Window Film Suppliers
Window Film Suppliers: An Informative and Comprehensive Guide on Window Films
Windows are an effective way to enhance not only the appearance of your house or office but also to cut down the cooling cost and ensure privacy. What more is that window film suppliers offer more than one type of film.
On the contrary, there are several types of window films that offer different advantages. All these films would provide basic functionality while each offering unique features as well. Incorporating any of these films into your place would offer a number of benefits.
In this blog post, we are going to talk about all the types of window films that are available in the market. In addition, we will shed light on their applications and advantages. So, let us get started!
Different Types of Window Films
Windows are an excellent source of pleasure. In addition to offering a beautiful view outside, they also allow the sunlight and fresh air to enter your place. However, lack of proper window location can be troublesome then wonderful.
It would bring in additional sunlight, or air resulting in hotter rooms during summer and chilling place amidst winters. Fortunately, you now have can effortlessly gain access to window tint suppliers.
They would provide you with window films that would resolve your problem without making any change to the interior of your place.
Glare Reduction
Another commonly used window film is the glare reduction. The great thing about these films is that they are available in different degree of glare reduction levels. So, you can purchase the one that would suit your needs to perfection.
For instance, take the edge of your window by buying windows film with low-level glare reduction. Or in case, you want something heavier, go with the glare film having minimal level so clarity.
Regardless of the reduction level, the main objective of this type of window film is to control the input of the intense blinding light and make it more tolerable. So, with window glare reduction film, you no longer have to worry about the excess amount of lighting entering your place.
The film has the ability to prevent the entrance of as much light as you want. After all, it provides the facility of choosing from a number of light transmission percentage.
Insulating Films
Insulating films are highly effective when it comes to fighting against the harsh weather outside. After all, their main function is to offer a high level of insulation to your house. Installing these window films would keep the cold of Vermont winter and the sunshine of southern California at bay.
It would also make your house energy efficient. Studies show that incorporating insulation films has significantly reduced air condition costs. Likewise, films that designed to insulate against cold have reduced the furnace cost.
UV Blocking Window Films
Although, most window film suppliers ensure that all films incorporate UV blocking feature, nonetheless, you can get films that specifically work on blocking the UV lights. Unlike glass that is able to prevent just 25% of the UV radiation to enter the room, window films can take the number up to 99.9%.
Modern and sophisticated films can to block UV radiation ranging from 95% to 99.9%.
Safety and Security Window Film
In the 1970s, some of the window film suppliers came up with these windows to enhance the security of the American Embassy aboard. These kinds of windows films serve a specific purpose. They come in a wide range of variety in terms of thickness and privacy levels. A basic thickness security film would have a minimum thickness of four mils.
One of the biggest advantages of these films is that it has the ability to keep the glass within the frame of the window even after it is broken. What more is that the film would prevent people from getting hurt in case, the window glass completely crashes.
A thick safety and security window film makes it difficult to penetrate, thus further ensuring the security of your residence or office. Thanks to technological advancement, the thick, modern window films have the ability to withstand a bomb blast.
The heavier films generally have a thickness of 8 to 15 mil and to fit them into the frame of the window system, you would have to anchor them. Time and again, the films have managed to save not only the property but also the lives of the people within.
Privacy Window Film
Privacy films are extremely popular not only among residential windows but also for commercial windows. The ability to control the level of privacy further adds to their appeal.
What is great about these films is the variety they offer. There are different types of privacy films available that offer different benefits. For instance, if you want the light to penetrate, but want to block the view at the same time, we recommend using frost film.
Frost film is like a textured glass, it would allow the light to enter, but would completely distort the view. In case, you want a complete level of privacy as well as little to no light entering your space, you can go with the complete block out films.
You can find a diverse variety of films or tints with almost all window tint suppliers.
With decorative window films, you can add an aesthetics sense to your windows. In addition to ensuring privacy, these films provide you the opportunity to add style to your interior.
In case, you want planning to incorporate them in your office, why not have your company’s logo printed on them. For homes go with beautiful and mesmerizing waterfalls or sceneries.
With decorative films, you can enjoy endless customizability. Ask your window film suppliers for their idea, or you can show them your unique concepts. You can now get your ideas pasted to your windows.
Anti-Graffiti
Anti-Graffiti films offer diversity when it comes to the surface. It is possible to apply them onto stainless steel, stone, glass, and several other even surfaces. Their thickness ranges from 4- 8 mil.
In addition to offering security, they save the surface from a number of damages including acid etching, paint, carving, and scratching. Anti-Graffiti films are well used within the commercial industry instead of residential.
