Window Tinting and Window Film in Ballard

Storefront Window Film in the Ballard Avenue Landmark District

Ballard Avenue is one of Seattle's landmark districts. Its brick and stone buildings date from the years when Ballard was a mill and fishing town, and the street now holds bars, restaurants, boutiques and the Sunday farmers market. Exterior changes here go through the district's review board, so shop owners are rightly cautious about anything that changes the look of their windows.

Most of the film work on Ballard Avenue is invisible from outside. Clear security film on the inside of the glass holds a pane together if someone breaks it. Clear UV film protects merchandise in front windows from fading. Neither one changes how the facade reads from the sidewalk. Tinted or mirrored film is a different matter, and we suggest you talk to the Department of Neighborhoods before choosing one.

Graffiti scratched into the glass is a constant here as in other nightlife streets. A sacrificial film on the exterior of the pane takes the damage, and it can be replaced in sections without touching the original glass.

Privacy Window Film for New Ballard Apartment Buildings

In recent years central Ballard has filled with five- to seven-story apartment and condo buildings. They tend to have big windows, small setbacks and close neighbors. A bedroom window may face another building's bedroom window across an alley, and ground-floor units on Market Street or Leary Way are right at eye level with people walking by.

We fit frosted bands, gradient films and full obscure films on these units. A band at seated eye height blocks the view in from the street and keeps the top of the window clear for daylight. For bathrooms and bedrooms that face another building, a full frost works at any time of day. These films come off cleanly, which suits renters.

Building managers often want a consistent look across a facade. If you manage a building, we can match one film across multiple units so it does not look patchy from outside.

Sunset Glare Film for Sunset Hill and Shilshole View Homes

West of 24th Avenue NW, the land rises toward Sunset Hill and then drops to Seaview Avenue, Shilshole Bay Marina and Golden Gardens. Houses on that slope face west across Puget Sound to the Olympics. In summer the sun sets in the northwest after 9 p.m., and for the last two or three hours it shines nearly flat into west-facing living rooms, bouncing off the water on its way in.

That low, reflected light is hard to block with blinds without losing the view entirely. A neutral solar film cuts the glare and a good share of the heat while keeping the Sound and the mountains in view. Because the glare problem is worst in the hours you spend at home, it is often the first room owners want treated.

Salt air and wind on the bluff do not affect interior film, since it is protected inside the glass. Exterior films are a different product and we only use them where the glass cannot be reached from inside.

UV Window Film for Ballard Craftsman and Cottage Homes

Between the new buildings, much of Ballard is still small Craftsman houses, cottages and older two-stories on narrow lots. These homes often have original fir floors and trim, and the front windows usually face the street with little setback. Clear UV film slows the fading of the floors and furniture, and a light frosted band on front windows gives privacy from the sidewalk without curtains drawn all day.

Many of these houses still have original single-pane windows. We use films rated for that glass and check the panes before installing.