Gila Privacy Mirror Adhesive Residential DIY Window Film Heat Control Glare Control 3ft x 15ft (36in x 180in)

Awesome product! We have our entire sunroom windows covered with this stuff. So I knew exactly what it was about. Our entire sunroom is glass windows so this was our best choice for privacy. My favorite bonus is being able to watch the kids play in the yard and they have no idea they're being watched. It's very bright during the day. Looking in the windows from the outside you are just looking at yourself in the mirror. Looking outside from the inside is just a light tint. At night however you can see inside a little and especially if the inside is really lit up....more of a view the brighter the inside is. This has never been an issue for us because at night our motion lights go on and our landscape lighting is on so the outside is not completely dark. This order I got for our front door which is all glass. I am so happy that I did it. I got a really nice birdfeeder that I set on our front porch and is filled with Blue Jays and Cardinals and our cats can sit 2 feet away from it inside and watch them and the birds have no idea. Also it's nice that nobody from the outside can see inside including people that drive by, solicitors, even the mailman...whatever. I can have my door wide open and still have privacy. From the outside It just looks like a big mirror which is fine because it reflects landscaping and flowers. nighttime is not an issue because number one we usually don't have the door wide-open at night and number two if we did the outside porch light would be on . The key to getting the backing off of the film is to put a piece of tape on each side and pull apart slowly. The key to successful application is to completely soak the glass. I used invisible glass and it worked great . The wetter it is the easier to apply. if it's sticking and not sliding around easily you need to spray more. The key to using the squeegee successfully is to also spray the outside film once it's applied to the window. it makes your squeegee work a lot easier. Hope this helps ! I'm attaching a picture of the view from the inside looking out and one from the outside looking in.

Right now there is one 26 inch by 26 inch window pane completed. Yes it took us a fair amount of time to figure out the process and install it and yes the THREE of us failed miserably the first two go's but the third piece went on fairly well. After watching several installation videos on Youtube and getting it to the point of ignoring half of the installation videos advice, we figured out a method. Even after getting this last try installed I hated the end result, but later after about 6 hours I returned to the glass and smoothed it out further and yes! it adhered perfectly all the bubbles and dimples are gone and it looks absolutely fantastic! No its not going to give privacy so someone can't look into your bedroom window. Why would anyone put this material somewhere one would need that amount of privacy? Yes it has a mirror effect when the light shines onto it, whether it be sunlight or your porch light at night. Yes if its dark outside and you have your porch light on but turn on your interior lights someone can sort of see in. I see this paper as a way to open your drapes or soji screen (which is what we have -soji screen) and yet not be completely open when the UPS driver comes to the door and delivers our lovely Amazon packages, he gets that mirror and does not see in unless he sticks his face to the window and looks. I have just ordered two more boxes. I also want to mention there is a recipe online 1/4 a teaspoon to 32 ounces water to get the application solution. Make sure you use warm distilled water for that, and shake it up into a never used before misting bottle. Your window needs to be absolutely spotless and so does the frame and if you have a dusty house get your dust totally down and out of that room. I think a lot of failures are variables that these people posting negative remarks are not fully considering every possible reason this product as they claim fails. Its possible they are installing on a very high humidity day, or a hot day or too cold or they think their windows clean and it isn't or they are using the wrong cloth or tools. We spent a lot of time in prepping the area to do the work. The room itself and the window area not a spike of dust and we even ran an air purifier in to the air, wood floors spotless everything from the leather furniture we made sure no dust whatsoever and our seal to the windows absolutely not a bubble or even a dot of anything between the glass and this paper. The paper did not tear or scratch because I purchased lint free microfiber clothes for this too! The moment you think this is all easy to put on ...hey folks, anything quick and easy usually isn't and when it is..its usually junk! So do the work first if you want this look which I love the way what I did put up works with our home. I know my neighbors are going to be doing it next now...hehe

Pros: - Provides EXCELLENT privacy during daylight hours. - Good instructions. Neutrals: -Reduces outside light considerably. Resulting light has a blue hue. -Causes some reflectivity on the interior side starting just after sunset. I don't think this is possible to fix (because physics) aside from placing a bright light outside directed at the window during evening hours. Cons: -Tricky to apply. Tips & Tricks: -Use 3 people to install. -Buy the Gila kit with the correct knife. Lay the knife flat in the crease at a consistent 30-45 degree angle and it will cut perfectly. -Adhere scrap pieces to corners and practice cutting them. This is the most difficult part to get right. -Adhere scrap pieces over the edge of the glass to figure out which cutting angle works best with the knife so the tint lands right at the edge with no light peeking through. -Never let the tint 'crease'. This can show up in the end result. Having two people holding the tint while the third works on it is what keeps this from happening. Even with two, you will get creases (unless the window is very small). Review: Usually directions that suggest two people might be necessary are wrong and I can do it perfectly fine myself. This window film was an exception. I was able to apply the tint myself, but after three windows and lots of frustration and wasted time I gave up. I could get the tint on (fairly well by my third window and after several pieces thrown away), but I couldn't get it to look professional or anywhere near perfect. I removed all of it so I could do it with help. In my experience, the directions are wrong. You don't need two people, you need three. One person on each side of the tint to keep it pulled open and keep it from getting wrinkles/folds/creases, and the third person cutting, peeling the backing, and spraying / applying the tint with the aid of the other two. It might be possible with two, but with three it's actually easy to do a good job of it. Why Four Stars? I would give it five stars, but even when done 'perfectly' the tint isn't optically perfect - it has a slight wave to it that you can see from certain angles (but only from the reflective side). I also wish I would have known that the warm light that used to glow through my windows would be replaced by a cool, slightly blue hue. It changed the feeling of the rooms, and the colors of fabrics and flooring and walls look different. But the added privacy makes it worthwhile, and keeping a 2700K light on inside helps warm it back up. If I could ask Gila to change one thing, it would be to improve the color of the light that passes through. Overall, a very good (but not perfect) product.

