I was called out to survey a property in Colchester where the homeowner, Charlotte, had been dealing with serious heat issues. The entire back of the house was south-facing with black aluminium frames — a combination that turns any room into a greenhouse during summer.
Charlotte had already been through a nightmare renovation. Her builders had filled the basement with screed, which meant every pipe underneath had to be replaced. The insurance claim alone took over a year. By the time she got in touch with me, she just wanted the house to be comfortable.
The brief: reduce the heat across the south-facing windows, and add privacy to her daughter’s bedroom and master bedroom — without making the rooms feel dark.
Choosing the right film
During the survey we settled on Dual Reflective 25. It blocks 68% of solar heat and gives a subtle reflective finish from the outside for daytime privacy, but from the inside the view stays clear and natural.
The day before the job, Charlotte messaged asking if I could bring a roll of Silver 35 as well — she was considering a slightly different look. I’ll be honest, I forgot to bring it. Luckily the job was local so I could have gone back for it, but it turned out not to matter.
When I fitted the first window — her daughter’s bedroom — Charlotte was genuinely astonished by how much natural light the Dual Reflective 25 let through. She’d expected it to darken the room noticeably, but it didn’t. The Silver 35 was forgotten about after that. We went with DR25 across the board.
The installation
Eleven windows in just under four hours. Every pane fitted cleanly, no callbacks, no issues. The black aluminium frames actually complemented the reflective finish really well — the whole back of the house looked sharp from the outside.
Charlotte’s getting the two skylights done separately with Silver 35 applied externally. She wanted to get the main windows sorted first because external application involves a site revisit for re-varnishing, which adds to the cost. That job’s booked once the exterior work is finished.
The result
Charlotte was really happy. The rooms are noticeably cooler, the privacy in both bedrooms is sorted, and the natural light is still flooding through. That’s the thing most people don’t expect with solar film — you don’t have to choose between heat reduction and a bright room. With the right product, you get both.
Most people sell customers Silver 20, which I am personally opposed to. Some customers like how much privacy and heat rejection they get from it, but for me, the blue-ish hue and reflective look can be too much for residential properties.
If you’ve got south-facing windows that turn your house into a sauna every summer, this is exactly what Dual Reflective 25 is designed for. No blinds, no curtains, no replacing the glass — just film applied directly to your existing windows in a few hours.
Want a quote? Call me on 01621 927175 or fill in the form here — I’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
