How Glass Window Film Can Enhance Your Home Or Business
Window film can add a touch of style and class to an otherwise ordinary glass window. It can also improve energy efficiency, provide security and privacy, and enhance the appearance of any home or commercial building.
Glare can be a year round problem that strains the eyes. Effective glare reduction reduces distractions and improves vision.
Privacy
Window film can make it difficult to see inside from the outside. This is especially helpful for ground floor rooms, where passersby might be able to see into the interior. Depending on the type of film used, there are a number of options that allow for daytime privacy, including one-way mirror films and smoke tints. These allow natural light to filter in during the day, but limit visibility from the outside.
Another popular option is frosted or acid-etch window film. These offer a stylish, contemporary look and provide the same level of privacy as one-way mirror or smoke films. These can also be custom cut into designs that will add a more personalized touch to any home or business.
Window film rejects up to 99% of harmful UV rays, protecting skin and fabrics, as well as slowing the fading of furnishings, carpets and artwork. It also reduces eye straining glare caused by harsh sunlight. This combination of benefits makes window film a xygraphic pvc film cost-effective alternative to purchasing and installing new windows. It can also save money by reducing energy costs. Window films significantly increase a building’s insulating properties, which helps to reduce heating and cooling costs. When installed by a professional, these films are safe and durable and will last for years to come.
Energy Efficiency
Window film is an energy efficiency solution that can save Fort Collins homeowners and businesses hundreds of dollars in energy costs every year. By reducing heat gain, improving insulation, reducing glare and blocking UV radiation window films help cooling and heating systems operate more efficiently. By lowering electricity usage and cost, residential and commercial building occupants enjoy a more comfortable environment.
Solar control films are designed to reduce solar heat gain and glare while still allowing visible light through. They achieve this by reflecting or absorbing a portion of the total solar energy before it can enter the building, thus controlling its transmission. The solar absorption capability of the film is based on its emissivity and shading coefficient values. The higher the emissivity and shading coefficient, the more solar heat will be rejected.
Older technologies accomplish their heat rejection by absorbing the entire solar spectrum and preventing it from entering the building. This causes the glass to heat up and becomes inefficient in controlling solar heat gain. Newer ceramic and metallized films use nanotechnology that eliminates dyes and reflects the sun’s heat much like a mirror, thereby achieving energy efficiency with no loss of visibility.
The best way to determine the right window film for your project is to compare its Visible Transmittance (VT) and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) value with that of single pane clear glass or the inner pane of a double pane window. When these values are similar you’ll have found a suitable product.
Aesthetics
With a variety of styles and designs, decorative window film adds beauty to any flat glass surface. It transforms windows into an integrated design element in your space without the hassle and expense of renovation. The aesthetic possibilities are endless, whether it’s a subtle shimmer of light that reflects off of the glass to provide a soft glow in the room or a more dramatic look inspired by the natural beauty of stained and etched glass.
With options like frosted and gradient window film, you can create an eye-catching appearance that seamlessly blends privacy with aesthetic appeal. This category of flat window film also provides an alternative to window blinds and drapes, offering a tasteful option that lets in natural light and caters to your design tastes. Choose from a range of geometric and organic patterns, or have your window film installation professional orient gradient opacity for a more tailored look.
Decorative window film is a popular choice for commercial buildings and residential spaces alike. With styles ranging from a contemporary barcode stripe to a delicate etching sparkle, these films are a tasteful and sophisticated alternative to specialty glass and custom window treatments. Window film also offers an array of see-through graphics that can be applied to glass surfaces for advertising, branding, and signage. These products are often used for building wraps Glass Window Film on buses and commercial vehicles, but they can be easily applied to any transparent glass surface to achieve a new visual impact.
Security
Glass window film helps to make a building more resistant to earthquakes, bomb blasts and even smash and grab crimes. This is achieved through the use of a thicker security film that is specially designed to hold broken glass together, rather than becoming dangerous projectiles. This also serves to keep expensive equipment such as computers and medical supplies from being damaged by shattering glass.
This type of security film also has anti-break properties that improve the ability to absorb a shock, such as from a wayward baseball or an act of vandalism. Safety and security window film holds shards of glass in place and keeps them from scattering across the floor, protecting people from getting cut on sharp glass. The opacity of safety window film also helps deter burglars as it makes it harder for them to see what is inside the building.
It is important to note that glass window film cannot replace the need for security doors and security alarm systems. However, it can be a good preventative measure in both commercial and residential buildings to deter break-ins from happening altogether and to protect valuable assets.
Unlike factory tinting, which is done during the manufacturing process, window films can be installed on existing windows at any time and are one of the quickest and easiest energy control measures available. Once the film has been installed, it can take a few days to 30 days for the adhesive bonding and curing process to complete. During this time, it is normal to see a slight hazy appearance and water pockets in the glass. This is completely normal and is a result of the curing process taking place.