nothing beats the simplicity of heavy curtains. My 1920s place leaks air like crazy, and those thick drapes make a bigger difference than any gadget I’ve tried.
Funny thing—my place is from the ‘50s, and I get the love for heavy curtains. But I actually bit the bullet on smart blinds last winter. They’re not perfect, but I did notice my heating bill drop a bit, mostly because I could schedule them to open up and grab sun during the day. Not as cozy as curtains, but less hassle with dust and pet hair. Guess it depends on what you’re willing to tinker with.
I’ve actually gone down the rabbit hole with both smart blinds and tint-changing windows over the years. My house was built in the late ‘40s, so it’s not exactly airtight either. Heavy curtains were my first line of defense—great for insulation, but I always found them a hassle with pets and allergies.
A couple of years ago, I tried out electrochromic (tint-changing) windows in the south-facing living room. They’re pretty slick—no cords, no dust traps, and they cut glare without blocking the view. But honestly, the upfront cost was no joke, and installation was a pain since my frames weren’t standard sizes. The energy savings were noticeable, but not dramatic—maybe a 10% drop in cooling costs during summer.
Smart blinds in the bedrooms have been more flexible for me. I can program them to track the sun, and they’re way easier to swap out if something breaks. If I had to do it again, I’d probably stick with smart blinds for most rooms and only splurge on tint windows where I really want that clean look or have direct sun exposure. Both have their quirks, but I guess it comes down to how much you’re willing to spend and tinker with.
I’ve been down a similar path, actually. My place is a 1952 ranch, and air leaks are kind of a fact of life. I went with smart blinds in the main rooms for the automation—love being able to schedule them based on sunrise times—but I kept thinking about the tint windows for the west-facing kitchen. I’m curious, did you notice any difference in how the room *felt* in terms of temperature or comfort, not just the energy bills? Sometimes my blinds help, but that late afternoon sun still turns the kitchen into an oven.
That late afternoon sun is relentless, isn’t it? My kitchen faces west too, and I swear you could slow-roast a chicken in there by 5 pm. I tried smart blinds but still felt like I was cooking alongside dinner. Did you notice the tint windows actually cooled things off, or just cut the glare? I’m always skeptical about those “feels cooler” claims—my house is stubborn about holding onto heat. Ever wish you could combine both?
I hear you on the “feels cooler” claims—my place holds onto heat like it’s a competition. I tried those tint films on two west-facing windows and honestly, they cut the glare a lot but the kitchen still felt like a sauna by dinner. Maybe it’s just the insulation in these old houses? I do wonder if combining blinds and tint would actually make a difference, or if it’s just doubling up for minimal gain. Anyone ever tried both at once and noticed a real drop in temp, not just less squinting?
- Totally get where you're coming from—my 1950s place is basically a heat trap too.
- Tried both: put tint film up, then added blackout roller blinds. Glare went down, sure, but honestly, the temp drop was maybe a couple degrees at best.
- I think old insulation is the main villain here. The combo helps with comfort, but don't expect miracles.
- On the plus side, it did help the AC not run quite as hard... so, small wins?
Yeah, I hear you—sometimes it feels like no matter what you throw at these old houses, they just keep baking. I did the tint film too, and honestly, it was more of a “well, at least I tried” kind of fix. Still, if your AC’s not working as hard, that’s something. Every little bit helps, right?
it was more of a “well, at least I tried” kind of fix. Still, if your AC’s not working as hard, that’s something. Every little bit helps, right?
Yeah, I get that feeling. I did the tint film on my south-facing windows a couple summers ago—honestly, it took the edge off, but didn’t totally solve the “oven effect” in the afternoons. With these old plaster walls and original single-pane glass, sometimes it feels like you’re just patching leaks in a sinking ship.
Between tint-changing windows and smart blinds, I’ve wondered which actually makes a bigger difference. The smart blinds are less invasive to install and you can automate them to follow the sun, which is handy if you’re out during the day. But then again, those tint-changing windows are supposed to block a ton of heat before it even gets inside... price is a whole other story though. Has anyone actually seen a big drop in their cooling bill with the smart glass? I’m skeptical about how much it’d help in a drafty old house versus just improving insulation or using layered window coverings.
Curious if anyone’s had luck combining both—like, tint film plus automated blinds? Or am I just overcomplicating things?
I’ve wrestled with the same dilemma, honestly. Our place is a 1920s brick bungalow with those classic-but-drafty wood sashes, so I totally relate to that “patching leaks in a sinking ship” vibe. A couple years back, I tried layering—put up reflective window film and then added some basic motorized blinds (not the fancy kind, just programmable). It wasn’t a magic bullet, but it did seem to help, especially on those brutal July afternoons.
What I noticed is that the film knocks down the worst of the glare and some heat, but the blinds are what really keep things tolerable when the sun’s at its worst. The combo isn’t pretty, and it’s a little fiddly to get right—sometimes I’d forget to set the schedule and come home to a sauna. But I’d say it shaved maybe 10% off my cooling bill, which wasn’t nothing.
I’ve looked into the smart glass too... just can’t justify that price tag for an old house where air leaks are probably a bigger issue anyway. Sometimes I wonder if all these gadgets are just putting off the inevitable—like, maybe I should just bite the bullet and do storm windows or better insulation instead.
Sometimes I wonder if all these gadgets are just putting off the inevitable—like, maybe I should just bite the bullet and do storm windows or better insulation instead.
Man, I feel this. I went down the rabbit hole with smart blinds last summer, thinking it’d be a game-changer for my 1940s place. They were cool, but honestly, the old windows still leaked air like crazy. Ended up doing basic weatherstripping and it made way more difference than any gadget did. The tech is fun but yeah… sometimes old-school fixes just win out.