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If you are new to window film you may be wondering: what is window film used for?
Window film is a thin, adhesive-backed material that can be applied to windows and glass surfaces to improve the functionality of windows. It serves a variety of functions, including privacy, energy efficiency, UV protection, and decoration.
Here’s some information about different types of window films and their uses:
When you want to use privacy window film there are a couple of types to consider. Privacy film can be transparent allowing you to see outside. This type of privacy film only offers daytime privacy. Or it can be opaque and designed to obscure the view from outside (and inside) while still allowing light to pass through.
The transparent type of film is often called one-way mirror film. When conditions are brighter on the exterior of the home, the film creates a reflective surface on the exterior side, preventing those on the outside of the home from seeing in. But since the film is transparent, it allows people on the inside to see out.
In addition to creating privacy in homes, it’s often used in surveillance rooms, police stations, or on office doors for privacy.
Opaque window film is not see-through or transparent. So, it provides both daytime and nighttime privacy. It can be used in bathrooms, bedrooms, or office spaces to maintain privacy without the need for curtains or blinds.
Common styles include frosted, etched, or decorative patterns.
Solar control window film helps reduce heat and glare from the sun. It does this by reflecting and absorbing some of the sun’s solar energy. Solar control window film can improve energy efficiency by reducing the need for air conditioning during hot weather.
It can also help reduce glare in a room and help prevent furniture and wood floors from fading. This film typically also blocks harmful UV rays, which contributes to fading and can lead to skin cancer.
Safety window film is designed to reinforce glass and make it more resistant to shattering. There are a number of safety films available depending on the application, but generally, films are considered safety at 4 Mil in thickness – and the thicknesses go up depending on the strength needed.
It’s often used in homes and businesses to enhance security and protect against break-ins, accidents, or natural disasters.
Decorative window film comes in a wide range of styles, colors, and patterns. It’s used to add aesthetic appeal to windows and glass surfaces in both residential and commercial settings.
Some decorative films mimic stained glass, some add a rainbow or prism effect, while others feature intricate designs.
These films are often made differently than solar control films – many are made to be temporarily applied to a window (so-called static cling film) and do not have a permanent adhesive.
Anti-graffiti window film provides a protective layer that makes it easier to remove graffiti, paint, or scratches from glass surfaces. It’s commonly used on storefronts, public transportation, and public buildings.
This film differs from the other films listed so far in that it is an exterior film, made to be applied to the exterior of the glass. Most other window films – especially those made for residential windows – are meant to be installed on the inside of the home.
UV-blocking window film is specifically designed to block ultraviolet (UV) rays. It’s used to protect furnishings, artwork, and occupants from the harmful effects of UV radiation.
As mentioned before, this is less a separate category of film, but rather a feature of most solar control films as well as better safety and opaque privacy films.
At Concord Window Film, we specialize in providing professional-grade residential window films that homeowners can install themselves. We carry the following types of film:
We carry two types of solar control film that differ in how they are made:
This is our flagship product and our top seller. Ceramic window film is the professional’s choice for residential window film applications for it’s strong performance specifications combined with its beautiful neutral long lasting color.
Shop ComforTech™ Ceramic Series Film.
We offer an entry-level solar control film for folks looking for an economical alternative to ceramic film. Reflective film is the technological advance before the advent of ceramic film.
It still has excellent solar control properties, but has a metallic, shiny exterior that many people don’t want for their home. And unlike ComforTech™ which is a dual-reflective film, the reflectivity of Silver 15 is also high on the interior side of the film making a mirror to the inside as well.
Shop Silver 15 Reflective Film.
We carry two types of privacy film.
Three of our ComforTech™ Ceramic Series shades are considered privacy films: 05, 15, 25. These three films all offer excellent daytime privacy in normal conditions.
Because daytime privacy depends on a variation in lighting conditions outside the home versus inside the home, the darker the film, the better it will perform even in cloudy or darker exterior conditions. For reference, ComforTech™ 05 is our darkest film and they get progressively lighter as the number increases.
Shop ComforTech™ Ceramic Series Film.
We offer one opaque privacy film – our Matte White Privacy film. This film is opaque – so it will provide both day and night time privacy. But it does let in a good amount of light during the day to keep your space bright.
Shop Matte White Privacy Film.
We carry one level of safety film: 4 Mil Clear Safety Film. As the name suggests, this film is 4 mil thick and offers protection against accidental glass breakage.
Our safety film will make it harder for glass to break from the inside in the case of an accidental fall into the window pane – and will hold glass shards together should the window break from an indoor or outdoor source.
This protects your family from flying glass and glass on the floor and other furnishings should a window break. 4 Mil isn’t considered a security film, but it will slow down anyone trying to break a window getting into your home.
Read more about safety film here and here. And shop safety film.
There are many applications where window film can improve your home. It is an efficient and economical upgrade for your windows that also keeps older windows out of landfills. Contact us anytime to discuss your specific needs at [email protected] or with the chat button on the site.
