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Do you have a window problem to solve? This guide to how to buy window film online will help you get it taken care of!
Maybe your room is too hot even with your air conditioner running all day. Maybe your electric bill was way too high last summer. Or maybe you want to add daytime privacy to a space or need to protect your furniture, floors, or artwork from fading. Whatever your window problems are, window film can usually help. And it’s more economical and environmentally friendly than replacing windows and throwing your old ones in a landfill.
Window tint or window film is a plastic sheet product treated with different materials depending on the technology used (read about window film history and different technologies) that rejects the sun’s energy preventing it from coming through windows. It’s a high-tech product using that’s used on most commercial buildings to improve occupant comfort as well as the building’s overall energy efficiency.
People buy window tint for different reasons. Here are the benefits that window film can provide:
Our ComforTech™ Ceramic Series film is first and foremost a solar control film. It is made to reject the solar energy that comes through a window. Our film (depending on the shade) rejects between 50% and 82% of solar energy, reducing the amount of heat that comes through your windows into your home.
Because window film reduces the amount of heat coming into your home, it helps to keep your house cooler allowing you to turn down your air conditioner or run it less often. You save electricity and make your home more energy efficient. Read more about the sustainability properties of window film.
A third benefit of window film is its ability to reduce glare in your home. According to ERCO’s Handbook of Lighting Design, “glare is a general term for the reduction of visual performance or the disturbance of perception, as caused by high luminances or contrasts in luminance within a visual environment.”
All of us have experienced the effects of sun streaming through windows making it difficult to watch TV or work on our computers. Glare from windows can be mitigated by reducing the amount of visible light that enters a window. Residential window tint is the perfect solution because you don’t block your view to the outside world, but you do block enough light to reduce the brightness or contrast enough to reduce glare.
Fade protection is another benefit of installing window film in your home. Three main factors cause fading: UV rays (40%), visible light (25%), and heat (25%). Window tint can help by reducing all of these factors.
First, all of our film blocks 99% of UV rays in the 300-380nm spectrum. Next, all of our film blocks a certain amount of visible light transmission – the darker the shade of film you choose, the more visible light is blocked. Finally, our film rejects solar energy and reduces the amount of heat that enters your home. The solar heat gain coefficient of window film calculates the amount of heat a window – or a tinted window – lets into a home.
Our ComforTech™ Ceramic Series films have a solar heat gain coefficient of between .48 and .18 depending on the shade you choose – so you can dramatically decrease the heat coming into your space.
Regular windows only block about 30% of UV rays. Tinted windows can block 99% of UV rays to offer true indoor UV protection for people concerned about skin cancer and premature aging. All Concord Window Films provide 99% protection against UV rays in the 300-380nm spectrum.
We offer several films for privacy: four transparent films and one opaque film. Our transparent options include: ComforTech™ 05, ComforTech™ 15, ComforTech™ 25, and Silver Reflective 15. Each of these films provide daytime privacy by creating a one-way mirror effect when conditions are brighter outside than they are inside.
If you need both daytime and nighttime privacy from a film, we offer our Matte White Privacy film which is an opaque white film. While Matte White blocks window views, it still allows in 68% of visible light, while keeping out prying eyes 24/7.
Window film is a high-technology product that improves the performance of your windows. It’s a great way to upgrade your existing windows without paying the high cost of full replacement. To ensure your window film performs optimally, it’s important to check the condition of your windows before installing any film. Certain conditions may exist that would prevent you from installing window film, you can find a list of them here.
You may be asking yourself, is buying window film online a good idea? Can I purchase quality film if I try to buy window film online? And the answer is yes – with Concord Window Film. We provide professional-grade film to homeowners to install themselves. What do we mean by professional-grade film? Well, it’s simple: it is the same film professionals buy. Not a watered-down version of it. Not an older technology that looks the same – it’s exactly the same window film that professional installers purchase themselves.
Window film is a great upgrade to your windows, and you should shop around. When you do, make sure of these four things to buy window film online successfully:
Inexpensive films sold online are most likely lesser quality film using an older technology like dyes or metals. Dyed films tend to fade over time and turn purple.
Metallic films perform better and are more economical than ceramic (indeed we sell a Silver 15 Reflective Film which is a metallic film), but they do have a very shiny metallic look to them. Some people don’t like the look and some homeowner’s associations won’t allow it.
Many companies that sell online do not give you specifics about the technology used. If they aren’t touting it – it’s probably not the best technology available. In order to successfully buy window film online – it’s imperative that you know what you are paying for!
If the manufacturer of the film can’t provide the performance specifications of the film, how do you know what you are buying? And how will you know how well it will work? The top window film is rated by the National Fenestration Rating Council which tests and rates the film. If a manufacturer doesn’t share its window film specs, it may not be rated.
Most professional-grade ceramic films for residential windows like our ComforTech™ Ceramic Series use a dry adhesive that isn’t tacky to the touch when the liner is removed. This makes installation of the film infinitely easier for you. Cheaper films use a pressure-sensitive adhesive to keep costs down. These films are harder to handle because once you remove the liner, they can stick to themselves or other objects potentially damaging the integrity of the film.
The thinner the film, the easier it will be to damage. Thinner films will crease and crinkle easier when handling rendering the film unusable. Just take a look at the reviews for the 1 mil film available at the big box stores. You will read many reviews complaining about this issue. ComforTech™ Ceramic Series film is 2 mil thick and is much more forgiving when handling – making installing it easy.
It is possible to buy window film online successfully if you arm yourself with a little knowledge. And purchase from a company that’s transparent about what it’s selling!
We created Concord Window Film to serve DIY homeowners who want the quality of a professional-grade ceramic window film, but want the convenience and cost-savings of installing it themselves. We believe anyone can buy window film online successfully and can install it!
And weare here to help you learn about the benefits of window tint and support you along your buying journey. Reach out to us anytime at [email protected], 888-206-1413, or through the chat bubble on our site. We look forward to hearing from you!
