How does reflective window film work




















A major concern these days is personal safety. By nature, glass is a dangerous product. Most glass types will shatter when they break.

Any window film installed on any glass type will help to keep the fragments intact. This helps to reduce the potential danger of flying glass fragments and large pieces. Some window film products can be installed to reduce the ability to see inside your building or home. This is an added benefit against vandalism and possible theft.

By reducing the view from outside of the windows, the potential intruder is not enticed to steal your belongings. Whether it's a contemporary look or a uniform design that is desired, there's a variety of window film options that can aesthetically enhance the exterior of your home, office, or automobile. From virtually invisible films to darker colors, there's a range of shades to give you the look you want. All of our window film products whether designed for residential, commercial, or automobiles, contain the highest levels of UV protection.

Have you ever wondered about the effects the sun has on your skin? Even during everyday activities like driving your car, standing by a window or going outside, you are exposed to harmful UVA rays. Is this why most of us have the habit of applying sunscreen? Think of window film as sunscreen for your home or office. Window film blocks UVA rays, giving you a layer of protection from skin cancer and visual impairment. While you apply sunscreen when you plan to be outside for long periods of time, have you ever thought that when performing the simple daily activities of driving your vehicle or standing next to a window, that the sun streaming in can also damage your skin?

Automotive tinting is by far the most widely known application of window film. As we drive around town we always see companies advertising automobile window tinting.

Did you ever think that the same kind of product might bring advantages to your building? Whether it's a commercial building, your home, office, or a rental unit, real estate is an investment worth protecting. Why not give the largest investment you will ever make the protection it deserves? If you are interested in privacy, safety, energy savings, or appearance, the benefits of window film are numerous.

It will bring the same superior levels of protection with a greater return on investment. The temperature changes that buildings experience are slower and felt more by humans than the changes in your car. Sure, your cars get hot. But you can quickly change the temperature in your car by leaving the windows open or turning on the AC.

However, buildings are not conducive to quick temperature change. Automobiles are small spaces with limited amounts of air which allows air to circulate more quickly. As we all know, trying to cool or even heat a building in which the HVAC has gone out, takes quite a while. The addition of the right kind of window film on a structure will assist in preventing the amount of heat or cold that escapes from windows.

One of the biggest benefits of window tint, particularly in homes or commercial buildings, is energy efficiency. The two times of the year where energy bills skyrocket are typically the height of summer and the dead of winter. The film manages to accomplish this by reflecting ultraviolet rays from the sun. This can significantly decrease the interior temperature during the summer months. In the winter, the tint can work to reflect heat back into the building. This can result in lower heating costs.

Tinted windows can help to reduce this damage by blocking the UV rays. Left unchallenged, these rays can cause furniture and upholstery to fade. Not to mention the damage that the sun can do to unprotected skin, including increasing the risk of skin cancer.

The installation of window film on a building is not as time-consuming as some other retrofit improvements you might undertake. Replacing windows to achieve higher energy savings can cost thousands of dollars for the windows alone.

Not to mention the installation costs, the invasive practice of removing old windows, as well as the cost of inside and outside window trim replacements.

The process of window replacement could leave your building potentially open to the elements. Also, inclement weather could extend the length of the project. There is the potential for damage to any parts of the building exposed during the installation. Window film can be installed either on the interior or the exterior of your structure. This is dependent upon the required access and the type of product you choose.

Residential and Commercial or Safety products are installed without window removal. The product is applied to the existing glass surface like a surface coating. After the installation is complete, you will have immediate access to all areas. This normally happens within 30—45 days after installation. What could be easier? You can immediately feel the improvement in heat reduction and still have the crystal clear views you had before. The added benefit of minimal downtime during the installation process means that you can get back to your routine.

The benefits to your family and investment are clear. Window film helps to eliminate troublesome temperature imbalances inside your home or building. Those uncomfortable cold or hot zones from shaded or sun-exposed areas can be a thing of the past.

The right window film helps to minimize temperature fluctuations and make your rooms a pleasure to spend time in. By controlling the overall unwanted interior heat from the sun, window film helps create a more comfortable interior while reducing cooling costs.

Windows are the heart of your home or building. Today modern architecture has evolved to incorporate our natural desire for more natural light. However, the increase in natural light comes with a downside — the increased solar heat coming through your windows.

While visually appealing, the building is now uncomfortable to be in. The application of window film will not only maintain the natural light and crystal clear views you are used to, but it will also reduce the amount of solar heat that comes through the windows. Whether installed in your home or office, window film will improve your experience inside of any building. Our bodies require sunlight in order to produce and use certain vitamins and minerals.

At the same time, too much of this vital resource can damage our eyes and skin. We need the sun to warm our atmosphere so that life can be maintained, but too much heat is uncomfortable. While sunlight is vital to our existence, it is also dangerous. The application of window film on your glass still allows an amount of both sunlight and heat to be felt while reducing the dangers.

