No! We Do NOT Offer this Service, But …

We do NOT offer this service, but it turned out so perfect that I just had to share!

After scrolling through an exhaustive list of Google results, forums and YouTube videos, we said hell with it and just did it.

We have a rather large window made of glass blocks in our bathroom wall. The problem is, it faces the west. What does that mean? It means the bulk of the sun light and heat pours into that window creating a steamy sauna in our bathroom.

Our solution?

Tint the window, of course!

The problem was, how?

At first, we tried pulling a sheet of window film over the entire section with the thought we’d just razor off the sections in between the glass blocks. Easy, right?!

Wrong-O!!!

The Harlingen winds protested this approach. Several attempts and many curse words later, we gave up and let the wind win.

Resigned to the idea that we’d have to tint them one at a time, we whipped out our tape measure and took to making marks.

Surprisingly, marking and cutting out 50 squares, each 6-7/8 inches, didn’t take long to do. I made quick work of the measuring and cutting while Aaron took them one-by-one to squeegee on each block.

Pro tip: Measure. Measure again. Measure once more. Prepare to cut. Stop! Measure again. Prepare to cut. Stop! Check your measurements. Measure it once more. OK, now cut. But doubt yourself, your ability to read a tape measure and every decision you’ve made in your life up to this point the entire time.

I used a yard stick to draw my lines and a square and razor to slice out my squares. It worked like a dream! He made quick work of getting them all stuck on and the wind only ruined one.

We did lose one in the overnight, but luckily, we had a few extras cut out.

Pro tip: Cut out extras!

Since that first night, haven’t lost another one. I think it looks great!

Plus, it still lets in light but not all the heat. Our bathroom is so much cooler we couldn’t even believe the difference it made. Totally worth it!

So, if you’re looking for a way to cool a room with those damned glass blocks, I highly recommend this approach. It cost all of maybe $20 and a few hours of our time. 

In case you’re curious, this is the window film we used. We just followed the directions on the box.

How do you beat the Texas heat?