DIY : window film.

so, i bought and installed the gila energy saving platinum window film this weekend! i think i did a pretty spiffy job. i did the installation mid-afternoon on my west-facing bedroom window first, and when i had just the first panel installed it made a HUGE difference.

on the untouched side, you could definitely feel the sun beating in, and that slight burn sensation on the skin. but on the film-applied side, it actually felt like being in the shade! my biggest concern before installation was that it would be too heavily tinted and darken the room too much, but as you can see, its actually quite a mild tint and doesn't bother me at all. installation itself really isn't too bad - the most complicated thing for me was actually having to dismantle my desk from the living room to bring into the bedroom so that i could do all the work in there.

i did the installation on sunday, and monday night when i got home from work my room was actually at a comfortable temperature rather than the way-too-warm-i-need-to-open-my-windows-right-away temperature it usually is. it will be interesting to see how this plays out over time. especially in the winter, since its supposed to help "retain winter heat" as well.