We all love sunlight. What about the UV rays coming with it? We love the heat of the Sun on a chilly morning. But, who does like the Sun heating the home during scorching summer days? We all need to block UV rays and excess heat from the Sun entering our house. And, we don’t have much of options. Among the things that work protecting our house from UV rays and excess heat are solar screens and window tints or films. Here, we are discussing the difference between the two so that you can take an informed decision.
Installation and aesthetics – When you compare the two options on the basis of installation and aesthetics, you will find out something interesting. The solar screens are installed outside the original window. It is installed slightly raised just like the insect screens while the window tints are directly installed to the window. The window tints can be clear, colored, patterned, stained or reflective. You cannot find such varieties in solar screens.
Effectiveness in heat blocking – There’s no doubt that with regards to the effectiveness of heat blocking, the solar screen always wins the race. They are the best, indeed. It is not that window tints are ineffective in blocking heat. They do reflect and block heat but the problem is with their installation. As the tints are installed directly to the window, they slowly transfer the heat to your window panes and as a result, the room starts getting hot. The solar screens are installed outside and hence do not transfers heat to the windows. If you live in a place like Austin where you have sunny days for a major part of the year, you should better go with Austin solar screens.
Cleaning – One of the important things we consider while installing anything into our house is the cleaning procedure. As the window tints are installed to the window you do not need to worry much about its cleaning process. You can simply clean it as you are cleaning your window. There isn’t any special procedure for cleaning solar screens either but as they are outside you need to get outside for cleaning it.
Cost-effectiveness – The cost of the solar screens and window tints can differ from place to place and seller to seller. But, an average estimation tells that solar screens are more cost-effective as compared to tinted windows. Professional installation of the window tints too is somewhat expensive than solar screens. In addition to this, the solar screens are allowed government rebates at many places. If you live in an area where government grants rebate on solar screens you might find it more affordable than window tints.
In a nutshell, we can say that solar screens and window tints both have their shares of pros and cons. But, when you compare them on the two important grounds of efficiency and cost, you’ll find solar screens more beneficial for your home.