(3M or Llumar or Huper Optik) - Home Window Application. Which to choose for heat?

[atwnsw]

Our neighbors removed a giant oak tree that provided an enormous amount of shade in the back yard.  Now, our AC can't even keep the West side of the house cool enough during these hot summer days.  Located in Tampa, FL.  Our single pane wood windows are in great shape so I would prefer to not replace them if possible.  In a perfect world, we are looking for a solution that allows us to look outside without darkening the view while blocking the heat.  From reading numerous posts, it sounds like nano-ceramic is the way to go but I again welcome your input.

 

What product should we consider?  I am convinced that I need to pay somebody to do the install given the steep learning curve of doing it myself.  But, I first want to identify which material to use and then pick an installer.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited July 3, 2020 by atwnsw

[Tintguy1980]

Sorry to be so late on a reply, I don't get here much these days.

If I were in Tampa FL (as I was in Naples years ago), I would not be using any ceramic film product on my home windows.

 

The reason; ceramics are generally known for high solar absorption rates; meaning a greater amount of the solar energy that strikes the glass will be absorbed into the glass. Now, based on the theory that heat always seeks cold and AC is used a 8-10 months out of the year down there, a greater amount of that absorbed heat will radiate indoors making a hot spot near the glass. All window film works on the premise that outdoor wind will cool the glass, thus drawing absorbed heat away. Any reported performance values are based on a 7 mph wind speed passing over the exterior glass surface. Question is, just how cool does the wind need be on the outside to make this happen. On a 90 degree day, the cooler temps are in the house under AC use.

You may want to entertain the idea of a dual-reflective film product such as LLumar DR35, 3M Night Vision 35, or Vista 38 or a like product under the Panorama brand name. These products absorb less in solar energy than a ceramic product and have higher reflective capacity in comparison. The higher the total solar reflectance, the greater reduction of solar energy getting through the glass/film combo into a home's interior. From an exterior appearance perspective, the three products listed will leave your glass looking moderately reflective, which would not exceed the look of having dual pane glass windows. Dual-reflective products allow better outward viewing at night compared with straight reflective products.

 

Hope this is helpful.