Tint Guide for Residential and Commercial Tint
Follow this Guide for the best options for your home or business, while this is just an informational piece, it will educate you enough to have a good idea where to begin!
Understanding VLT
Before you can start installing home window tint, you'll have to understand the visible light transmission (VLT) percentage.
You'll see this every time when it comes to talking about how dark the window tint is. However, the percentage doesn't apply to how dark the tint is.
Instead, the percentage applies to how much light the tint will let in. If it's a higher percentage, the tint won't be very dark. If it's a lower percentage, that means that the tint will be really dark.
For example, if a tint had a 20% VLT, that means it would only allow in 20% of the light, meaning that your room would be dark. This however isn't always the case, when we get into Ceramic films, which are more commonly installed in homes, as a result it lets a perfect amount of light through while giving ultimate comfort and visibility.
Our most common application is either a 25% ceramic tint, or a 35% ceramic tint. The 25% allows you complete privacy during the day while maintaining the best heat protection money can buy, if you're looking for a more natural look, with the benefit of amazing heat reduction, we recommend the 35% as the tint is more subtle and allows the lighting to come in a bit more. At the end of the day, if you want to be the master of your domain, our team is here to help. We are here to help take the guesswork out of finding the perfect VLT value for your home, commercial, or office space.
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For Insulation
As mentioned before, many people also want to improve their home's energy efficiency.
If you're getting film for insulation, the film will be pretty thick, but not as thick as a film that you would get to keep your home safe. They'll block up to 99% of UV rays from the sun, which can help to regulate the temperature of the rooms. While it will block out UV rays, it will still allow plenty of light to still get through.
As an added bonus, it will also help to stop the UV rays from fading your furniture and paint color. These films normally come in either copper or silver film.
For Redirecting Sunlight
If you have a room that the sun directly faces into, chances are that all the rays are entering through your window in one specific spot.
When this happens, it will make your room start to feel really hot, which can drive up your electric bill. Many stores or restaurant owners actually install window films in areas where this happens so that the customers don't feel uncomfortable.

To prevent this, you should find a percentage that is around 25-35%. This will be a good balance between blocking out some of the light while still letting enough in.
For Privacy
If your window looks directly into your neighbor's window, you might want some more privacy. A lot of people also put window tint on rooms that need more privacy, like a bathroom or bedroom.
If you're going for privacy, make sure that you get a tint that has a VLT of 25% or below. These are also great for large windows that don't have any blinds or curtains.
However, just because you can block people from seeing inside doesn't mean that you won't be able to see outside anymore. This is the benefit of ceramic tint, keep in mind at night when the home is lit from the inside, that privacy feature does diminish. The only tint protecting complete view in is a frosted tint or a blackout tint.
For Reducing Glare
If the sun is glaring into your room, it can reduce productivity or even your focus. When it's reflecting off a screen you're looking at, it can even hurt your eyes.

To help reduce how much light comes through that window, you should install some window tinting. You'll have to figure out how much light you want to reduce, so you may get a lower percent VLT to achieve this.
For Decoration
Many people also install window tint film for decoration.
This film is normally the thinnest of them all since it is really just there for decoration. These films normally don't absorb or reflect heat, but they do come in all kinds of colors and patterns.
Some of them have frosted designs, patterns, or all kinds of colors.

However, if you want a darker film, this can increase your curb appeal as well and give your home a nice, clean look from the outside.
Customize It
The great thing about these VLT percentages is that you can customize them to make them work for you.
Maybe you want more privacy on the first floor of your home but want to have more light visibility on the second floor. You can do that!
You can have a different type of window tint in every window if you want. However, you should ask yourself some questions first:
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Does this room get really hot?
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How much light actually comes in here?
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Can the neighbors see right into my home?
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Is there glare from the window?

Once you answer some of these questions, we can start figuring out what type of window tint will work best for you!