Effects and Advantages of Window Film
Why should I purchase window film for my home or business?
- Slow down the fading
of your interior
- Keep out heat, while
letting most of the visible light to still shine through
- Hold broken glass
pieces together in the event of a broken window
- Slow down a burglar in
the case of a smash and grab
- Improve the aesthetics
of your home or business as well as give a more uniform appearance
What
are the main advantages of window film over my current situation?
- Drastic reduction in
fading of your interior (carpets, wood floors, furniture, curtains,
etc.).
- Basic causes of fading are 50% UV rays from the sun, 20% visible light, 20% infrared rays and 10% miscellaneous factors (carpet chemicals, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs and humidity).
- Quality window
films block more than 99% of the harmful UV rays (both UVA and UVB)
from the sun. Window film indirectly keeps your interior household
furnishings looking like new. It is highly recommended to install
window film on all of the windows of the structure, even if the windows
never see the sun. The reason this is important is because UV rays will
ricochet off other structures that are adjacent to the building being
outfitted with window film; these rays are redirected into the windows
that receive no sun. It is also important to install a window film that
has some shading factors. By having a tint to the film your will cut
down on visible light entering the structure which is a contributing
factor of fading.
- Heat reduction is a
main performance factor of window film.
- Infrared heat that
passes through the windows is one of the main reasons that cause a
structure to heat up. The thin metallic layer in the window film acts
like a police agent. The visible light largely passes through, while
the infrared rays are rejected back outside. Window film is one of the
best investments you can make to reduce the amount of heat that passes
through your windows.
- Infrared heat that
passes through the windows is one of the main reasons that cause a
structure to heat up. The thin metallic layer in the window film acts
like a police agent. The visible light largely passes through, while
the infrared rays are rejected back outside. Window film is one of the
best investments you can make to reduce the amount of heat that passes
through your windows.
How
does window film reject heat in the summer and insulate in the winter?
First of all we need to make a distinction between 2 types of infrared:
- Near- infrared radiating from the sun
- Far-infrared radiating
from central heating inside the structure
During the summer months the near infrared from the sun is largely re-radiated (redirected) by the window film. In the winter months the same near-infrared is also re-radiated (redirected) back outside. The opposite is true with far-infrared, the window film re-radiates (redirects) the heat from the heating unit back inside. In colder climates the use of insulated glass (double or dual pane glass) and/or glass with a low-e (low emissivity) may have been installed. Installing window film on this type of glass will add to the amount of heat that is blocked or retained. Installing window film on glass is like adding a layer of insulation to the glass. If keeping heat inside the structure in the winter is the main goal then window film needs to be installed on all glass surfaces of the building, not just the sides of the building that come in contact with sunlight. Just like the initial construction of your building R-value insulation is installed in all outside walls. It would not make very much sense to insulate just 2 or 3 walls. If the main goal is to keep heat out in the summer months the window film needs only to be installed on the windows that directly face the sun.