Home Office: How to Stop Glare on Windows with Window Film

How do you stop the glare on windows? Window film is one answer!

About 2 years ago I turned a small bedroom into a home office. It is a place I can work at the back of the house in a space that feels like a proper work space. It’s often cluttered though and it gets way too much sunlight, so I do find myself working at the kitchen breakfast bar quite often. The main problem is the glare on my laptop, so to address this, and make the space more usable I’ve collaborated with the Window Film Company, and added this fabulous anti-glare window film to the glass in a bid to reduce the sunlight.

Let me show you how it looks, and tell you how you can use it too.

How to Reduce Glare in the Home Office with Window Film:

The Office Window Before

Here’s a quick shot of the office window and the space before I updated it.

It’s ok; nothing too inspiring and hard to work at the desk when the natural sunlight is shining on the back of the house (which is most of the day until around 3pm).

I’ve even treated you to the dust on my window glass!

If one thing irritates me, it’s not being able to see my laptop screen clearly through the office windows in the summer months.

I find it stressful on my eyes, causes a lot of eye strain and not good for my concentration so I often end up moving away from the desk. BUT, I love the space and really want to be able to use it more.

The Window Film Company, if you’ve not come across them before, is actually one of the leading installers and suppliers of window film since 1998.

Window Film Design for a Home Office Window

I chose a beautiful MissPrint chevron design from the website (I’ve long been an admirer of their patterns, particularly in wallpaper) and measured up the window. After supplying the measurements, my window film was cut to the exact size I need and arrived within a few working days.

I’ve applied window film before to some overlooked windows in my living room bay and had to cut that to size which was rather problematic, so I love this aspect of the Window Film Company’s service.

How to Fit the Window Film

It couldn’t be easier to be honest and full instructions are supplied. Make sure your window is really clean. Remove the backing paper, spray the glass and the window film with a soapy water solution and then apply.

You’ll receive a squeegee to then smooth the water and any air bubbles out from behind the film. And that’s it. It took me about 10 minutes to do both pieces.

The Office Window After

The end result is pretty impressive.

Immediately after it went up I could see how the glare from the sun has completely disappeared but, the room was is still full of natural light and as bright as ever. The good news is with this particular pattern, I can’t see anything through the window, and if it was overlooked no-one would be able to see it either.

It does make you feel like you’re in a little bubble, but if I want a view I can simply open the window.

Other patterns and designs will allow you to see through some of the glare reduction window film, so check that out, and look at how different a complete frosting, against a clear film can look.

In my print I could have chosen some of the chevron to be clear – although this would have leaked the sun’s glare, so not a great option for me in this case – and allowed more of a view.

This is the Frostbrite range, called FB102 and worth taking a look at.

I’m thrilled with the result. It’s good value too. The two window panes in this window measure 60cms wide x 45 cms high each, costing £35 for film for the whole window.

I think that’s really reasonable and a great way to reduce the direct sunlight entering the room, eye damage, and making a more comfortable working environment.

You can see the full range from the Window Film company including all of its design collaborations on its website.

 

What do you think? Have you ever used window film in your home? Do you have a room where it would be useful?

Benefits of Glare Reduction Film in a Home Office

Too much light on your computer screen makes the office environment incredibly uncomfortable and stressful. The excessive bright light causes me significant eye fatigue and I find I can’t concentrate for long periods of time.

The perfect solution has to be the use of glare reduction films. As we’ve seen above, these regulate the amount of light into the room, but stop the discomfort of sun glare by diffusing and reducing bright sunlight.

We all know home offices need to be places of high productivity. We work long hours at our desks, and spend a lot of time and money on creating the right working environment; but often ignore the direct glare of the sun. It’s an easy thing to miss, particularly if you decorate your home office in the winter time.

We only become aware of the excessive sunlight in the Spring and Summer once the decorating project is finished.

How to Reduce Eye Irritation from Sun Glare

Eye strain and eye damage from the amount of harsh glare through our home office windows is a real problem. I’ve written about this several times now, and the negative side effects can be quite detrimental.

So how can you protect your eyes from the sun’s rays whilst working? 

 – Of course, it’s essential to consider window coverings as we’ve discussed above.

 – It’s a great idea to use solar shades on large windows if at all possible. We all love natural daylight, but it’s a good idea to filter harmful uv rays with the appropriate window shades or blinds.

 – Consider appropriate outdoor trees or plants for natural shade (if your window is on a lower floor of course) that minimise the amount of glare entering the window.

In conclusion, the best solution to minimise sun glare is one that suits you and your home. Choose the right window treatments for the size of window, the time of day when you’re at your desk, and one which reduces glare appropriately to allow you to work comfortably.

I would also choose window tinting or window film as effective solutions for my home office window – too much sun glare and I simply cannot concentrate, so the priority is high. I would also choose one that allows for maximum natural daylight though, and allows me a small view.

The best solutions in reducing sun glare in your home office window, are those with reflect your home’s unique features, and for me, that’s window film every time.

Jen x

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All images copyright Jen Stanbrook

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