Solar film advice

bribri_2

Has anyone put reflective solar film on their windows? What % reflection did you use? Was it any good? How much was it?

rob7475

I've not used it personally.

What are you hoping to achieve by using it?

bribri_2

Our room gets way to hot in the summer close to 40 degrees even with curtains closed. The film reflects heat.

rob7475

bribri_2 said:

Our room gets way to hot in the summer close to 40 degrees even with curtains closed. The film reflects heat.

Just be mindful that it will also block during the cooler months so you won't benefit from any solar gain. I wouldn't want to be blocking anything that helps to heat the house for free in the current climate.

Have you considered rolller blands with side rails. Something like Bloc blinds. I have these in a couple of my rooms and they do an OK job of keeping the room cooler in summber and will have a bit of thermal performance to help stop heat escaping in winter.

ComicGeek

I've installed brise soleil above our kitchen and main bedroom windows - facing due south- west, these baked all day in the summer.

The fins extend out to shade the window from direct sun in the summer, but don't block the lower winter sun. Only really work on south facing windows though, the summer sun on west/east elevations is too low to block with these.

Significant cost, but cheaper than air con to install and have been really effective. Much more effective than solar film as the window frame also avoids getting hot, but more expensive.

Rusty190

Have you considered adding blackout thermal linings to your existing curtains?

Places like Dunelm have ready made products, depending on your curtain size and top eg, pencil pleat, eyelet etc or, if you're handy with a sewing machine, they also sell the blackout fabric by the metre so you can make your own.

It does make a huge difference in keeping rooms cool in summer.

As I live in a draughty, old house with tall ceilings, I can't comment re: keeping heat in in winter.

PS. Contrary to my belief prior to using it, blackout lining fabric is not black!

Slinky

We've got it on our new extension windows, its a coating installed when the windows were made and is invisble as far as I can make out. It does cut down the solar gain in winter, but I think if we hadn't had it, we'll fry in summer. It's a garden room we will be using as our summer sitting room so we'll hopefully get the benefit then. I don't want to be blocking the heat out with curtains in the summer, it somewhat negates the point of installing large windows. Can't tell what it will be like in summer yet as they were only installed at the end of October.

Mutton_Geoff

I fitted silver 35% and it's excellent offering day time privacy and cooler rooms in summer without looking like an office in Dallas.