Privacy film for windows

Muahahaha

Has anyone used a product like this? So many options out there and not sure what to go with. Ideally looking for something that stops people seeing in but also allows you to see out and lets light in without the window being dark. Not keen on the type that is almost like a mirror when looking from the outside.

Any recommendations on products?

Spocker

I'm waiting on an order from https://www.coatek.ie/ to try and reduce some internal glare, I'll let you know how it goes

reklamos

Anything you put on your windows will impact the amount of light getting through.
I use mirror privacy film. You can chose the amount of light you want to pass through it. But the lighter it is the less privacy you'll get.
You can offset this a bit by using gold or bronze instead of silver film.

Lumen

Muahahaha wrote: »

Has anyone used a product like this? So many options out there and not sure what to go with. Ideally looking for something that stops people seeing in but also allows you to see out and lets light in without the window being dark.

Sadly the laws of physics are against you.

Barring extreme angles where mirror effects can work, privacy glass works by reducing the amount of light passing through the glass so that the inside is so dim relative to the outdoor ambient light that people can't see in. But the greater the dimming effect the darker it will be inside, obviously.

One consequence of this is that privacy glass is useless at night.

Muahahaha

Lumen wrote: »

Sadly the laws of physics are against you.

Barring extreme angles where mirror effects can work, privacy glass works by reducing the amount of light passing through the glass so that the inside is so dim relative to the outdoor ambient light that people can't see in. But the greater the dimming effect the darker it will be inside, obviously.

One consequence of this is that privacy glass is useless at night.

Thanks, that explans it well.

Wondering has anyone found a happy medium between privacy and light? Problem is with this stuff is once you use it theres no sending it back so I want to try get it right the first time.

listermint

Blinds..

GreeBo

I've bought from these guys a couple of times and very happy with the result
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Frosted-Window-Film-Privacy-Etched-Glass-Sticky-Back-Plastic-Vinyl-Glass-Tint/152417887755?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

50 quid for a roll so if you dont like it you can just take it off, no glue involved.

GreeBo

Lumen wrote: »

Sadly the laws of physics are against you.

Barring extreme angles where mirror effects can work, privacy glass works by reducing the amount of light passing through the glass so that the inside is so dim relative to the outdoor ambient light that people can't see in. But the greater the dimming effect the darker it will be inside, obviously.

One consequence of this is that privacy glass is useless at night.

Just on the last point, you still cant see inside a house with privacy glass at night, even with lights on.

Lumen

GreeBo wrote: »

Just on the last point, you still cant see inside a house with privacy glass at night, even with lights on.

OK, I guess it depends on what it is. If it's just a tint, it won't work. If it's a mirror coating, it might work if there is external lighting directed back on to the glass. If it's frosting it onbviously will work all the time, but you can't see out.

Or there's a type of film with dots which works the same way as net curtains, i.e. a combination of relative dimness and the person inside being closer than the person outside.

GreeBo

Lumen wrote: »

OK, I guess it depends on what it is. If it's just a tint, it won't work. If it's a mirror coating, it might work if there is external lighting directed back on to the glass. If it's frosting it onbviously will work all the time, but you can't see out.

Or there's a type of film with dots which works the same way as net curtains, i.e. a combination of relative dimness and the person inside being closer than the person outside.

Do you mean won't work from the point of view of seeing out or seeing in?

The ones I'm talking about are basically a frosted layer, they let light in but you can't see in, day or night.

Lumen

GreeBo wrote: »

Do you mean won't work from the point of view of seeing out or seeing in?

The ones I'm talking about are basically a frosted layer, they let light in but you can't see in, day or night.

But that type doesn't meet the stated requirement of being able to see out.

GreeBo

Lumen wrote: »

But that type doesn't meet the stated requirement of being able to see out.

Ah I read that more as being able to get an idea of what's outside.

As you say, physics is against you if you want to see out but not in under all conditions.

Alun

How does the privacy glass found in most modern cars work? You can see out of that OK, but not see in.

Lumen

Alun wrote: »

How does the privacy glass found in most modern cars work? You can see out of that OK, but not see in.

They make the inside darker by cutting down the light transmission.

If you think about the light path, it has to come in from outside, be reflected and back out again. So a 30% tint will make the inside appear 49% as bright from the outside, but people inside see the outside as 70% bright.

That doesn't work as well at night if interior lights are used.

Gen.Zhukov

GreeBo wrote: »

Do you mean won't work from the point of view of seeing out or seeing in?

The ones I'm talking about are basically a frosted layer, they let light in but you can't see in, day or night.

That frosted stuff is good. I lived in a house that had it.
It's usually put on with a border edge of 25-30mm left blank which helps seeing out but people still can't see in unless their nose is up to the glass.

Muahahaha

Presumably the frosted stuff is only really meant for bathroom windows? Its more something Id associate with offices with windows at street level.

Rows Grower

Lumen wrote: »

They make the inside darker by cutting down the light transmission.

If you think about the light path, it has to come in from outside, be reflected and back out again. So a 30% tint will make the inside appear 49% as bright from the outside, but people inside see the outside as 70% bright.

That doesn't work as well at night if interior lights are used.

I was with you until you said "be reflected".

I was barred from science in secondary school.