When it comes to covering up your windows, curtains, drapes, and blinds can all do the trick. But have you ever stopped to consider why you would want to cover up your windows in the first place? Sure, you need privacy in your home, and you may want to make sure the glare from the sun doesn't disrupt your sleep or obstruct your television or computer screen – but what if you could have the privacy and block the sun and the heat without sacrificing your view of the outside world? Residential window film offers that possibility. Check out a few reasons why you should consider ditching your window coverings in favor of residential window film.

Energy Savings

Your drapes, curtains, or blinds may block out the sun, but how well do they stack up against the heat? A lot of the heat that enters your home in the summer and escapes in the winter comes and goes by way of the windows. There are a few ways you can insulate your windows in order to maintain the temperature in your home. You could replace the windows with thicker, more energy efficient windows with a low-e coating, but that can get very expensive. Curtains and blinds do little to insulate a room. Drapes made of heavy fabric are a little more effective, but they only work as long as the blinds are drawn – as soon as you open them up to let the sun in, you also reduce the insulation in the room.

Applying energy efficient window films to your windows can save you between 4.8 and 9.9 percent on your energy costs. Studies show window films provide greater energy savings than low-e coated windows, and the return on your investment is considerably faster than the return you'll see after replacing your windows. Furthermore, the initial cost of window film isn't so high as to be prohibitive, as window replacement often is. The bottom line is that window film can save you money every month on your energy bills.

Increased Privacy

But what about privacy in your home? It's true curtains, drapes, and blinds provide a visual barrier between your living room and your neighbors, and if you live in close proximity to other people, maintaining your privacy is probably important to you. However, in some ways, window film can provide more privacy than traditional window coverings do.

Window films come in many varieties. You can choose a mirror finish and essentially turn your windows into one-way glass – you can see out, but people outside can't see in. This means you can have privacy while still enjoying the view outside of your home. You won't ever notice you've forgotten to close the curtains during a private moment. You won't need to secure them in place when you're running a fan inside the house. You won't have to worry they won't close quite right and that someone might see through the gaps. You'll have privacy inside your house at all times, without even having to think about it.

New Decorating Possibilities

At this point, you may be wondering about your ability to decorate your home without curtains, drapes, or blinds. Window coverings are often an important part of interior decorating, and you may be worried your walls will look bare or strange without these coverings. What you may not realize is window films open up some brand new possibilities for decorating.

Your windows themselves can become part of your decorating scheme. Choose films that replicate the look of stained glass for a dramatic statement, or opaque films that resemble frosted or etched glass for a more understated look. Or you can emphasize a particularly striking outdoor view by painting the sash of your windows black to contrast with a white wall, drawing the viewer's eye to the landscape outside.

There are a number of ways you can go when it comes to decorating without window coverings. And keep in mind without fixtures for window coverings in the way, you'll have more room to hang paintings or decorative mirrors without making the wall appear crowded, which can be a great help when decorating a small room.

If you're tired of dealing with curtains, drapes, and blinds, today's wide variety of attractive and energy-saving window films offer a terrific alternative. Take the time to look into transforming your windows with window films.