I went with frosted glass in my bathroom last year, mostly for privacy reasons, and yeah... heat-wise, didn't notice much difference at all. I kinda wish I'd looked into the low-E stuff now. Curious though, does the coating affect how much natural light comes through? I love bright rooms, so I'd hate to lose too much daylight just to keep things cooler.
I actually had low-E glass installed in my kitchen windows a couple years back, and honestly, I barely noticed any difference in brightness. The room still feels super bright and cheerful during the day. It does seem to help with the heat a bit, especially in summer afternoons. Maybe it depends on the specific coating or brand though... did you have a certain type in mind?
We put privacy glass in our bathroom about a year ago—went with a frosted type, nothing fancy or super high-tech. Honestly, brightness-wise, it was barely noticeable. Still plenty of natural light coming through, but it definitely made a difference in privacy. No more awkward waves to the neighbors while brushing teeth, lol. Low-E coatings are more about heat and UV control anyway...if you're after privacy specifically, I'd say frosted or textured glass is the way to go.
We installed textured glass in our kitchen window a while back—mostly because the neighbors' deck lines up perfectly to see our dinner chaos, haha. Definitely helped with privacy, but I wonder if anyone's tried window films instead? Seems cheaper and easier, but maybe less durable long-term...
"Seems cheaper and easier, but maybe less durable long-term..."
Gotta disagree a bit here. Installed privacy film on our bathroom window about 6 years ago—still going strong, no peeling or fading yet. Plus, if you change your mind or your style (or neighbors move, lol), it's way easier to remove than swapping out textured glass. Just my two cents...and yeah, our dinner chaos is legendary too.
We actually went with privacy film too, about two years ago when we bought our first house. Honestly, installation was pretty straightforward—just measure carefully, spray a little soapy water on the glass, and smooth it out slowly to avoid bubbles. Took maybe an hour tops. It's held up great so far, even with the kids occasionally splashing water everywhere during bath time...so durability-wise, no complaints yet. Plus, it's budget-friendly enough that if it does eventually wear out, replacing it won't break the bank.
We've had privacy film up for about three years now, and yeah, totally agree on the easy install. Only downside I've noticed is it doesn't block heat as much as actual privacy glass might. Curious if anyone's compared energy efficiency between the two...
"Only downside I've noticed is it doesn't block heat as much as actual privacy glass might."
Yeah, I get what you're saying about the heat issue, but honestly, I've had a slightly different experience. Had privacy glass installed in our previous house, and now we've got the film in our current place. Can't say I've noticed a huge difference in heat blocking, at least not enough to justify the price difference. Sure, privacy glass probably has better specs on paper, but in real-life day-to-day use, I'm not convinced it's worth the extra cost.
I mean, think about it—most of your home's heat transfer happens through gaps around windows or poor insulation anyway. Unless you've already got everything else sealed up tight, spending a ton on privacy glass might not make a noticeable dent in your energy bills.
Plus, if something happens to your glass (like our neighbor's kid and his soccer ball incident last summer...), replacing privacy film is way less painful than replacing specialty glass. Just something else to consider.
Anyway, just my two cents. Maybe someone who's actually done a side-by-side comparison over a longer period could weigh in more accurately...
I've been thinking about this too lately. A few things I've noticed from my own experience:
- Privacy film definitely wins on the cost and ease-of-replacement fronts. Had a similar soccer-ball-meets-window incident (seriously, what is it with kids and soccer balls?), and replacing film was quick and cheap.
- Agree that heat transfer mostly comes down to insulation and sealing gaps. I spent a weekend sealing window frames and saw way more improvement than when we switched to privacy glass at our old place.
- That said, I did notice privacy glass felt a tiny bit cooler to the touch in direct sunlight compared to film. Not sure if that's enough of a difference to justify the price, but it's something.
Overall, I'd say if your goal is mostly privacy with some heat blocking thrown in as a bonus, film's probably fine. If you're chasing maximum energy efficiency though, I'd prioritize insulation and sealing first before splurging on specialty glass. Just my experience though—your mileage may vary...
Good points overall, especially about sealing gaps—made a huge difference for us too. A couple things I'd add from my own experience:
- Privacy film can sometimes bubble or peel over time, especially if the window gets a lot of direct sun. Had to redo ours after about two years—not a huge hassle, but something to keep in mind.
- Privacy glass definitely feels more premium and looks cleaner, but honestly, the cost difference is pretty steep. I'm skeptical it's worth it unless aesthetics are a major priority.
- One thing I did notice: privacy glass seems to reduce glare better than film. If you've got a home office or TV room facing direct sunlight, that might tip the scales slightly.
Still, if budget matters (and when doesn't it?), film is probably the smarter choice for most folks. Just don't expect miracles on energy savings from either option—insulation and sealing are still king there.