Think of it like the sunblock you put on when you are outside or the sunglasses you use when driving. Why not get sunglasses for all your glass panes and see the change in your lifestyle? Many businesses and property owners have experienced firsthand the damage caused by graffiti.

Graffiti window film is a great way to protect and prevent this damage. In addition, it allows for quick removal of graffiti, helping to reduce costs and keep up appearances. These films are applied to the exterior of the glass. Window film can also help hold glass together in case of accidental or intentional breakage. This creates a strong barrier to keep people out of your home or building.

It also protects people from broken glass. Another great benefit of window tint is the privacy that it provides. Standard window tints make it harder to see into a building. This inherently increases the privacy of the building. However, there are window tints designed specifically with privacy in mind frosted windows are a great example of this.

The energy-saving benefits of window film are apparent, but the added privacy that tinted windows provide is a reason to consider making the change. There is a wide variety of window films and tints depending on the application, some have no tint at all such as our safety, graffiti, and spectrally selective films. Many window film providers offer a warranty of up to 15 years for commercial installations and a lifetime warranty for homeowners as long as you own the home.

Depending on the film type, glass type, window construction, and the location of the building, some professionally installed window films can last well past their warranties.

While the warranties offered with these products are extensive, some other factors should be considered in terms of their lifetime and durability. Almost all window films come with extensive manufactured warranties that cover the failure of the product prematurely. However, they do not cover things such as wear and tear, scratches, or damage caused by the homeowner or user, abrasive cleaning methods, or products. Window film manufacturers apply a scratch-resistant coating on almost all of their film products.

Some window film manufacturers take more time and effort in making better scratch-resistant coatings which in turn increases the durability and lifespan of the window film. As we discussed previously, there are many different types of window film for various purposes. The length of time that window film lasts also varies depending on the application. Some factors are;. These are just some of the factors to consider when determining the lifespan of a window film.

In most situations, you determine the estimated lifespan by examining the window film manufacturer-backed warranty. Glass is designed to act as a barrier from exterior elements i. The special dyes, metals, or thin nanotechnology within the film, act as a solar energy barrier, by either absorbing or reflecting a percentage of the energy from passing through the glass.

The level of absorption and reflectance is dependent on how the film is constructed. Dyed films contain no metal and are considered non-reflective because they absorb solar energy.

They are not as effective in controlling solar heat and light because they do not provide any solar reflectance. On the other hand, metalized or spectrally selective films provide both solar absorption and reflectance. They do a much better job of solar control since their construction properties control both heat and light from passing through the glass surface. Understanding these key points provides guidance on what type of windows you can install a window film or a tint on.

In reality, almost any kind of window or glass can be treated with some kind of window film. The key is selecting the right window film, as not all window films are compatible or recommended for every type of window. We can help you select the correct product for your window and application. Among the initiatives was the idea of replacing the windows with double-pane, tinted glass - an option that would have involved a major capital investment. A more viable option, building management discovered, was to install window film.

It was the thing tenants noticed the most," recalls Vertes. And Vertes noticed tenants were keeping their blinds open more often. Early window film applications were developed for the space program. Little surprise when you consider the magnitude of the solar heat gain problem NASA faces. Depending on its position relative to the sun, a spacecraft is exposed to temperatures that range from degrees above to degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Reflective technology has always been a part of the NASA tool kit when dealing with this problem but it first showed up in commercial building applications in , as a film patented by the 3M Company.

Before this, buildings were still clad with tinted glass, but the solar heat gain reduction of this glass - at approximately percent - was still not good enough to represent significant cost savings. Reflective glazing, the practice of coating glass with a reflective coating, only came about in - ten years after the initial introduction of window film. In the last 37 years, window film has proven, for the most part, to be an effective and economical solution to heat gain problems.

But despite its many significant advantages, window film is not always a solution owner-managers care to entertain. Building managers, who have never used window film, have concerns about using window film that are simply not supported by the facts. The most common tenant complaints are about comfort; too hot, too stale, too cold or too drafty. These managers have missed out on an opportunity for a long-term, cost-effective solution solving these concerns.

Some of these myths include:. The Window Film Company offers an extensive collection of privacy window films. Mirrored films continue to be popular for daytime one-way privacy, while Frostbrite frosted film will give glazing the appearance of sandblasted or acid etched glazing, blocking the view from both sides of the glass. Solid colour vinyls are also available for situations that require both the view and the light to be blocked, while printed graphics and products like Contra Vision can also be used to create a custom branded privacy solution for glass.

For more information about mirrored window films or any of the other products supplied and installed by the Window Film Company, please call a member of the team on or email info windowfilm.

Home Got a Question? Can you see through mirrored window films at night? Mirrored films for glass can reduce solar heat, glare and UV, but can you see through them? Mirrored window film for privacy. When can you see through mirrored window films? How do I install mirrored window films?



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