More than 6% of the electricity generated in Australia is used to power air-conditioning systems which cool both homes and offices around the country. As other nations such as China, India and Brazil become more developed, they will likely follow this trend. As well as being expensive to the consumer, air-conditioning also increases greenhouse gas emissions in the form of CO2 (from burning coal) and hydrofluorocarbons (which act as refrigerants in air conditioning units).
A much more sustainable and cost-effective option to cool your house is window film.
Window film keeps your home cool in summer
Summer in Victoria can be extremely hot for days and weeks on end, resulting in huge energy bills when people constantly use their air-conditioners. A much cheaper and more environmentally friendly option is to install window films, because these literally block the heat from entering your home through the glass windows.
Glass is an extremely effective conductor of heat, which means that sunlight can shine directly through your windows, often dramatically increasing the temperature inside your home. With little relief during the summer months and with sunlight pouring in every day, your home becomes unbearably hot and your air-conditioning is in almost constant use.
Window films however, block most of the sunlight before it passes through the glass. This stops a large amount of the heat and UV rays from entering your home, preventing the internal temperatures from rising to an uncomfortable level. These lower temperatures often mean that you don’t need to use the air-conditioner very often, reducing your energy consumption and power bills.
If you already have window films installed in your car, you will understand how effective it can be for your home. Along with high quality insulation in the roof spaces, window films help to significantly cool the interior of your home, as well as reduce your carbon footprint and energy bills.
These aren’t the only benefits of installing window films at home however, because they also protect your furnishings, increase your privacy and reduce glare on flat screens.
Protecting your furniture:
Sunlight streaming through the windows quickly fades all your soft furnishings, particularly if they are in direct line with the sunlight. The colour of furnishings such as curtains, carpets, rugs, sofas, chairs, throws and cushions, all noticeably fade in sunlight. Window films prevent these UV rays from streaming through your windows, protecting your soft furnishings from the harmful effects of sunlight and keeping your home looking its best.
Increase your privacy:
With the increase in building large homes on small blocks of land, maintaining your privacy from passers-by or neighbours can become essential. A lack of privacy can also be an issue for people who live in townhouses, multi-residence properties and for people who work from a home office. For Australians, our home is our castle and we don’t like people being able to see us when we are inside our homes. Window films are the ideal solution, because they look good, work well and can make your home more attractive to buyers if you ever sell.
Reduce glare on flat screens:
With so many different flat screens in use at home, any type of glare from sunlight streaming through your windows can be frustrating. Large screen TVs are a good example where sunlight can make it difficult to see the screen properly, but PCs, laptops, tablets and even smart phone screens can all be affected by too much glare. Having to move the position of your TV screens or PCs, even closing the curtains during the day, can all be annoying for home owners. Installing window films is the perfect solution as they cut out the sun’s glare and make using your TV and other devices pain-free.
For more information on professional window tints for your home, call Kustom Window Tinting on 0402 221 505 or shoot us an email.
