mikenot

Install went great. I went with NV-25, I am very happy. The room has been darkened significantly, from bright and hot to much more pleasant and enjoyable. Watching TV during the day is no longer blinding, when it is cloudy it is definitely a bit gloomy, I am glad I did not go with NV-15. I plan on getting more windows done in the future to help cut down on heat energy. Thanks for everyone's input!

Since there is no limit of darkness on the top strip, I have wanted to tint it. But I would go very dark, to help with sun glare in the evening. 

Im in TX, plenty of of what you mentioned. While I do sit higher in an SUV, glare reduction is not improved much at all with what I have. My 80% is almost clear, not dark at all. With all tint, it adds a bit of reflectivity from the outside, which I notice makes it slightly harder to see from the outside looking in, in the form of a glare not darkness. At the end of the day, it's not permanent, it's only money!

What is your goal for the FWS? How much risk are you willing to take? I did not care to ask to meter it. Going darker can make it hard to see something on the highway when driving at night like, debris, puddles(hydroplane), potholes, I don't know about you but I drive fast and I need to see the road. 

I just wanted solar energy rejection, and UV protection for leather interior. 

I have Air80 on FWS, 35% on 4 doors, 5% on 3rd row and hatch. I am happy rejecting some solar energy and having no visibility issues at night. The 15% you have will make the FWS look darker I assume. During the day it would not be a big difference, only at night. I know a FWS ticket is $$, I didn't want to give a bored cop an excuse to pull me over. Or have the chance to notice the FWS while being pulled over for something else. The less I talk to cops the better. 

17 hours ago, MikeMN said:

Here are 2 more pics, full sun and not with NV-15.

Thank you so much for these. How is it during cloudy days or during the winter? Does NV15 make the space look dreary? 

Since I'm not the only one in the house we are split on deciding. We agree to only use one % on all the windows. But I want to go 15% and they want to go 25%, mainly to avoid making the main room dreary. I guess we can always redo it down the road, it's only money right... 

14 hours ago, OBXTodd said:

I'd go with the 15 if heat and glare are your concerns. Don't mix up tint % on the same wall of windows unless you're not a particular person. Two different shades of film looks silly imo.

Understood about going different %, I was concerned about that looking funny, which would drive me crazy. I like the 15% but on cloudy days it might make the room dreary. There are trade offs in everything. 

On 3/30/2024 at 2:11 PM, Ryker said:

I suggest darker on the upper

Ha! I totally didn't even consider that route. The direct path of the sun passes through the bigger lower windows which is why thought darker on lowers. It shines directly in your face when sitting on the couch. Decisions decisions... My install is 4 weeks away. 

On 3/30/2024 at 8:54 AM, Tintguy1980 said:

Correct; using 15 will darken, so will 25, just not as much.

 

Experiment before laying $$ down on film by watching TV with sunglasses, especially when the sun is bombarding those windows straight on. Does it make watching TV more comfortable? In other words, does it cut the glare to your satisfaction? Use old-fashion dark sunglasses, not some special ops type advertised on TV and don't use polarized.

Or, take a film sample and wrap it around your face, covering your eyes as faux glasses and watch TV in the worst of the sun shining through. Pick the sample that satisfies your comfort level.

 

If it satisfies your comfort level, then either of the two would suffice.

 

Also, compare pricing between LLumar Dr 15/25 and the 3M NV. They are said to be very close in appearance. I don't recall which  has the edge over the other in terms of total solar energy rejection.

If neither film works, you are facing the prospect of sun-blocking shades, blind or drapes; motorized of course.

 

Good  luck.

The price between installers using Llumar and 3M is insignificant. I plan on using the installer with the best and most recent reviews. Watching TV with sunglasses is a huge improvement which is why I am tinting first then decide if blinds are needed. My neighbor has a similar layout and installed blackout blinds, so it is a good reference. 

Correction: 3M NV15 and NV25 

Hey everyone! I have south facing windows that get direct sunlight into my main room. The windows are dual pane on a 2017 built house. I have had multiple installers recommend DR film. I am considering 3M DR15 or DR25. Heat and glare are the main issues. The tv is almost impossible to enjoy when the sun is shining through. The suns direct path passes the lower windows. I am considering all 8 windows DR25 or DR15 on lowers and DR25 on higher ones. I feel DR15 will do the best to block glare but it might darken the room too much, which is why I am thinking DR25 on uppers. I am located in Central TX, how common are window breaks, given that summers are 100+ for July-Aug? Thoughts? Thanks

Did you ever install DR film? What was the outcome? I am considering something very similar on south facing windows.