Two Common Problems With Window Privacy Film

Bryan Matamoros May 31, 2012 · 2 min read

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Many people purchase window privacy film for added indoor privacy, better insulation, as well as for decorative purposes. However, before you purchase any, there are some problems that you should be aware of. In this article, I will discuss two problems that crop up quite often when using window privacy film.

Beware Of Double-Stick Tape

Some window films that are currently on the market require the use of double-stick tape in order to keep the film on the window. This works fine until it comes time to replace the film or do other work on the window that requires you to remove the film. Double-stick tape can be very difficult to remove from the window frame without damaging the frame. You can use powerful solvents that might be able to remove the tape, but they might strip the paint off of any surfaces where the tape has been applied. An interesting way around this problem is to apply electrical tape to the frame, and then apply the double-stick tape on top of that. The electrical tape and the double-stick tape will then come off easily, without leaving a residue. You can also avoid this problem by not buying a film that requires the use of double-stick tape.

Air Bubbles

When installing window privacy film for the first time, you may notice the appearance of air bubbles in between the film and the window. These bubbles can be quite unsightly. To avoid or reduce the occurrence of air bubbles, the best thing for you to do is to buy more film than you think you’ll need and then practice applying some of the film on a scrap piece of wood until you get the technique down. As you apply the film, use the side of your hand to flatten out any bubbles. You may still have some smaller bubbles appear, but you can fix this problem by simply piercing the bubbles with the tip of a razor knife. This will pull the film back against the window, and make it look like the bubbles were never there.

The appearance of air bubbles and the difficulty in removing double-stick tape are two problems that frequently occur when dealing with window privacy film. However, with a little bit of practice and common sense, you can overcome these issues.

Visit http://allthingsplastic.net for more information on the application of window privacy film.