Glass Window Film Enhances Natural Light and Safety
Glass Window Film enhances the natural light and crystal clear views of your home, office or car while maintaining comfort and safety. Window films reject harmful UV rays and solar heat, which helps lower energy costs.
Window film comes in both adhesive and cling varieties. This article will focus on the adhesive type, however there are a number of cling film options available as well.
Reduces UV Rays
Although it’s true that glass blocks UVB, or ultraviolet, rays, which can cause sunburn, most window glass does not filter out all the damaging UVA rays. This is mainly due to the way the light passes through the glass and hits your skin and the furniture in your home. Window films and tints can help prevent UVA rays from passing through, but the best option is to install window film with a high UV block rating.
The high-performance coatings in quality window films are based on polyester and metallized pigments bonded with distortion-free adhesives. These films reflect, absorb and deflect solar energy to control glare, UV damage, fading and heating. This reduces HVAC costs, and creates a more comfortable indoor environment that saves you money over time.
Window film also reduces the potential for storm or vandalism damage. If a piece of glass does break, the window film keeps the fragments from flying around and potentially hurting people or breaking more expensive items like televisions and electronics.
Window films that are designed for residential use usually have a high SHGC and VT (visible transmittance) rating to control how much natural light passes through them. This allows for plenty of sunlight in during the day and more privacy at night without sacrificing views or reducing lighting efficiency. Self Adhesive Vinyl Many of these products also block 99-percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays, which can fade or discolor your furnishings.
Reduces Glare
Depending on the sun’s position in the sky, bright sunlight streaming through untreated windows can quickly transform an open office environment into an uncomfortable and unsafe workspace. Window film helps to eliminate distracting glare caused by direct sunlight or by light reflecting off interior fixtures such as monitors, pictures and displays.
Indirect glare is a common problem that can be solved with the appropriate film products and is usually the result of daylight passing through glass at an awkward angle. The glare is not only annoying, but can cause discomfort and eyestrain for employees, students, tenants or guests. Window films reduce this type of glare by controlling the amount of visible light that passes through the window.
Window film is designed to withstand thermal stress and prevent glass from cracking, however glass can still break spontaneously or as the result of external forces. Window films can greatly reduce the potential for damage by holding the shards of glass together, thus minimizing injury to occupants and property.
Window film helps to reduce energy costs by reducing solar heat gain and providing a comfortable indoor temperature throughout the year. It also helps to reduce cooling costs by lowering the building’s overall energy consumption. Window film can reject up to 82% of the sun’s heat without changing the appearance of the window and significantly reduces cooling bills.
Increases Energy Efficiency
Window tinting is a great way to improve your home or business energy efficiency by preventing heat loss through windows and doors. This reduces your energy costs and keeps the resale value of your property high. Window film can also reject infrared and UV rays, protecting valuable furniture and furnishings from fading or discoloration.
By reflecting the sun’s heat, window films lower indoor temperatures and make your air conditioning work less hard. This reduces your energy costs and can save you thousands of dollars over the life of the system.
Choose a film that has the best Visible Transmittance (VT) and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) for your location. Choosing a product with a low SHGC and VT rating will help reduce your heating and cooling costs while still allowing in a lot of natural light.
Window film is an affordable option that allows you to completely transform the look of your building without having to replace the existing glass. When paired with decorative patterns, Self Adhesive Vinyl colors and textures, it can enhance the aesthetics of your space. It can even be used in the workplace to increase brand awareness and display messages. During inclement weather, security films prevent glass from breaking into dangerous shards, keeping occupants safe and the property damage to a minimum. Whether installed on a commercial or residential project, window film provides numerous benefits and a fast payback.
Enhances Aesthetics
Decorative window film is available in a variety of patterns, colors and textures. It can change flat glass into a work of art, and enhance privacy without changing light transmission. It can even be used to display company logos and messages in the office, a great way to boost brand awareness while saving on energy costs.
Today’s buildings use more glass than ever before, which can create hot spots and glare that reduce occupant comfort and increase energy costs. While curtains or blinds can help block direct sunlight, they can also hinder natural light penetration and detract from the look of the space. Window film solves these problems by redirecting natural light deeper into a room, and reducing heat build-up and annoying glare.
The most common type of glass window film is reflective film, which works by reflecting both UV and visible light energy back outside. There are also neutral films that reduce glare and heat by absorbing it rather than reflecting it, but they tend to have lower luminous efficacy than reflective film.
The best choice depends on a building’s unique requirements. A skilled window film company can help building owners and managers determine which option is most appropriate. They can discuss the benefits of different options and explain how the product will benefit a property.