I just did a DIY job on our kitchen windows. Here is my take on doing this yourself- After looking around online I bought the materials from a company called concord window films out of CT. Good product, great service, low price, fast shipping. The job itself was a bank of 3 windows that face due West out of our kitchen. The view is wooded and right now we don't have any other treatments on the windows. I'm a pretty handy guy around the house, but tinting was a bit frustrating. As careful as I was, the job is imperfect. There are a couple of areas where the film is a bit bumpy or bubbly and a couple of edges where the trimming didn't come out 100%. I did get better as the job progressed-I had six glass panels to cover and by the 4th or so I had more confidence. So far I have left the tint up but I may either remove it and try again myself or have it professionally redone. The benefits are apparent right away, but it's one of those things that needs to look 100% if we are going to leave the windows bare. Right now I have some more Aura paint to buy so I'm not budgeted to have the job redone, but at some point that's probably what I'll do.

I have similar case....had to buy a whole new sheet because of the Kevlar Film layers were split....said my installers did it.....1K later.....film installed and shipped back other film, said they can reuse it and will give me my money back after they see how much they can reuse.....Have to cut 24' off, so that's waste...so I get back 50% of my money.....I sent back that I should get 60% back working off the numbers that they provided was going to be waste.....said he could do 55%.....I just said send the check, cause I know we will not see eye to eye and cut my losses where I can. Ohhhh, wait, you ask, have your gotten your check......NOPE....sure have not. Thanks Mr. Will Sharp....Liar, cheater, scammer....P.O.S.

I installed Gila mirror on my brand new windows that face south (desert climate). The difference in the rooms is wonderful, no heat, no glare, no fading on the wood floors or furniture. It wasn't the easiest to apply by myself in the large areas...watch their youtube video, watch it again, have all of your tools available and DON'T let the film roll up and get stuck to itself. The corners were a little harder, I had to stick some paper towel to them for 5 min to keep the corners from wanting to release. All summer with up to 102F temps and the film looks perfect. It also provides great/full privacy during the daylight hours (unless you have another window directly behind it...then you can see through but not clearly). I wanted a professional to install a commercial grade film but could not get anyone to return a call since the job was so small. Keep in mind that this mirror film blocks all the rays needed for plants to survive (I called Gila). And no, it does not look cheesy from the outside. With my black windows it just brings out the window frame and provides privacy, does not look like foil or anything silvery that I was scared of.

I bought a house where the prior owner paid a company to apply window film. I love it far more than I ever expected. It really works phenomenally well, IMO. Totally clear view from inside looking out, but the windows appear pretty dark from the outside looking in, and it's nearly impossible to see in during the day. I LOVE that, it's almost like some added security or something. We had to replace a transom window and that one still doesn't have film on it - and it's amazing how much more heat you can feel coming through that one window than from all the others with tinting. It almost reminds me of looking through really good sunglasses - the view is the same, there's just no glare and everything looks better. :)