Selling Window Film 101

(This will be a 3 part series with Industry Veteran Marcus Billings).

PART 1

Selling Window Film Projects 101

What is Window Film?  -Heat control window films are polyester based materials applied to existing glazing, to address shortcomings in the glass construction.

Generally, solar window tint film provides specific personal and property protection from the effects of the sun as well as added safety and security in the events that result in broken glass.

The concept of heat control window film for use in solar control flat glass application dates back to the early 1960’s. The original solar window tint film design objective was to control the heating and cooling imbalances that result from solar loading. Such early heat control window films were found to reflect solar radiation back from a window, preventing the warming of inside surfaces normally hit by direct sunlight while still allowing vision through the glass.

As the solar window tint film concept was developed and improved upon, a demand developed for colored sun control films that would complement architectural design. By combining dyed polyester with various metalized coatings, colored films were achieved.

The energy crisis of the early 1970’s prompted an interest in another aspect of heat control window film use: the reduction of heat loss to the outside. It was discovered that polyester solar window tint film tended to absorb and re-radiate long wave infrared heat rather than act as a transparent medium. Through experimentation, new film materials and constructions were developed that enhanced this characteristic. These heat control window films greatly improved heat retention within a room’s interior.  However, problems in the developing a consistent hard-coat and the relatively small percentage of savings generated in the winter as opposed to summer, combined to reduce the popularity of “winter” films, as they were known.

The efficiencies of energy control window films are closely related to local weather conditions, building orientation, window size, and other factors such as exterior shading conditions. However, with escalating energy costs, products such as solar window tint film are increasingly valuable as an investment for commercial and residential owners and commercial facility managers.

There are many types and constructions of solar control and safety window films. These films are considered in the building industry to be “retrofit” products; that is, products to be applied to existing buildings as opposed to use in new construction. In their simplest forms, window films are composed of a polyester substrate to which a scratch resistant coating is applied on one side; a mounting adhesive layer and a protective release liner is applied to the other side. When the release liner is removed, that side of the film with the adhesive is applied to the interior surface of the glass.