The reason being, they help in limiting and preventing exposure to graffiti taggers and vandals. What more is that it is possible to remove the paint without causing any harm to the film and the surface beneath it.
Likewise, you can remove the acid etching by simply washing the film. Similarly, the surfaces are safe from the carving, and scratching damages as the protective film on top would absorb all the impact.
With these films, you would not have to spend a small fortune to reinstate your property in better condition.
Dyed Window Film
To add color to your windows, use the amazing dyed films. These films offer privacy, comes with solar obstructing abilities and a wide range of colors. As the same suggests, these films are dyed in different colors.
Thus, offering you the facility to enjoy any color you like. These films come with surfaces that are not highly reflective. Something most of you would appreciate. After all, not everyone likes highly reflective window films.
The only problem with these films is that the dyes don’ t last long. When the dye starts to fade out, the film is no longer able to serve is the primary objective. Since the mechanism of the film is to absorb heat using the color, thus the fading of the color results in a lack of performance.
One Way Mirror Window Film
Most of you might have come across the one-way window film. These films create a mirror effect on the side and offer viewability from the other side. If you have the right lighting, the film would yield 100 percent results.
Nonetheless, even without good lighting, it offers great results. Most people incorporate such films in interrogation rooms.
However, you might come across them in different offices and other commercial areas. After all, these films add the classiness of the mirror to your interior without blocking any viewability from your end.
Metal Films Window Films
If you want to incorporate a complete heat blocking system into your window, window film suppliers would recommend using metal films. This kind of film uses the metal to ensure the blockage of heat.
Fortunately, metal films offer different levels of heat blocking and darkness. Both these factors greatly depend upon the among of metal used in the films. Higher metal coating means, higher reflecting capabilities and greater darkness, vice versa.
Since the film’s heat blocking abilities depend upon reflection and absorption of the sun’s energy, therefore having the right location matters. This by no means, means that if the film would not be able to perform without the right location.
The films are stable and robust. They do not lose their heat penetration ability with time nor do they change colors. Something, we have seen the dyed window tints/ films doing.
Metalizing the Films
It is possible to metalize the films in a number of ways. For instance, the window tint suppliers would use sputter coating, vapor coating, or the electron beam coating.
Vapor Coating & Electron Beam
Both – vapor and electron beam – are the traditional coating techniques. These films are highly cost-effective and only the low-price firms incorporate them. One disadvantage of these techniques is that they are inclined to de-metallization.
So, with time the metal would corrode away, thus leaving clear areas behind. After all, a stripping pattern results due to the heavier and lighter areas of metal deposition onto the film. This pattern tends to lack its uniformity with time.
Sputter Coating
The more modern and reliable metal coating technique is the sputter coating. This technique is adopted by premium firms as it ensures quality over a long, long period of time.
The technique varies uniform metal layering into the structure of the film, thus eliminating the banding and the de-metallization issues.
Spectrally Selective Films
These films consist of multiple layers of either ceramics of layers. The films reflect the sun layers internally between layers. Thus, causing the infrared wavelengths to collide with each other and cancel each other out.
These films ensure that no infrared heat would penetrate the film. Being among the most sophisticated films available in the market, they offer the best and the finest results. However, they are expensive.
Ceramic Films
Ceramic films are the most sophisticated form of window films. They are famous for their outstanding insulating capabilities as well as remarkable heat-blocking ability.
These films offer great results, after all, they were the ones that protected the space shuttle from burning up while re-entering into the atmosphere. These films offer durability as well as resist degradation.
Films are highly effective for a place where there is a high salt level in the air. For instance, you can use them in your beach house, as it would prevent the salt to corrode the metals.
Since ceramics are impermeable to the marine salt air environment, thus they tend to offer more robustness and durability in comparison to dye or metal films. To put it out, these films offer 25 times more durability when compared to the other two.
In addition, lightly shaded films are highly effective for blocking out the heat. They even outperform metal films. So, now you can enjoy the outside view while ensuring a higher level of UV protection.
For the uniform deposition of these films, window films suppliers generally use the sputter coating technology for applying the ceramics to the films. The uniform deposition ensures high quality and long-lasting films.
Important Things That You Need to Know About Window Films for your House
Currently, everyone is at war with houses that are not energy efficient, outdated, and weak. People are looking for reliable and more effective alternates. For this particular reason, they are reaching out to different window tint film suppliers.
