As my AC is struggling to keep up with Florida summer heat, I am going to tint my east and west windows. These are single pane, double-hung 80 year-old windows. I'm in a historic district, so reflective glass is not allowed. I've looked at the Lowes/HD supplied film, and it is not impressive. It seems like there is new technology out there, namely ceramic-type film, which has been recommended by several installers.

Questions:

1) Can anyone recommend a brand of film given price, warranty, etc? I've been quoted Huper Optik Nano-Ceramic, CPFilms Vista product, Lumar N1050 Solar, with the Huper brand being recommended the most.

2) Is there any way to purchase a high-end film, and install yourself, or hire someone yourself (it's certainly not rocket science). I'm getting quotes from $25 to $38/pane to install. This seems high as some info i have says that the product should cost the supplier about $3/s.f.

Thanks for any recommendations, suggestions, or websites for further research!

Devin

 

Vista is the most recommended. It takes some time to put it on and do it right. People need to charge for their time and experience.

 

Make sure that what you plan to do does not void window warranties. Insulated draperies are effective for keeping out the heat.