A properly installed window film is one of the quickest and simplest energy conservation measures available. It can also help earn points in various commercial building certification programs such as ENERGY STAR and LEED.
Modern energy-control window films reject a significant amount of unwanted solar heat and glare while admitting desirable visible light. This helps to cut energy costs, reduce fading from harmful UV rays, and improve indoor environmental quality. Read this first!
Solar Control
The most important attribute of window film is its ability to reduce solar heat gain, or the amount of radiant energy transmitted through glass. This enables air conditioning systems to be run less, saving money and prolonging the life of the unit.
By absorbing and reflecting most of the sun’s infrared light, window film significantly cuts down on thermal transmission which makes it an extremely useful product for commercial buildings and highrises. This reflects a lot of the glare from sunlight, which allows occupants to work and relax in a more comfortable environment.
There are several categories of window film, including clear, dyed, and vacuum-coated. The latter holds a substantial share of the market as it is highly used in the construction and automotive industries. The segment is expected to grow even further due to increased demand from Europe, where there are several luxury car manufacturers. Also, the region is experiencing sudden heat waves which have been affecting the health and safety of people.
UV Protection
The sun’s UV rays can damage furniture, carpeting, and fabrics over time. Window film offers a shield that reduces the amount of harmful rays transmitted through windows. The latest films are scratch-resistant and easily cleaned, and some come with a 15-year to lifetime warranty. Many also provide enhanced shatter protection.
Depending on the thickness of the film, it may or may not contain anti-corrosion and anti-static treatments. Thinner films typically use nanotechnology and may be composed of ceramics or metals. They are more expensive but usually offer a greater level of protection and can resist stronger forces, such as bomb blasts or forced entry.
Specialized UV-blocking window films are great for historic buildings that house valuable artifacts and other materials that can disintegrate over time due to prolonged sunlight exposure. These films help preserve these items for future generations to enjoy. Window film can also help lower energy bills by mitigating the effects of solar heat gain on a building’s interior.
Glare Control
Excessive sunlight can cause glare on flat-screen TVs, computer monitors, and more. This can lead to eye strain, headaches, and discomfort – especially as people get older. Window film helps filter out these harmful wavelengths of light, allowing natural light to pass through but significantly reduces the amount of glare generated in a room.
Many homeowners associations have rules against shiny or mirror-appearing window films because they can negatively impact the appearance of a home. A Johnson Window Films professional can help you find a film with low visible reflectance so that your windows look more like glass and less like a mirror.
Window film does a great job of reducing fading from harmful UV rays and solar heat, but it cannot eliminate 100% of the fading caused by visible light. That’s why it is important to shop for a film with a high glare reduction value and low SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) value, which will give your home the best overall performance.
Safety & Security
Window film can help defend against break-ins, vandalism, accidents, and natural disasters. Its layered design is flexible and can spread the impact of flying glass (such as from an explosion) over a larger area, helping reduce injuries caused by razor-sharp glass shards.
Security film also helps keep windows in place during severe weather, keeping wind, rain, and flying debris out. This minimizes property damage and keeps occupants safe by retaining broken glass shards within the window frame rather than spreading them throughout the building or into nearby pedestrian areas.
To protect against the most extreme conditions, specialized safety and security films are combined with a patented attachment system that holds the filmed glass to the window or door frame. When properly installed, this creates a strong shield that can stand up to everything from severe weather events and tornadoes to natural disasters, industrial explosions, and bomb blasts. Browse the next article.