After all the window tin suppliers have the ability to make your house energy-efficient and effective. Their products not only add to the aesthetic sense of your house, but it also makes it easy on your pocket.
The great thing is that you can achieve your goal of the energy-efficient house without making any changes to your places. You don’t have to uproot your windows in order to install the smart, energy-efficient ones. On the contrary, you can install films onto of your existing windows.
While most residential films are self-adhesive, lightweight polyester that has a cover of polyethylene terephthalate, not all windows are worth investing in. There are certain things that you need to know about the window films as well as the window film suppliers to ensure that you make the right decision.
Reason for Installing Window Films
There are three main categories of window films, and your reason for installing the film would help you choose the right category. Below, we have mentioned these categories for better understanding.
Solar
In case your main reason for the tinting home windows is to make your house energy-efficient, solar windows are your best choice. These films allow just the right amount of light to pass.
They are not as thick as the security films, nor are they extremely thin like the decorative films. On the contrary, they just have the right amount of thickness that would prevent unwanted heat or cold to stay away.
These films have the capability to reflect or absorb roughly 99 % of the UV lights. This helping in regulating the in-door temperature, securing the interior furnishing, and ensuring the complete indoor cool.
Solar films are most available in neutral shades ranging from copper to silver.
Security
Security films are highly effective if your main objective is to keep your home safe. They are effective for deterring burglars. These are the thickness of window films among the three. They mostly come in either silver color or are clear.
Security films are not famous for their energy-efficient ability. They do not absorb or reflect the heat. However, in case of a home intrusion or a really bad storm, they minimize the window damage result.
Instead of that your window ends up completely shattered, the thick film can restrict the damage to a big crack. It would allow the window to hold on longer in comparison to when there is no film installed onto the window.
Decorative
When your only objective is to have films that would enhance the interior of your home, we suggest using decorative window films. Being the thinnest of all films, they offer limited security and reflect minimal light.
However, they do come in a wide range of colors and designs. Thus, ensuring that you can enjoy diversity when it comes to decorating your windows.
Glass Compatibility
You will be surprised to know that every film is not compatible with every type of glass window. On the contrary, you would have to learn a little before you install a window film onto your window.
Do bear in mind that different types of window films have different heating absorbing abilities. For instance, security and decorative films do not have the ability to prevent thermal heat passing through the windows.
Make sure to ask the window film manufacturers for the right type of windows for your window glass. A supplier would then recommend the right kind of window film for the common types of window glass. For instance, basic flat glass—annealed, the heat-treated glass, or the insulating window glass would require the film type accordingly.
Of course, it is possible to apply all types of films on these glass windows. However, they would not be able to yield effective results.
Nonetheless, there is a guideline presented by the International Window Film Association. According to the guideline, then it is important to avoid the solar films in the following situation. The reason being the higher heat absorbing rate increases the thermal stress, thus it can cause the film to crack.
- If the clear annealed glass is thicker 3/8 inches, avoid using solar films.
- In case the glass has a heat absorption rate greater than 50 percent.
- Insulated Glass that has seal failures
- Insulated Glass older than 10 years
- Tinted annealed glass that is over ¼ inches thick.
NOTE: In case, you have trouble deciding, check with your window tint film supplier’s manual for additional information on compatibility.
Check Window Warranty
Since all things today come with a warranty, your windows are no exception. Most window manufacturers offer a certain time period for the warranty. During this time frame, if something goes wrong with the window, they are reliable.
However, reaching out to the widow manufacturer after applying the off the shelf window tint, don’t be surprised if you warranty in no longer intact.
Most window manufacturers invalidate the window warranty after you apply a tint film. After all, there are certain extremely low-quality window films that can have an adverse impact on your windows.
Therefore, it is imperative to consult your window manufacturer before applying any type of window tint film onto your windows. Ask them whether a tint film would invalidate the warranty. If yes, then what is your best alternative.
Tinting is highly effective old Windows
Older windows do not have the low-emissivity coating. It is basically a thin layer of metal oxide. The lack of this coating on the glass allows the window tints to perform in an effective manner.
However, some modern windows do come with the Low-emissivity coating. This means that they do ensure energy efficiency. Of course, there would a difference in the energy efficiency level in comparison to tinting films. Nonetheless, they would make your house energy efficient. In some cases, you might not even need the film.
Again, to install the film, it is important to talk to your window film suppliers as well as the window manufacturers. They would provide you with accurate information to take to the right step.
Homes with Tinted Windows are Economical
In addition to offering enhanced energy efficiency, window films are also economical. For instance, if you buy a window film from a home improvement store, let us amazon, you would have to pay it roughly $2 to $4 per square foot.
