Sausalito has been home to a houseboat community for over 60 years. There are more than 400 houseboats in this section of San Francisco Bay. Many of these boats are exceptionally creative in design with large, often unusual windows offering spectacular water views.
Houseboats can also be found in other sections of the bay and on the Sacramento Delta. This is a fun lifestyle on the water regardless of the weather. Other water dwellers live on board sailboats and powerboats in Bay marinas.
Living on the water involves some adjustments. The home is attached to a floating surface and it has constant exposure to the sun, saltwater, wind, fog, and rain.
Houseboat designs
Houseboats are homes on rafts moored in a marina. Some houseboats have 4,000 square feet. Others are under 1,000 square feet. These are “water villas”, many with 360-degree views. They have electricity and freshwater connections, similar to land homes.
Old train cars, ferry boats, and shipping containers have been repurposed to create unique and exciting houseboats. They may have creative shapes such as the famous “Owl” houseboat in Sausalito. There are no limits on designs. Houseboat tours are offered every fall in Sausalito.
Several houseboats have two or three stories similar to land-based homes. They can receive intense sunlight. The sun is reflected in the water and it can heat up the houseboat during the day. This can fade furniture, window coverings, and flooring.
Window tinting
With so much light reflected off of the water, houseboats need good window tinting. The tinted windows allow natural light into the houseboat and filter out 99% of the harmful Ultra-violet rays. This protects furniture, interior paint, carpeting and artwork. The tinted film also protects people in the houseboat from harmful UV rays that contribute to skin cancer.
A layer of tinted window film is a solar barrier that reduces the heat coming into the houseboat. This keeps the interior temperature lower in the summer. Many houseboats have air conditioning and heating systems similar to a land-based home.
Tinted windows also help to hold in heat during colder weather. This is energy efficiency on the water. Dense, cold fog rolls into San Francisco Bay throughout the year in any season. Hot air off the Sacramento Valley meets the cooler air coming from the Pacific Ocean and the systems condense over the bay. Tinted windows will hold in the heat, saving on electricity.
There are several types of window tints available based on the location and size of the floating structure. Houseboats generally use the darker tints for the intense UV rays reflected off the water.
Tinted window film also adds privacy to windows and sliding glass doors. People riding by on small boats or walking along docks are often curious about houseboat interiors.
Any shape or size of window can be tinted since the material is a polyester film that can be cut to size. This works very well on houseboats that often have custom windows in unusual geometric shapes. Frosted and patterned window tints are also found on floating homes.
Tinted window film is also shatter resistant. This may be less of a problem on the water. Gated houseboat communities limit intruders who might try to break into a house through a window. But, accidents do happen.
Contact Daystar Window Tinting Inc. for more information on customizing tints for windows and sliding glass doors for your home on the water.