I moved into my new place about 2 weeks ago and the front room had its first test last saturday (june 16,2012). It was 91 degrees outside, and even hotter inside the front room as the sun blazed on it all day. This was also the day we decided to put up the tint so it was a good time to test the temp. My friend had done a good amount of tint before so all he asked was for help to hold it up as he used a credit card (folded in a napkin so it wouldnt cut/damage the tint) for the bubbles and a spray bottle with a few drops of dawn soap. We could immediatly tell the difference as soon as we put up the first strip on the sliding door, it was like a different room. I am ordering more as i am very pleased with the quality, during the day you cant see nothing inside, night time is a little different but i expected that. But if you want to have a little privacy just use dimmed lights and your be a shadow figure walking around. I just have my tv on and while u can clearly see the tv at night u cant see any details from people inside. But if i put on a bright light it makes it very easy to see. Either way i just wanted to keep the sun from hitting it so hard on that side and provide a lil privacy/security during the day time when im sitting on my computer. On that same note, before i added the tint, even with the blinds closed i had a awful glare on my computer which made it hard to use. After placing the tint, seeing my monitor is much easier even with the blinds open. Much thx! If you are new at doing this i would recommend finding someone that has experience doing this type of stuff, it takes time getting all of the bubbles out as my friend was telling me you have to do a little bit everyday to work them out. So you just cant put it up and do a little work, its a on going project to get it perfect. If you want something darker/more secure, go get 0% and that will block out everything. But im pretty sure its expensive.....

I bought this window film, to add some privacy to my street-facing windows. It does that, but not as well or clearly as I was hoping. The biggest disappointment is, the film doesn't adhere cleanly: there are visible bubbles and waves in the installed product, and it seems you have to resign yourself to having to look at them every time you look out of your tinted windows, from inside or out (and yes, I did use the specific Gila installation kit and followed the Gila install video as closely as I was able). Privacy achieved, but in a rather unsightly way. Also, extreme care has to be taken when installing: if anything touches the film just before placing it on your window, then the film is basically ruined, as there is no way you will be able to remove dust or anything else that touches the inside surface of the film (god help you if, as I did, you should let the film slip out of your hands and onto the floor - no choice but to start over with new film). At some point, I may peel off these films and try again with a different make of film to see if I can obtain a fully clear privacy finish for my windows; but for now I can live with this bubbly & wavy one, as it does at least do a good job of obscuring the inside of my home from the street. Could have wished for better, though. Overall, these work, but don't expect visual clarity (& you do need to be very careful during installation to avoid wasting film). UPDATE: After about a week, I have noticed that most of the embedded bubbles that bothered me in the installed film have disappeared, greatly improving the appearance of the installed film - I can only suppose, the bubbles were trapped spray solution that has slowly evaporated over time. The installed film now looks MUCH better than immediately after installation, prompting me to add a star to my review rating. So, now I can say: if you see bubbles remaining after you have installed this product on your window, so long as they are not air bubbles (which I was careful to smooth out of mine), there is a good chance they will disappear after about a week, which makes the final appearance of the film on your windows much cleaner and better. I still stand my my other concern, that you do need to exercise extreme care when handling the film just before installing it; as the one film I absently allowed to roll up and touch itself before attachment to the window still shows a mark from that brief contact, and that looks to be visible permanently. Also, there is a question as to how long the film will remain on the windows, as I notice that the corners do seem to like to peel themselves off (I re-wet and press them down again, but so far they don't like to stay put). Still, my street-side windows are private now, so the primary goal of the installation is fulfilled.

