How to Put up Window Film

Hello all. Did you have a nice weekend? Happy fall! I can’t wait to do all kinds of fun fall things this season! How about you? Late this summer I started a makeover in the dining room to prepare it for my sister’s wedding shower. Even though the shower is now over, I’ve still got lots of things going on in there.

We installed the window film on the three windows on the long side wall. It’s quite an easy project if you’re thinking of window film for a room in your place. After tossing around some ideas of how to cover the windows, I thought film would be a great option. They face the side of the neighbor’s house, which is only about six feet away.

Here is what we started with. This is when I was painting the room.

With that terrible before picture, let’s get started.

To prepare, we took down the old blinds and washed the windows. I kept the brackets for the blinds up because I plan to either make my own roman shades from the old blinds or get new ones.

I was happy to see those babies get taken away forever to the basement until I decide what to do with them. Dirty, dusty, plastic, old.

Then we read the instructions that came with the film. To do this you need:

• Window film
• The application solution
• The application kit, which we didn’t get because I didn’t see it at the display in the store whoops. But we made do, I’ll let you know how.
• A friend to help and cut the film if you can finagle it {love you hubs :-)}
• Straight edges to measure
• Cutting mat and pencil
• Exacto knife

Other items I found helpful with this project were a drop cloth to catch the drips from the solution because you put a lot of it on and paper towels for the same reason. Plus a large surface to work on is most useful.

First you measure the size of the glass in your windows and then cut the film one inch larger on each side. For example if you have 28 x 38 windows, measure and cut the film to 30 x 40 in size. I had the art major pro {my husband} do this since he is a master with the ruler and exacto knife.

Like a good blogger I stood by and took pictures 🙂

Then you separate the film from its backing while you spray three things 1. The window and 2. and 3. The front and back sides of the film. You don’t have to go crazy with the solution, but the it will help you slide the film on the window and when you use the squeegie.

{No pics of this unfortunately, it’s a four hand job}. My tip here: spray over the drop cloth, it’s quite drippy.

After that you position the film on the window, squeegie very thoroughly and trim the film to fit your window with the exacto knife. We figured out after doing 2 out of 6 windows that we didn’t need to cut an inch larger on each side but only an inch total for the width and length {i.e. 29 x 39}. We had enough wiggle room and the film fit well.

Squeegie your heart out because you don’t want any bubbles! Since I forgot the application kit, thankfully I had a left over squeegie from the film I put in the bathroom in my apartment. I definitely recommend you have the proper squeegie for this, it is a necessary tool. Squeegie, there I said it again 🙂

And if you can’t make sense out of what I’ve described here {which is entirely possible} the directions that come with the film are VERY simple and exact. They will lead you to successful window filming. I got this film at The Big Orange aka Home Deeps.

We also realized the true 100% privacy of the film once we had some of it up. The window on the left has it on and on the right doesn’t.

Covering our relatively large six panes took about an hour and a half so it’s no speedy job for sure but it’s quite effective. You get light but barely even shadows, we tested it out.

The room is quite brighter without those ugly blinds and I love the modern look of the film. We have a random plant hanger on our trim, if you can think of what to hang from it, I’m all ears. And those little notches sticking out are actually brackets for rods that goes there and at the bottom of the window like we have on the rest of the windows downstairs.

Of course I still have to find some fabric for the roman shades.

What’s left to do in the dining room? Lots.

Pick out a wallpaper for in between the wall slats

Order the wall paper
Select a paint color for the top half of the room and paint

Decide if we are painting the ceiling or not Not right now, we want to see how the room comes together otherwise

Remove blinds and clean windows

Buy and put up window film

Find fabulous fabric for the window treatments. I ended up getting curtains from Ikea and hanging those

Make curtains (if I buy fabric) and roman shades and hang them all

Make frames for mirror wall art

Buy frames (or find some) for other wall art I have planned

Decide which color to paint buffet and then paint it

Find new hardware for the buffet

Find lamps and shades for the buffet, repaint part of the new lamps

Decide on/find other wall art?

Pick out and buy a rug

Get a new chandelier

Other lighting?

Throw a dinner party to enjoy our new room