BDF S05 Window Film Daytime Privacy and Heat Control Mirror Silver 5 (Very Dark) – 36in X 12ft

I recently put together some shelves to display my movie collection but didn’t realize until after the fact that it would be baking in direct sunlight from our glass patio door for a couple of hours a day. I was concerned that the cover art on the disc cases would bleach and fade over time, so I decided to look into tinted window films. Personally, I would have preferred a dark (but transparent) film that didn’t have a highly reflective property to it (for privacy) but I couldn’t find such a product. It appeared as though if I wanted to tint the glass with window film from Amazon, I’d have to live with the reflectiveness. In the end I settled for the BDF-S05 window film since, at least from the product photos and description, it would be the most appropriate shade. Now that I’ve installed it, I think I made the right choice. It definitely reduces the concentrated sun glare significantly, and that’s all I really needed it to do. Problem solved.I could leave my review there, but I do want to point out a few issues I encountered during installation and let you know what to expect. First, regarding the “privacy” claim. Yes, the silver backing is HIGHLY reflective and from the outside during the day it is basically a mirror. But here’s the thing: I personally didn’t have an issue with privacy without film on the windows, because during the day it’s darker inside the house than it is outside, so unless someone puts their face against the glass no one was going to see inside.Nighttime is when privacy becomes more of a concern when it’s dark outside but lights are on inside. This film isn’t going to solve that problem, though it doesn’t claim to. I’m just letting you know now that this won’t provide privacy at night and you’ll need to use curtains or blinds. For the reasons I mentioned, I personally feel that this film is utterly useless for privacy, day or night, unless you are in a brightly lit room or office that can be seen from outside during daylight.But the reason I REALLY hate the reflective properties is that at night the windows become a reverse-privacy window. Meaning, if your lights are on anyone outside can see in but you will not be able to see outside. The window becomes an indoor mirror at night, and an outdoor mirror during the day. This is especially true if you live in an area that is fairly dark at night with not much street lighting. However, I cannot fault the product for this because I believe the reflectiveness is a necessary thermal feature to bounce the sun’s heat away (similar to foil windshield visors).Installation is not necessarily difficult, but it is tedious and HIGHLY prone to human error. Especially if you’ve never applied window film before. I have, but only the static cling kind without an adhesive backing. That is what I am used to, and that’s what I thought this was. So, like an idiot, I first applied this without removing what I later discovered was a very thin, clear layer covering what is, indeed, an adhesive backing. I noticed this only after the next day when it was slowly peeling off the glass. Surprisingly it stayed on the glass for a full 24 hours without first peeling off the protective layer! Ok, so I’m not winning any Darwin awards this year it seems.The other thing to keep in mind is that the end result is likely not going to be perfect unless the glass you’re working with is perfect. My door has a few “bumps”, nearly invisible, that are just unexplained raised dots on the glass. Only in a few areas, but the window film enhances their appearance. This is because it’s not possible to smooth over these areas with the film as it’s designed to be flat. So the “bump” becomes a visible, albeit tiny, permanent bubble in the film. Again, not a fault of the product, but of my glass.Other things to consider: make sure the glass is soaking wet in a water/soap solution before and during application. Cut to size first with roughly an inch overhang on all sides (you’ll trim them off after). Make sure the area is free from hair, fur, and other debris. I tried my best to do this, but it’s nearly impossible. Even after cleaning the windows, there were a few stray cat fur strands and perhaps one of my eyelashes that are now forever trapped between the glass and the film like a mosquito trapped in amber. It is what it is.Like I said, I just needed it to block out concentrated sun glare and it works just fine. Despite the imperfections, which are not the product’s fault, it looks fine too. Those imperfections are really only noticeable if you’re up close and looking for them. Lastly, I am a bit skeptical of the claims this product makes with regards to the percentage values of UV blockage and such. I’m not sure where those numbers come from or who tested for those results. If it’s an independent third party that certifies that type of thing, then ok. But any testing done by a manufacturer with a marketing interest should be taken with a grain of salt. Since I cannot know for sure, I will (cautiously) give them the benefit of the doubt. Either way, it seems to do what it claims to do and definitely satisfies my needs. [...]