How to Choose the Best Window Tint Percentage for Your Home

Understand the Basics of Visible Light Transmission (VLT)

Before you start considering your options, it’s important to know one specific term: visible light transmission, or VLT.

When tinting home windows, homeowners will find films available in a wide spectrum of shades and percentages. One common mistake is to assume that the percentage listed for a window tint is a measurement of how dark the tint is.

However, this isn’t the case. The percentage listed for a window tint is a measurement of how much light can filter through the tint.

In other words, films that have a high VLT will allow more light to filter through your windows, while films with a low VLT will allow less light to do so. The lower VLTs—often in the 10% range—will allow very little light into your home.

Linked to the VLT, of course, is the film’s ability to block the sun’s heat. A significant portion of the sun’s heat and radiation come through the visible light spectrum. In other words, the more light your window film blocks, the more heat you keep out.

Many homeowners we work with settle around the 35% range in terms of VLT. This is a popular choice because at this level, a window film will make drastic cuts to heat and glare, but it will still allow a significant amount of natural light to enter the home.



Of course, as mentioned above, your personal choice will depend on additional factors, including the other goals you have in mind for your window film.

Consider Your Goals for Window Film

First and foremost, if tinting your windows isn’t the only goal you have in mind, you should consider the other ideas you have for your window film. There are many reasons to place a film over your windows, and some of them make it easier to get a darker tint than others. Let’s take a look at the different types of residential window tinting and what you can expect from them.

Security

Security window films can help protect your home in the case of a bad storm or an attempted break-in that shatters your window. However, it’s also worth noting that the tint from security window films can help increase your home safety by preventing potential thieves from seeing into your home. These options tend to have a low VLT percentage.

Privacy

If you want to increase your home’s privacy, a low VLT percentage—even in the 20% range—can do the trick. These darker options can be great in areas where you need more privacy, like entrance doors and bathroom windows.

Decorative

Solar

Consider Your Goals By the Room

It’s always worth noting that you should consider how you’ll use a room before you choose the right VLT for it.

If you’d like to reduce the sun damage to the soft furnishings in a specific room, you might want to consider opting for a low VLT to protect your belongings. In the bathroom, on the other hand, you might not need to worry so much about UV rays damaging your property.



If you tend to spend time in your living room in the mornings, a VLT of 10% may make the room too dark. On the other hand, a darker VLT might be perfect for your bedroom if you only spend time inside of it in the evening.

Consider Your Family’s Needs

While UV rays can do lasting damage to your property, it’s also worth considering that they’ll do the same for your family’s skin and health. This is especially true if anyone in your household has a skin condition or is sensitive to sunlight, both of which can put them at risk for UV damage even inside. In cases like these, it may be useful to opt for window tinting on every window in your home.



However, there’s one piece of great news: quality window tints can block UV rays even with a high VLT. In other words, tinting your home windows with a high VLT can allow the sun in while protecting your family from the lasting damage associated with it.

Let Us Help You Find the Best Window Tint Percentage

The tips above should set you on the right path to finding the best window tint percentage for your home. However, it can be hard to make this decision alone, especially since it’s a big one!

If you’re not sure which window tint percentage is right for your home, our team is here to help. At Latitude 33 Window Tint, we can find the right balance between energy savings, tinting, and comfort to secure the perfect window film for your home. Contact us today for more information, or reach out for a free estimate for your project.