UV- and heat-blocking window films

[Kitty]

I've been getting increasing problems with UV rashes since I moved into a house with a south-west facing sitting room with a patio door. I've had PLE for decades, but I've now collected four or five different types of rash and they tend to be accompanied by 'flu symptoms and fevers.

Weirdly, being out in direct sun is easier than being indoors—the few bits of my skin that aren't covered with clothing are slathered in Factor 50+ sun block. The trouble is that it's designed not to come off, so if I don't want it all over my sheets, I have to wash the skin multiple times with shampoo for greasy hair. I don't want to have to do that when I'm not even well enough to leave the house, or sit here all summer in long sleeves, long trousers and a niqab.

So I've just had UV-blocking film applied to the patio door and sitting room windows. It's the type they use in museums and galleries, and blocks a high enough proportion of UVA and UVB that most people with severe light sensitivity don't need additional protection. Can't even tell it's there, it's clear enough that it can legally be applied to car windscreens.

It won't be of interest to most people here, but the guy told me he's been busy for a few days applying heat blocking film to south facing windows. I hadn't come across it before, and it can apparently reduce heat transmission through glass by up to 80%—lots of people put it in their conservatories, and it's effective enough that they consider it worth the cost. He said it wouldn't be expensive to cover the three-pane bedroom window that gets the sun all day, so I may try it.

I thought I'd mention it, in case anyone wants to look into it. I haven't yet, still recovering from chatting to a really nice young fella for an hour about optimising outdoor spaces for wildlife...

 

[yME]

Any links or further info?

 

[Kitty]

This is the company that did mine:

MK Tints • Window Tinting | Barnsley | South Yorkshire

MK Tints are one of the largest window tinting businesses in Yorkshire. Offering guaranteed high quality window tint films for residential, commercial and auto.

mktints.com

The films they use are made by a company called Llumar, and come with a 10 year guarantee.

It is possible to install it yourself, but it's a bit of a process doing the prep (including going over the whole glassed area with a razor blade) and then getting it on with no bubbles. The cost wasn't high enough to make it worth spending months thinking about it, then doing it in a slightly rubbish way, then needing ages to recover!

 

[Spartacus]

I've been getting increasing problems with UV rashes since I moved into a house with a south-west facing sitting room with a patio door. I've had PLE for decades, but I've now collected four or five different types of rash and they tend to be accompanied by 'flu symptoms and fevers.

Weirdly, being out in direct sun is easier than being indoors—the few bits of my skin that aren't covered with clothing are slathered in Factor 50+ sun block. The trouble is that it's designed not to come off, so if I don't want it all over my sheets, I have to wash the skin multiple times with shampoo for greasy hair. I don't want to have to do that when I'm not even well enough to leave the house, or sit here all summer in long sleeves, long trousers and a niqab.

So I've just had UV-blocking film applied to the patio door and sitting room windows. It's the type they use in museums and galleries, and blocks a high enough proportion of UVA and UVB that most people with severe light sensitivity don't need additional protection. Can't even tell it's there, it's clear enough that it can legally be applied to car windscreens.

It won't be of interest to most people here, but the guy told me he's been busy for a few days applying heat blocking film to south facing windows. I hadn't come across it before, and it can apparently reduce heat transmission through glass by up to 80%—lots of people put it in their conservatories, and it's effective enough that they consider it worth the cost. He said it wouldn't be expensive to cover the three-pane bedroom window that gets the sun all day, so I may try it.

I thought I'd mention it, in case anyone wants to look into it. I haven't yet, still recovering from chatting to a really nice young fella for an hour about optimising outdoor spaces for wildlife...

Sounds very interesting. As soon as spring comes around I have to wear mountaineering sunglasses inside my house during the day. My body feels as if it under severe physical stress during the day. I have an immense sense of relief when evening comes. Sometimes I wonder if I may be turning into a vampire. I shall definitely look into this stuff. Thanks for the tip.

 

[NelliePledge]

Interesting @Kitty ta. I am south west facing at the front where my bedroom and living room are and I have Venetian blinds to manage the light levels. To be fair light isn’t a major intolerance issue for me. But but that side gets uncomfortably warm during the hottest summer spells and my tolerance for heat is much worse. I had been thinking of maybe getting an air to air source heat pump air conditioner installed in my bedroom possibly the film would be worth trying before the aircon. Let us know how you get on with your sitting room

 

[Kitty]

But but that side gets uncomfortably warm during the hottest summer spells and my tolerance for heat is much worse. I had been thinking of maybe getting an air to air source heat pump air conditioner installed in my bedroom possibly the film would be worth trying before the aircon.

The problem in a prolonged heatwave is that most UK houses are built of brick or stone, and the whole structure heats up. The bricks can continue to convect heat even when the weather cools down. I think only air-con would fully effective for that kind of weather, though I don't get on with it very well. (Some people get headaches and sore throats even when the filters have just been changed, and of course I had to be one of them! )

But I think the heat filters might be useful in normal British summers, where the temperature and amount of direct sunlight varies. It's not especially expensive if you can find an installer nearby, and it should last for years. My chap had to come quite a long way so there was a £100 callout fee, but it would be less if there was someone closer. The film and installation would be a couple of hundred quid for my bedroom windows.

 

[Trish]

That sounds useful, Kitty. Do let us know how you get on with it.

Does it reduce brightness or just heat? And does it reduce heat loss outwards in winter?

 

[Kitty]

Does it reduce brightness

The UV film is invisible, you wouldn't know it was there. It blocks most of the UVA and UVB that causes the rashes, but the room is as bright as before. Which is good for me, I like how light the sitting room is in this house—previous ones were north facing and overshadowed by buildings in terraced streets, so they were gloomy.

or just heat? And does it reduce heat loss outwards in winter?

The heat film (which I don't have yet) apparently blocks a lot of radiated heat—the steep increase in room temperature you get when the sun strikes the glass directly. Presumably it scatters or reflects the light in some way, I'm a bit vague on physics

It seems unlikely it would reduce outward heat loss, though, because that's a different kind of heat transmission. Thick curtains would be more effective.

 

[hinterland]

I was interested in this but the company I contacted advised me that my windows would need to have safety glass and the panels installed are just standard glass. The reason being that the UV blocking/ reflective films--assuming they're adhered to the interior of the glass--cause intense heat build up and non-safety glass will crack. Safety glass has much higher heat tolerance.

So, sadly for me, as I'm in rented accommodation, I don't think window films are an option - unless I can persuade my landlords there's a case for replacing all of the double glazing, which is unlikely.

 

[Kitty]

I was interested in this but the company I contacted advised me that my windows would need to have safety glass and the panels installed are just standard glass.

Oh that's a shame! My bungalow's rented too, but it was only built in 2017, so most of the fittings are recent versions/standards.

There must have been some developments, the windows and doors here block sound two or three times more effectively than the double glazing at my last place. I sometimes open the patio door to let the cat out and am startled by noisy power tools or small children shrieking—I'd no idea it was going on. (On the downside, it's so quiet I've realised my tinnitus is a lot worse than I thought!)