i bought the spray on 'window film' (they sell it with the spray paint) ... i have it under sheer curtains on the bottom halves (like cafe except there's no top valence) of my bathroom windows. it is very private at night...

I used the peel and stick window film for my bath. Have a huge 3 story house overlooking our bath. Added sheers too and it is very private. Had DH stand in the bathroom and went out and looked at night. Can only see a vague shape/shadow.

Could you tell me which brands you used? And how big a mess is it to try to remove it again?

Several years ago, I used a film purchased at Home Depot. (see below) It was a lead glass look, peel and stick, on a roll. The window was a picture window with 2 inch blinds. I didn't trust just the film, but never had to close the blinds. We looked from the outside and could not see in. This set-up was on the side of that house.

My current 7 year old house has a triple window on the front of the house. We have wooden blinds that stay closed all of the time because I don't want to put a film on the front windows.

I used the leaded glass look for a window .
I wouldn't trust this one for nakedness though.
They stick with a little water.
As far as removal, you just peel it off, a little windex and you're good.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.amazon.com/Vienna-Window-Film-24-Inch-36-Inch/dp/B003S9WYX6/ref=pd_sxp_f_pt

forboystoo, how does that look in person? And from the other side of the door?

I was considering doing the lead strips and some glass paint, but I thought it might look cheap or obvious from the other side. And that would be the side anyone ringing the doorbell and standing for even a few seconds.

You know Marti, honestly from up close it looks like a decal...
From the outside of mine you are far away.
On the inside I added the faux lead tape following the decal lines to give it a 3D appearance
The attached is the type of lead tape I used.
I bought Gallery Glass but I haven't tried it yet ..

But you're right ,you wouldn't get that 3D lead effect up close and I
guess sometimes faux is best left at a distance.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.itallstartedwithpaint.com/faux-leaded-glass-window/

This post was edited by forboystoo on Sat, Oct 12, 13 at 18:05

Well, I've been reading up on window films and privacy. It seems that some of the frosted films should be good even at night, even though I don't see how it would work.

Here is a link that might be useful: window film

They look pretty bad from the outside. Mine was up high enough and far away from the neighbor. Plus, the blinds help camouflage the faux lead glass.

Has anyone used the faux glass bevel tape?

I used the frost spray you can spray it on as heavy as needed. In my bathroom you have to get withen a foot or less of the glass then all you get is a outline. I don,t think I would want it on the front of the home for a bathroom but we used it on our bedroom window (at the front of the home)as well and its just fine. I don,t intend to change clothes a foot from the window anytime soon. Its really easy to remove you just use a flat bladed zazor knife scraper thats made for removing paint. I think I can strip a whole window in under 5 minutes. Every four or 5 years you have to redo it because it crackles and turns yellowish

When we put window film on our bathroom windows we checked them all for truly offering privacy at night. At the time we could only find one that obscured the 'view' at night with bright lights on inside the bathroom. It was Gila Decorative Crackled Glass from Lowe's.

Thank you forboystoo. I hoped that the decal would look better than the lead tape. It's funny but I found that same blog when I was looking for ways to dress up my front door. I have a friend who did the lead tape years ago and it holds up well but looks much better on the inside than the outside. I have double pane glass in my door and that might help, or it might keep it from showing up well either.

sis,
how hard was it to install the Gila film, what did it look like, and how well did it hold up?
In my case, the windows are between the houses, so I don't care what it looks like from the outside but rather from the inside and that it gives privacy (powder room and bathroom).

Very easy to instal .
There is a video here but you don't have to buy the instal kit...
What I like the most is that it is very easy to remove.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.gilafilms.com/en/Window-Film-Installation-Support.aspx#.UlwYpBBF-3N

We had regular frosted windows on a house when I was a teenager our rear neighbour told my mom he could see everything at night in other words he could tell who was having the shower. I would double check before trusting it completely like others have said they checked. It sounds like some work and some don't.

I have the Gila on the lower portion of my master bath windows and when I went out to check the level of privacy it wasn't enough. My window screens only cover the lower portion of the window, so I left them in and checked for privacy again. For some reason the screens really helped to give me more privacy than just the film.
I don't like having to use the film but I live in a neighborhood with very close houses. I really don't like how it looks from the inside, so I added cafe shutters to my bathroom windows so I don't have to see as much of the film

I am assuming that you didn't have the Gila Crackled Glass, Jeannie? None of the Gila films gave us sufficient privacy except the Crackled Glass. We tested it thoroughly, with bright lights on inside the bathroom and standing almost touching the glass. From outside you can see an indistinct shape only, like a shadow, no detail! A peeping Tom would be very disappointed!

Nosoccermom it is easy to install, basically just cut, wet, and stick. It looks like crackled glass. We also have plantation shutters but only because they provide continuity between rooms, not because the film doesn't provide enough privacy. The film has been on there for 6 or 7 years with no problems. It looks just as it did the first day we applied it.