Window Film in Logan Square, Chicago

Front Window Privacy Film on Logan Square Boulevards

On Logan Boulevard and Kedzie Boulevard, the street is so wide that there is no house across the way to shade or overlook you. Instead, there is a long grassy median with a path, and on a warm evening it fills with walkers, dogs and people heading to the farmers market or the monument at the square. Greystone front rooms sit a half-flight above the sidewalk with large bay windows that face all of it.

Owners usually want to keep those bays open, since the light and the boulevard view are the reason they bought. A frosted film across the lower sash, or a soft gradient that clears toward the top, blocks the straight-in view from the sidewalk and median while the room stays bright. Decorative patterns that echo leaded glass are another option on houses where the owner wants the window to look intentional from outside.

Garden apartments, common in boulevard two-flats, need full coverage on the front windows. Those panes sit at shin height for anyone on the sidewalk. Tenants in those units usually ask for privacy first and light second, and a bright white frost gives them both. Since the film sits inside, it does not change how the building's stone front looks to the boulevard.

Window Film in the Logan Square Boulevards Historic District

The boulevards and many of the houses along them fall within a Chicago landmark district, so exterior changes on designated properties can go through review. Interior film is generally a light-touch change, but reflective or dark products alter how a facade reads from the street. On these blocks we stick to clear UV, clear low-e and frosted films that look like ordinary glass or etched glass from outside and peel off without leaving damage.

Many of these greystones still have original or early wood windows. If the sash is rotting or a pane is cracked, that comes first. Film on a failing window does not fix the window. We will tell you plainly if a sash needs a carpenter before it needs film, and we can work around a repair schedule.

• Frosted or gradient film for boulevard-facing bays
• Clear UV film for restored oak floors and trim
• Clear low-e film for drafty-feeling front rooms
• Full frosted film for garden unit windows

Storefront Window Tinting on Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square

Milwaukee Avenue runs diagonally through Logan Square with cafes, bars, restaurants, record shops and small retailers. On the stretch near the square, many storefronts catch long afternoon sun through big plate glass, and staff behind the counter end up squinting until the sun drops. Coffee shops with laptop customers along the window bar hear about it every sunny afternoon.

A light solar film cuts the glare and heat while keeping the shop visible to passing foot traffic. For bars and restaurants, security film on lower panes and door glass holds a broken pane together after closing time. Anti-graffiti film is worth considering on doors that get etched. Bars near the Logan Square Blue Line station see heavy late-night foot traffic on weekends.

Energy-Saving Window Film for Logan Square Two-Flats

Owner-occupied two-flats are common in Logan Square, with the owner on one floor and a tenant on the other. Heating bills on older brick buildings can be high, and replacing every window in a two-flat is a large expense. Low-e film is a smaller step that keeps more heat inside through the glass.

In summer, the same film rejects some solar heat on south and west windows, which helps the top-floor unit. It is not a substitute for insulation or new windows, but on sound sash it is a practical improvement for both units. Owners often start with the tenant's unit, since that is where the comfort complaints come from.