Window tinting or blackout drape liner?

[SandrA9810]

This is for a glass sliding door to the back yard, which is the most frequently used door since the car port is in the back. It is also on the east side of the house (end house too) and gets the morning sun directly. The outside of the door gets so hot, it's almost too hot to touch. Of course on the inside it gets fairly warm in that area.

Originally hung were vertical blinds, which were broken. Some didn't turn, I managed to knock one out entirely, and the string was a pain to open and close. So my aunt wanted drapes hung. The original intent was to get the thermal/blackout panel drapes, but I found some amazing looking drapes that were not. And my aunt absolutely loves them.

So that comes down to two options:
1. They sell black out material at JoAnns, which is intended to be used on the backside of drapes. It would make my decision even easier if I had my sewing machine here and could add it to the drapes, but I don't. So my plan is to buy a thin matching color rod, plus the rings with clips, to hang the material behind the drapes. I would also hang it much closer to the wall and a bit lower, so it's closer to the window. Right now the drapes are probably a good 3" out from the wall, and 6" above the window frame. And there was no decent looking double rod (like I wanted to get). So the new rod would be hung about an inch above the door frame (well below the grommets of the drapes), and maybe an inch or so away from the wall.
This option is going to run about $35 total. The material is $18, rings with clips are another $5, and the rod can run up to $10.

2. Using the DIY window tinting. I've read about it, I've seen it, I've heard it's easy enough to do. But I don't want it to look like a DIY job, like bubbles or peeling around the edges. I have not priced it out yet either.


Which do you think is going to be the easier of the two and the most energy efficient? Eventually my aunt would like to get a set of french doors leading out. As it is, it's a smaller than normal sliding door, only 56" wide total, it really doesn't leave a whole lot of room getting in and out. But that's a really down the road idea.

 

[rock_doctor]

Honestly i would do the window tinting but go with a mirror finish. That will reflect the sun that is trying to come in the glass and will reduce temps coming into the room. Other side if that door is facing a neighbor they will hate you with a vengeance... It is extremely easy to apply window tinting. You wet the surface with a weak soap solution and just roll out the tinting mylar. Because you are pushing the soapy film down the window when you are applying the plastic and smoothing it out as you go along you can easily work out the air. We did this years ago when we lived in Florida. It actually made a big difference.

 

[SandrA9810]

Well my grandfather, years and years ago, added tinting to some of the windows on the house in Florida. But the edges started peeling, and didn't look like a professional job.

The street is kinda like in a U shape, the house is on the inside at the bottom. So there's a row of houses on the outside on the other side of the street. Little further than a stones throw away.

 

[miralys]

I'd go with the drapes. Ours are made from a similar material you mentioned, and the difference in temperature is amazing. It went from being so hot you couldn't touch the window to being warm but not uncomfortable. I made a set using the "heat sink" fabric (I forget what it's called) and set it between our existing drapes and the window. Another perk is doing so protected the main drapes from the Florida sun. We did this a few years ago during our battle to lower the AC bill. If you do go that route, don't forget to use the Jo-Ann's coupons to help bring down the price of that fabric

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I would do the drapes. Sears sells a black out drapes that will attach to your current drapes no sewing needed.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...03j&srccode=cii_9324560&cpncode=00-35045708-2

 

[LilGMom]

We have both on our sliding glass door but we get full afternoon sun on that door. I did the DIY tint (non-mirror since I didn't want our neighbors hating me) from either Home Depot or Lowe's and it was relatively easy. It doesn't look like a DIY project gone bad and we've had it on the door for around four years. I do need to redo one of the doors but that is because a hard toy got launched at the door at some point and left a little tear in the tint. The black-out curtains will help with the heat coming in but the heat just builds up in between the door and the curtain so it is still already in the room. With the tint it helps stop the heat from even making it into the room.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

question for anyone who has used the window tint stuff - does it come off easily and without staining the windows after years? I'm thinking of doing it but then taking it off when we sell the house (which won't be for 5 years or so)

thanks!

 

[SandrA9810]

We have both on our sliding glass door but we get full afternoon sun on that door. I did the DIY tint (non-mirror since I didn't want our neighbors hating me) from either Home Depot or Lowe's and it was relatively easy. It doesn't look like a DIY project gone bad and we've had it on the door for around four years. I do need to redo one of the doors but that is because a hard toy got launched at the door at some point and left a little tear in the tint. The black-out curtains will help with the heat coming in but the heat just builds up in between the door and the curtain so it is still already in the room. With the tint it helps stop the heat from even making it into the room.

I was looking at the ones sold at Home Depot (online) and many of the comments talk about the mirror effect being on the brightest side of the window. If it was mirrored on the outside only, my aunt might not mind, but if it's mirrored on the inside too, she might have a problem with it. Especially since this will be the only window with it done on, at least for now.

 

[rock_doctor]

question for anyone who has used the window tint stuff - does it come off easily and without staining the windows after years? I'm thinking of doing it but then taking it off when we sell the house (which won't be for 5 years or so)

thanks!

Yea it comes off easily because it is a water soluble glue. Just scrape off with a single edge razor (use for paint scraping) and then wash off the left over glue. We also removed ours when we sold the house. It just pulled right off, a quick clean with Windex and all was good.

 

[LilGMom]

I was looking at the ones sold at Home Depot (online) and many of the comments talk about the mirror effect being on the brightest side of the window. If it was mirrored on the outside only, my aunt might not mind, but if it's mirrored on the inside too, she might have a problem with it. Especially since this will be the only window with it done on, at least for now.

It is smokey colored on the inside and mirrored on the outside. Have you ever seen mirror tinted car windows? Same thing, just on a much larger scale.

 

[SandrA9810]

It is smokey colored on the inside and mirrored on the outside. Have you ever seen mirror tinted car windows? Same thing, just on a much larger scale.

I have mirrored sunglasses, but the tint on her car windows are not mirrored, but are darkened. It was one of the options she upgraded when purchasing it. But even on cars, the outside seems to be the only mirrored part, same thing with my sunglasses.

The other difficulty might be finding a helper to do it. Me and my aunt can not agree on anything when working together. You should've seen us bickering the whole time I was putting up the drapes. I finally told her, how about you go work on your puzzle book in the room... So she did, and when she saw the drapes she was very happy with the end result, even if it cost a bit more than she was expecting.