What changes is what happens at the glass itself. Instead of bouncing solar energy back outside like reflective film does, spectrally selective film pulls the heat in and holds it right there — slowly releasing it back out rather than letting it pour into your room. Up to 65% of total solar energy rejected. Gone. And nobody outside has any idea anything is on your glass. Every Avery Dennison spectrally selective film also blocks 99% of UV rays — so your floors in Springhill, your furniture in Midtown, your artwork in Oakleigh, and your upholstery in Cottage Hill are all getting UV Protection Film performance whether you asked for it or not.

Word on the street is we're the only installers in Mobile who actually enjoy putting up clear films. Most shops steer you toward the dark stuff because it's faster and the results are more obvious. We'll put up whatever is right for your space — and for a lot of homes across Mobile and Baldwin County, this is exactly that.

It costs about 30% more than reflective film. For most people who end up choosing it that difference becomes completely irrelevant the first time they sit in a room that used to be unbearable and realize it just... isn't anymore.

If you've been told you can't tint because of HOA rules, aesthetic concerns, or because you just genuinely love the way your windows look — this is your answer. Same glass. Same view. Just without the part where the sun treats your living room like a personal project.