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Michelle Wilson photo
South Korea, Seoul
1 Level
464 Review
0 Karma

Review on 🪟 Artscape Etched Glass Window Film 61x92 cm, 36x72 Inches by Michelle Wilson

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Cheaper than Home Depot. It's hard to make it perfect. installation tips.

The best part is I bought this method here at Revain for cheaper than the reel I bought at Home Depot. It was $35 at Home Depot and $20 at Revain. The packaging of Revain is slightly different, it comes in a brown cardboard box. Home Depot's comes in a clear plastic box. They appear to be identical aside from that and the inclusion of a squeegee with Revain. Therefore, it is much more profitable to buy from Revain, and you will also get a squeegee! (Updated March 2020 - the other pack I ordered looked exactly like the Home Depot pack and did NOT include a mop.) Also, I really like this product. I've been able to greatly improve our privacy by using this on our front door and several windows throughout the home. My biggest problem with this is that it's very difficult to get rid of all the bubbles and achieve perfection. It may seem like everything is done perfectly, but when you return later, bubbles may form again. In particular, I noticed that when I returned at night and the light from inside, I found all sorts of bubbles that were not visible when installed. Through trial and error I've found a few tips: 1. It's very important to clean the window as thoroughly as possible before installing it (but it's almost impossible to get it absolutely perfect). I started with a razor blade to scrape off the excess vinyl that was in the corners of the window. This is usually when the window isn't perfect and there may be a slight protrusion of excess vinyl that can interfere with installation and cause frustration. Then I washed the window. Then I took a straight razor blade and scraped the surface of the window. Then I washed the window again. I then used a rocket blaster with a camera lens to blast the remaining debris out the window as best I could. It helped with small hairs and debris. I think a hair dryer would work too. Then I sprayed an aqueous solution and pasted the film.2. Part of my install consisted of making the window look good during the day and then coming back at night and squeezing out any remaining bubbles. However, it is much more difficult to remove these bubbles after everything is dry. I have found that a plastic spatula is the most effective for removing these bubbles after installation as it is tougher than a squeegee. And I had to be pretty aggressive with the spatula. The good thing is that the film is pretty durable and can withstand pretty aggressive scratches. For really stubborn blisters, use the angle of the spatula. I've found that it's best to return to the window once or twice to get it as good as you can, and then stop focusing on it or you'll go mad trying (unsuccessfully) to get it perfect close. !3. Sometimes you can find a hair or piece of dirt underneath which then requires peeling off the film, rinsing off the offending piece, spraying with more water/soap and repeating the bubble removal process. Often these fragments are invisible until night when light comes through the window from the opposite side.4. Another thing is that it is important to leave the smallest margins around the foil. If you try to cover every part of your window, it will be very difficult to remove the bubbles and the corners will lift up and look bad. It's tempting to try to cover every square inch, and it's my fault. But it turned out to be disappointing and I ended up removing and throwing out this film as trying to smooth it out ruined it. If you want only part of your window or door to be covered, try making some stripes as a transition between the opaque and transparent parts. I've done this on our front door and a few windows and have had many compliments!

Pros
  • Great Choice
Cons
  • No