apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'm on the edge of my seat to read comments, as I was going to post a nearly identical question. Thanks for beating me to it, Lori!

This doesn't answer your direct question but IKEA has a removable frosted sheet that adheres to windows using static. I used them on my windows and they work pretty well. A roll is cheap ~ $7 so you might experiment with it.

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/30079228

I can't answer your question, but I do have a question for you...I just bought the same panels and need to trim them lengthwise. How did you do it? I couldn't seem to find any directions, and I wonder if there is a trick to trimming and keeping them straight. Thanks!

Repositionable spray adhesive?

what brand of adhesive are you using? commercial scotch brand double-stick tape that you would buy at an office supply store won't do the trick.

here are a few options, all available from Talas Online, which is a supplier for book artists and conservators (I do both, so I'm a total nerd about adhesives):

3M Double sided tape. May not be the best for your needs, but the most affordable. Really durable/strong stuff; I've used it for installations with heavy plexiglass.

Two different kinds of sheet adhesive:

Gudy O and Clear Mount.

Gudy O is a really great adhesive but requires a bit of practice and can be cumbersome because it's SO sticky and on a roll. I haven't used their more aggressive version, Gudy V, but maybe you could email Talas and ask for samples?

I'm also a fan of the larger sheets of adhesive, like Clear Mount. I've purchased it in the past from Pearl Art Supplies but couldn't find it on their website. These are the adhesives most similar to double-stick material and pretty easy to use. They will most likely leave some residue when you take down the paper, but it can easily be cleaned with acetone (or someone can recommend something less solvent-y).

I also wonder, if your material is mostly paper, could you just wheat paste it to the glass? it may require some touch up over time, but would probably run the least amount of risk when removing the material in the winter. good luck!

I've seen window films that adhere with water.

I'd try Zotz: clear, round adhesive. They are pretty strong.
Or Rubber Cement. It shows through a bit but you can squeegee it to even it out.

But I would actually just get Gila film from Home Depot which comes in clear or frosted and rejects "99.9" of UV rays. I've used it and I love it. It takes a few panes to get the technique down but it looks GREAT.

I don't have any suggestions for adhesives, but you should be careful what you put on your windows because the warranty on your windows can be voided if you attach certain things to your windows (UV films, adhesives etc...) so maybe do some research on that too, since windows can be expensive to replace.

For the budget version of this opaquing treatment, you can always water down some gesso (artists medium found at art supply stores) and paint it directly onto the window. Just add less water to get more coverage. It cleans off with soap and water and doesn't damage/alter your windows. I've had mine up for two years and it looks/works great!

Can the gesso be tinted?

I don't see why not, Carder. I'd add acrylic craft paint to the gesso and test it out. Apply the gesso with a foam brush so you don't get brush marks -- it's pretty cool.

darcidoodle, you are a GENIUS!

Wow, I'd love to see a pic of the gesso window...

I was going to suggest spray on Rust-Oleum Frosted Glass Finish, but the gesso idea sounds neat. What is the ratio of water to gesso?

I'm not sure how it would look from the outside, but what about rubber cement? I think it would be mostly clear, should rub/peal off easily and it would get the edges of the window.

adding a few (emphasis on few) drops of washing up liquid (dishwashing soap) to the paint or gesso & water mix will make it easier to clean up the gesso tint when you want to remove it.

Along with the Gesso suggestion-
rather than covering ALL of the glass- maybe a stencil....
of say- Lace? or some other cut out pattern (VERY thin sheets (20 gauge) of perforated steel?) could be used to create as a stencil, for a Patterned effect thats translucent.


There's also a product called Lumisity- very cool concept- goes translucent at any oblique angle of viewing- and remains clear at 90 degerees- http://www.lumistyfilm.com/lumisty.htm

also: http://www.prowindowfilm.com/
http://www.llumar.com/na-eng/llumar.html
http://www.lighteffects.com/inspiration.php

@RichardinLA: It's hard to measure exactly, but I just started with a couple of drops of water and added more to get the effect that I was after.

@ZuzuinOaktown: Now THAT's genius.

@ManofSteel: I used regular 'ol masking tape to make interesting designs, too. You just have to make sure that your gesso's not too runny or it'll get under the tape and splotch. It's easy clean-up with a damp rag, just more work.