Will Tinted Home Windows Save on My Energy Bill?
Did you know that tinted home windows may affect your energy bill? Read on to learn more about them and their affect on your next monthly bill.
When you hear about window tinting, most people think about their vehicles. But tinting your home windows has many benefits, including huge energy savings.
Tinted home windows will reduce your energy costs but by how much? And is it worth the cost of installation?
The information below will answer these questions. Keep reading to find out what impact home window tinting can have on your energy bill, as well as some of the other benefits it can add to your living space.
A Note on Residential Window Tint Shade
Before we get started, it is essential to address a common misconception about window tinting. Many people believe that the darker the shade you have, the greater the benefits. This is not the case.
Other than privacy, you can get all the energy-savings and other benefits of tinted windows in your home with a translucent coating. Darker shading is available, but not mandatory.
Benefits of Home Window Tinting
Businesses are increasingly turning to tinted windows for their office spaces. They understand the energy and cost-savings advantages discussed below.
But they also know what tinting provides a more comfortable work environment. This alone can help boost productivity and elevate employee satisfaction.
People are starting to see the value of these same benefits in their home living spaces. Here is a breakdown of those advantages.
Energy Cost Savings
There are many reasons people choose to tint their home windows. But energy efficiency and associated cost-savings is probably the main one.
As much as 75 percent of the amount of light entering your home turns into heat. During the summer months, keeping this heat out is the key to reducing your energy bill.
Each home is unique. Your windows’ exposure to the sun is the biggest factor in determining the extent of these energy-savings. But homeowners have reported reductions in utility bills as much as 25 percent to corresponding months without the tinting in place.
But you may be thinking, “Don’t tinted windows also block wanted heat during winter months?” That is true, but there is an insulating quality to tinted windows.
You lose about 30 percent of your home’s heat through the glass in your windows. By trapping cool air inside your home, tinted windows’ insulating quality can help mitigate energy loss during the winter months. Depending on the product, estimates say that it could boost your window's insulation by as much as 90 percent.
Window tinting can be an affordable alternative to replacing older, less energy-efficient windows. You also may be able to claim a federal energy tax credit of up to 10 percent for installing tinting film on your home windows. And, if you sell your home, this can be a unique and appealing feature to potential buyers.
And saving money isn’t the only benefit to becoming more energy efficient. Cutting energy waste is good for the environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Safety
Besides saving you on your energy bill, tinted home windows can help block the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. These are linked to a higher incidence of cancer and premature skin aging. And they can damage items inside your home, including carpet, rugs, upholstery, and home furnishings.
In fact, the light coming through windows is so powerful that companies have started harnessing it. Innovative solar-panel type windows allow less-harmful light to pass through while capturing UV rays to convert to energy.
Ceramic window tinting blocks about 99 percent of harmful UV rays. This can be particularly useful for areas like home offices, where you may be sitting in front of a window for a long period of time. Living or sunrooms are, by their nature, susceptible to harmful rays.
Window tinting does nothing to diminish visibility or the amount of natural sunlight needed to fill a room. But you can have the peace of mind that the rays coming through are not dangerous to whoever is in the room.
Comfort
Another big benefit to home window tinting is the reduction of glare. This is one that many people think about in vehicles but overlook in homes or businesses.
With tinted home windows, can enjoy every room by opening shades and curtains. You can have natural lighting and outdoor views while still blocking annoying glare.
Privacy and Security
With darker shading, tinted windows also can provide a level of privacy to your home without having to draw shades or close curtains. It allows you to see out but prevents passers-by from looking inside your home.
This can help deter theft or other crime, and afford a natural feeling of safety throughout your home.
Benefits of Professional Installation
DIY home projects are increasing in popularity and there are many aftermarket tinting products available. You may be tempted to cut corners on home window tinting, but there are good reasons to proceed with caution.
If you are considering tinting your home windows for any combination of the reasons above, you want to make sure you are getting a good product and that it is done right. Hiring a professional will ensure this.
Most prominent residential tinting companies provide free quotes. So, you have nothing to lose by seeing what it will cost to add this feature to various rooms throughout your house. And home window tinting may be much more affordable than you think.
Find the Right Tinted Home Windows
Now that you understand the benefits of tinted home windows, why wait to actualize these cost-savings. A reputable installer can guarantee the advantages described above while operating within your budget.
At David Wood Window Tinting, we have been serving the Palm Beaches and Southern Florida for almost 30 years. We use premium Vista Window Films by LLumar, the gold-standard for commercial and residential applications.
We offer free quotes and consultation. We would be happy to discuss how we can help you cut energy costs while providing a more comfortable living space inside your home.