So let's talk science. This stuff technically works because it is reflective. It reflects let's say 40% of the visible light spectrum. Since I am not a superhuman I cannot visually tell if it reflects any other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. What I can tell you is this stuff gets HOT. Like, amazingly, and very concerningly, HOT. I put it on West windows that got the ultimate amount of sun as it sets and I was afraid to leave this stuff on my windows. Sometimes I was afraid it would burn my hands if I left my hand on the window. Now, the science part of this statement, is that this heat is now still technically entering your home. All that energy is just radiating off the window as opposed to radiating off the blinds, curtains, furniture, or whatever. You can ARGUE that some of that energy also radiates back out through the panels on the glass, back outside too. I installed this on double pane windows so I highly doubt a lot of that was going on. If someone took a thermal gun and pointed it directly at this product, I can guarantee it'd be spooky how hot this gets. I felt it was very dangerous for the window. My solution, instead, was to turn to a different film for EXTERIOR application. Now the exterior stuff ACTUALLY works. It will also get hot but the wind naturally occurring outside will help carry the heat away from the window. The heat will also radiate OUTSIDE with the exterior applied window film. Anyone looking for heat control window film, SKIP this and go straight to the exterior application. You'll thank me later with all the money you saved skipping that step, and with the money you will ACTUALLY save on air conditioning costs. This interior stuff will barely work. It only scientifically is accurate because it does reflect *some* of the energy, and radiate *some* of the energy back through the glass panels. This might work a lot better on single pane windows or perhaps South and North facing windows. I feel like it is way too dangerous and ineffective for East and West facing windows. For anyone interested, I am now happily using BDF EXS35 EXTERIOR Window Film High Heat Rejection Silver.

This film is worth the price to reduce heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter. It acts to reflect heat it the summer back outside (and keeping your A/C inside) and it also reflects your heat back in to your home during the winter (and keeping cold out). I noticed a huge temperature difference on my two west facing bedrooms after applying the window film. It is a little tricky applying it to the window but is fairly easy to do. TIPS: for a large window (greater than 3-feet by 3-feet) have a second person help you. materials needed: Window squeegee (I like the 6-8 inch one), one squirt bottle, a film cutting razor blade (the kind where you snap the end off to get to the next sharp edge), soap (I prefer Palmolive), scotch tape, two large towels, and plain old water. I use a door mirror to cut the film to length (and width as needed). Always cut your film 1/8" to 1/4" smaller than you window measures. Tear off two pieces of scotch tape about an inch long. Fold over about and 1/4" on each piece of tape. On one piece, fold over the other end 1/4". Place on piece on the corner of the film (matching the edge of the folded over tape at the corner of the film), place the other piece on the other side of the film in line with the first piece. Press tape down onto film firmly. Slowly pull the tape apart to see which side is the film and which is the plastic liner. Fill the water bottle with lukewarm water. Put in 6-8 drops of soap (I use Palmolive). Put on sprayer and shake to mix soap and water, trying not to get much suds action going. Spray window generously with soapy water and squeegee water toward bottom. Lay towel at bottom of window. This gets all of the dirt off of the window. You may need to use a razor blade to get old paint off window or stubborn dirt particles. Once clean, spray window generously with soapy water. Hold the film up and have clear protective film facing towards your assistant. have your assistant spray the front side of the film (the side facing you) then start peeling the protective film while spraying the film on the their side with the soapy water. When the protective film is off have your assistant spray the widow with the soapy mix. Slowly apply the film to the window and adjust it in place leaving an equal gap on all sides of the film. Spray the film generously. use squeegee to gently squeegee the film at the center top of the film to get it to stick in place. Then working from the center outward and down, squeegee the water off of the film wiping outward on the film. The gap between the film and edge of window allows the excess soapy water to run out. When the bottom of the film has been squeegeed, gently dab the towel on the lower edge of window to remove excess water Slowly peel off the piece of tape at the upper edge that you used to peel the film and protective clear film apart. Proceed to the next window. Enjoy the energy savings and privacy!

First attempt at installing tint on our sliding glass door. It was suprising easier than expected. It was easier with two people with the door size. I can already tell there's less heat coming through. It does take a little time and patience with getting the air bubbles out. I also recommend the Gila Film Application Kit. It had everything that we needed to get the job done.

Es muy útil contra los rayos del sol, ayuda a disminuir la temperatura del hogar. Algo complicado la instalación, se requieren dos personas sobretodo para ventanas grandes y es necesario el líquido especial.

Makes the inside far, far to dark!

La pose est assez simple après avoir regardé les tutoriels. Lavez bien la fenêtre et utilisez le produit vendu pour de la même compagnie. Ca marche très bien. On a l'intimité qu'on voulait. On ne voit plus dans la maison en plein jour. Limite le soir un peu plus ce qui est normal mais comme on a un bon éclairage de la façade de la maison le soir, ça a quand même un peu son effet miroir. On songe en mettre sur d'autres fenêtre. Nous avons fait la porte patio. Évidemment ça teinte un peu aussi la fenêtre de l'intérieur donc l'extérieur à l'air un peu plus sombre mais c'est pas un soucis pour nous. Je recommande.

I found it very difficult to apply. My family has a sign making business and i was able to use professional application tools but i suffered with bubbles appearing on the film after application.

Es una película fácil de instalar con un acabado suave, evita la brillantes de los rayos solares y una agradable privacidad.