Window Film in the Wood Streets, Riverside

Keeping Original Windows in Wood Streets Homes

Most owners in the Wood Streets did not buy an older house to fill it with vinyl replacement windows. The old double-hung sash, the slightly rippled glass and the deep wood casings are part of why these streets look the way they do. The downside is single-pane glass, which lets in a lot of summer heat and nearly all of the ultraviolet light that fades oak floors and built-ins.

Window film is one of the few upgrades that improves old glass without replacing it. It goes on the interior surface, adds no weight to the sash and does not touch the paint, putty or weights. From the street it is very hard to tell a filmed window from a bare one if you choose a clear or spectrally selective product.

Which Window Film Is Safe for Old Glass

Glass from the early twentieth century is thinner than modern glass and can carry small flaws. Film that absorbs a lot of heat makes the pane warmer in the sun, and a weak spot in old glass can crack under that stress. For that reason we lean toward low-absorption films on original panes and check each window before we quote.

Leaded and stained glass panels need their own approach. Film is generally not applied over the lead cames themselves. When a panel needs UV protection or extra security, the usual answer is film on a separate clear pane behind it, or on the storm glass if the house has one. We will tell you honestly when a window should be left alone.

• Clear UV film for original double-hung sash
• Low-absorption solar film for west-facing front rooms
• Frosted or patterned film for bathroom windows
• Film on storm panes in front of leaded glass

UV Window Film for Hardwood Floors and Built-Ins

A Craftsman living room usually has fir or oak floors, a fireplace surround and built-in cabinets with glass doors, all of which take direct sun through wide front windows. Over years, the boards near the window turn a different color from the boards under the rug. Upholstery and art on facing walls go the same way.

Ultraviolet rays do most of that bleaching, and a UV film screens out almost all of them. It does not stop fading completely, since visible light and heat also play a part, but it slows it a great deal. Most owners put UV film on every window in the main rooms and add a solar film only on the sides that get the hardest afternoon sun.

Heat Control Window Film for Wood Streets Sunrooms and Bedrooms

Many houses here have enclosed sleeping porches, sunrooms or back additions with walls of glass. Those rooms were built for a time before air conditioning and can be the hottest part of the house from June through September. Riverside afternoons regularly climb past 95 degrees, and a glassed-in porch facing west can be unusable.

A solar film on those windows cuts much of the incoming heat, and because these rooms are often at the back of the lot, owners are more open to a slightly darker shade there than on the street facade. Upstairs bedrooms under the roof benefit too, since cooler glass helps a window unit or mini-split keep up in the evening.

Historic District Questions for Window Tinting in the Wood Streets

Some Wood Streets properties sit in designated historic districts or are individually listed. Interior film is reversible and does not alter the structure, but a mirrored or very dark film can change how a facade looks. If your house is designated, a short call to the City of Riverside's historic preservation office before you choose a shade is worth the time. Clear films rarely raise concerns.