Wallpaper for Windows
When we moved into our house, there were only four blinds left in the house. Unlike most houses, this wasn’t really an issue for me because living out in the country gives us a lot of privacy.
Our house is up on a hill, set back in some trees. Here is the view to the road from our house.
If you are wondering where the road is, it’s actually those light spots you can see through the trees just above the planter of moss. If you draw a horizontal line out from the planter, any light spot you see is the road.
Here is the view during the winter time. You can see the road from the house now, but because of the angles, privacy is still not really an issue.
Consequently, I still only have four blinds in my home. In any of the other 20 homes I’ve lived in during the past 24 years, getting curtains or blinds up is usually a top priority. In this home, not so much. We have such a great view from nearly every window, I simply haven’t wanted to cover it up.
Also, this home is dark. The south and west sides of the house are shaded by trees and I love me some light. Blocking out the little light we get is not something I’m willing to do. When the folks at Wallpaper For WindowsTM contacted me about reviewing their product, I was kind of torn. I was excited to try it out, but I didn’t know which window to use it on.
I finally decided to change up my back front door. If you are wondering what a back front door is, it’s a door that was once upon a time the front door of the house but is no longer used as such.
Way back when, the driveway to the house had to be reconfigured and the parking and entryway are now on the other side of the house. So we have a front front door and back front door. The boys use the back front door to get to and from the school bus. Everyone else, besides the boys and the dog use the front front door.
Since I rarely use this area, it hasn’t been a top priority for me. However, it’s on the To Do list and I’m working on some of the simple changes I can make right now. The window area doesn’t look so bad from a distance, but up close, it needs some love.
Either a really tiny bird had some serious internal distress issues going on, or an army of bugs smashed into this window at full speed. I’m not really sure what all that white stuff is and I’m pretty sure I don’t really want to know.
Here’s how it looks from the inside.
There are a lot of things we could focus on here. The crammed bookcase with the Build-A-Bear monkey on the shelf, the dirty dog door, the walking stick propped against the shelf or the fact that I have yet to hang any pictures under the word area to the left. Let’s just ignore all of that, ‘kay?
Look at the window.
The side light had a privacy film already on this glass, but we really don’t need the privacy. While I didn’t mind the bamboo, I really missed being able to see out of the window. Look at the view. It’s nice to see a bit of green because trust me, this area of the house is dark nearly all day long. I don’t call it the cave for nothin’!
I didn’t know how long the film had been on the glass. I tried to pry up the corners to see if it would peel off, but I couldn’t get ahold of any of the corners. I broke out my heat gun and applied a little heat to the film.
I melted a bit of the corner area and then peeled the film off. It came off in about 3 pieces.
Again, the close up shots reveal the dirt and the need for some paint touch ups. We are focusing on the WINDOW, remember?
After the old film was removed, I could see just how much cleaning the glass needed.
Even still, look at that light! I love it. I cleaned off the window and door area.
Some of the spots on the windows are between the panes of glass. I used a razor to scrap off old paint from the glass and I scrubbed the bug/bird poop or whatever it was off the red paint.
Installing the Wallpaper For WindowsTM couldn’t be easier. You simply spray the window with water mixed with a couple drops of dish detergent. Wetter is better.
Next, you peel the protective backing off the film and attach the film to the glass. I had my film cut to the size of the glass which was very nice since they figured out the spacing for me. I am using the Allure Leaded Glass See-Through Film.
Next, you need to squeegee out the bubbles. To do that, simply spray more of the water solution on the film and use a straight edge of some kind, like a credit card, to push the bubbles out. I have a mini-squeegee so I used that.
Starting from the center, gently push the bubbles out to the edges. The Wallpaper For WindowsTM film has no adhesive and uses static cling to adhere to the window. If you mess up, simply peel it off and start over.
My film was just a smidge too long. I used a new razor to trim off the excess and I had a perfect fit.
If you plan to cut your own, I suggest having a couple of new blades because this film is thick and you’ll want to make sure you have a sharp blade for a nice, clean cut.
Yes, I am aware that the film covered up the section of the window frame that is not painted. It’s on my list. My list gets longer by the day!
The film now looks like it’s a part of the window, and not something stuck over the top of it. Plus, I thought that little extra bit might dry up and pull away from the window.
I love the new look. It’s simple and clean and allows us to see a bit of the outdoors. It really does let more light into this area. The film isn’t perfectly clear like glass is.
I have since smoothed out the bubbles you see in the picture here, I’m just too lazy to go take another photo. The window film does look clearer from the outside looking in.
Hubs and the boys all like the change as well and it’s a small change that has a big impact.
Again, while I didn’t hate the before, I absolutely love how it looks now! Again, look at the Window. Pay no attention to that groovy banister on the right. Focus, people. Wiiiinnnnndooooow.
Do you have a window or door that needs some privacy or a little oomph? While it would really add up if you have a lot of windows to do, the window film is fairly comparable in price to other window treatments. I would have loved the window wallpaper for the one house I lived in where my kitchen window overlooked the neighbors bedroom window. Every time I did the dishes, I imagined ways I could change the view.
Would you like a chance to try out Wallpaper For WindowsTM and see how you like it? I’m giving one lucky reader a chance to try out Wallpaper For WindowsTM for themselves ($75 value).
There are 8 total chances to win, because I’m awesome that way. Use the Rafflecopter form for the different ways to win. You can even answer the question or Tweet daily for extra entries, if that’s how you roll.
I’ll be back in a few days to show you more of this area and my plans for it. Overall, I’m thrilled with the change and would definitely purchase this product for my home.
Suesan
*I was not compensated for writing this post, but I did receive the product you see reviewed here for free. All opinions are my own and I would not endorse a product that I didn’t like.