Installing it yourself would not cost you anything at all. Likewise, if you go with a professional window film supplier, it would cost you somewhere between $5 to $8, or in some cases even less per square foot.
This would sum up to a maximum of $54 or as little as $27. This is extremely less in comparison to what you would have to pay for other sun-blocking techniques including the cellular fabric shades, blinds, or the honeycomb-shade cells. They would cost you somewhere between $40 to $280.
Window Films are Easy to Install
Installing window films is an extremely easy task. It does not require any special equipment, not any experience. All you need to do is take a lint-free soft cloth along with a solution.
To create the solution, take one gallon of water and mix one teaspoon of no-tear baby shampoo. Next, take a knife and carefully cut the window film. Make sure that it is ½ inch bigger than the window size on which you plan to install it.
Use the solution and the cloth the wipe cleans your window. Wait for it to dry. It would take hardly a couple of seconds. Then remove the adhesive backing of your film and start the pasting process.
Make sure that you install the window gradually onto the window panel. A good approach is that you go top-down. While you are applying the film, make sure that you lightly mist the window surface using the leftover solution.
To remove the trapped air bubbles, you can use either a credit card or a squeegee and rub it across the window tint in a certain direction.
NOTE: It generally takes around a week or two for the tint film to cure.
DIY Down Side
The potential downside of the Do it Yourself method is that sometimes a streak or cleaner, dirt, or scratches occur underneath the tint film. These can lead to bubbles and instability of the film.
Therefore, homeowners generally prefer the professional to ensure a pristine and polished finish of their tint films. However, carefully application the window tint films onto your windows will help you yield the same result.
Other Renter-Friendly Options
In terms of permanence, you can enjoy decorative, safety, and window films in three different options.
Temporary Varieties
If you want to take your window films when you move out of your rented houses, you need to go with the temporary verities. These films are easily cleaned and removed when desired.
Semi-permanent Varieties
It is possible to remove these films. However, they would leave some amount of residue onto the glass. The residue is mainly due to the film adhesive.
Permanent Varieties
Once you install these types of window films, it is not possible to remove then. Window film suppliers generally recommend these types of films to having their own house. Or a place that they do not plan to leave for the next decade or so.
Decorative films work well with commitment-phobic homeowners or renters as they generally are the temporary tinting solution. On the contrary, security and solar films work well with permanent or semi-permanent tinting solutions. They are an effective choice for people owning their own property.
Adhesive-Backed and Static Cling Window Film
The window film suppliers offer window films that are either static cling or adhesive-back. Decorative, security, or safety window films can either have a static cling or can be adhesive. The choice of the type greatly depends upon you and your requirement.
There are several things that you need to consider when it comes to choosing between these two types of clinging options. For instance, you would have to consider the price, locations, the re-usability, and the longevity of the film.
So, to make the right choice, you need to learn the basic differences between these films. Below, we did highlight the main differences to make things easier for you.
Static Cling Window Film: Advantages
- Simpler removal
- Easier to Clean
- Lower Price
- The films are extremely easy to Install
- Easier to Maintain
- Repositionable and Reusable
Disadvantages
- Shorter Shelf Life
- They may be difficult to die-cut or print
- Cannot withstand weather conditions
- Are not very lasting, or permanent. Their stickiness gives away with time.
Adhesive Back Window Film: Advantages
- Sticks to a number of surfaces
- Has a long shelf life
- Easy to die-cut and print it
- Weather-resistant
- A more permanent solution
Disadvantages
- These films are generally of a high price.
- It is not possible to reuse them. Once you install them there, they would stay intact for years.
- Installing and the removable process is difficult. It is recommended to use professional help for installing the adhesive-backed window films.
- You need to be careful, as these films highly prone to damage before installation.
If your objective is to ensure the longevity of your film, then we recommend that you go with a film having adhesive back. Also, for correct and right installation use services of professional window film suppliers instead of doing it yourself.
After all, experienced widow tint film suppliers would yield promising and long-lasting results. They would ensure that your films do not have any bubbles in them and have a smooth look.
Choosing the Best Window Film Suppliers
With window films or window tints, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the light, ensure privacy, and joy the view. These different types of window films serve different purposes and offer different benefits.
However, to ensure the quality of these films, you need to reach out to the best window film suppliers – WGlass. Being the leading suppliers, they offer innovative solutions for your windows. Their unique smart film privacy and switchable privacy glass products would offer outstanding window solutions.
