The Easier Way To Add Privacy Film To Odd Shaped Windows

If you're feeling insecure at home, there are ways to improve the physical space around you for greater privacy. For example, you can surround your home with a mixed privacy screen of various native trees, shrubs, or grasses, or you can use privacy film as a window treatment to obscure how much people are able to see inside. There are multiple home privacy film options to choose from, be they purely functional one-way blackout films or something more decorative like a fake mosaic pattern. However, not every window is square, so you should be ready to deal with the odd shapes found around features like framed door windows. There is an easier way to add privacy film to odd-shaped door windows: removing the trim.

Trim is used to mask construction, cover gaps, or smooth uneven splits between surfaces, but it can also be a broadly decorative feature in the case of costly installations like French doors. You might not even realize that some of this trim, as with inset windows on your front door, can be removed — often with little more than a screwdriver. Doing so would take menial work out of applying a privacy film, as rather than having to cut multiple pizza slice-shaped divisions, for example, you'll just need to cut one big window shape that's later framed. This is also safer for odd-shaped windows, as you'll be less likely to score the glass with whatever tool you're using to cut the privacy screen to size.

Every window is going to be different. In some places like door insets, the trim might be set over your window with screws, in which case you'll need little more than a screwdriver to loosen the connections and apply your film. In other cases, the molding will be attached to your wall, which means you'll have to be careful to remove it without splintering the wood. Start by cutting the area where the trim connects to your painted wall with a box cutter — enough that you can wedge in a putty knife to leave space for a flat pry bar. Lift both halves of conjoined corners so the mitered ends aren't cracked, and then mist the exposed wall with water.

Once the window's trim is removed, you should clean the glass, either with pre-purchased products or by making your own homemade window cleaner. As you unroll your privacy film, cut it about an inch over the length of the window. If the screen is directly adhesive, remove its backing and clean the film so it stays wet while you apply from the top edge down. Push any bubbles to the edge of the window, press the film securely into any odd-shaped corners, and then use a knife to trim any excess before you reattach the molding — either by screwing it into place or using finishing nails. If you're adding a mesh sunscreen, it might be best to instead extend out about a quarter of an inch from the window's edges and mount that with screws.

Choosing the right window privacy film to fit your style is important. These films can be as basic as a frosted blur effect, they can be patterned with subtle floral or vine shapes, or — as mentioned — there are more complicated designs such as faux mosaic glass films, like the artscape Magnolia Window Film. However, once you've taken the step of removing your odd-shaped door window's trim for easier application, a lot more options open up. At that point, you can replace the window entirely if you'd like, perhaps to install legitimate mosaics. Alternatively, you can add more solid blocks into the space — something like a custom-carved piece of wood with a burnt-in design, or a more rustic piece like a painted sheet of corrugated metal.

Having the trim removed to treat your odd-shaped door window with privacy film also offers an opportunity to change up the décor. You could try installing a different trim pattern on one side than the other, so you have lines at different depths to add visual variety. This is also a great chance to install curtains for your front door windows. With privacy film, you can take advantage of the practical and aesthetic benefits of treating your door windows — even the oddly shaped ones.