Guest Post: Frequently Asked Questions About Window Film

Window film can be a great way to protect the interior of your home when privacy and glare are not primary concerns.  But, many homeowners have questions about the product, since it isn’t used as commonly as blinds or shades.  Read on for some answers to the most frequently-asked window film questions.

From reducing sunlight glare to car interiors to the blocking of heat from penetrating corporate/ commercial buildings, today’s advanced window tinting has also found acceptance within the residential home environment.

Undoubtedly, new design technology and manufacturing processes have enabled a diverse range of decorative tinting, reflective tinting and sandblast tinting to become instantly appealing to architects, interior designers and homeowners, alike. The latest clear window films, which offer the same solar protection, have become increasingly popular due to the unrestricted view out of a scenic window at night.

Thus, a tinted window today is far removed from the films applied to car windows and architectural glass panes from just a few years ago. Homeowners who reside in locations where protection from harmful solar UV radiation or security from intrusion will still be concerned that a window tinting application is appropriate and does not adversely affect their interior environment.

Questions often asked about window tinting for a home exterior inevitably begin with a concern over possible damage to an installed double glazing / insulated glass system.

Photo courtesy 3M

Double Glazing / Insulated Glass

It is sometimes mistakenly assumed that the process of heat absorption by the film (applied to the glass pane interior side) will sufficiently raise the local surface temperature to cause the window insulation seals to fail. Huge increases of temperature of window films are rare allowing only small percentage of heat to be  transmitted to the enclosed airspace. Most good quality units are designed and tested to withstand significant heat escalation to only produce around a 3 per change in air pressure.

Protection Against Fabric Fading

Next, the question of whether tinted window film actually prevents interior curtains, drapes and furniture fabrics from fading. Putting aside considerations of fabric age and dye permanence, the three key issues are UV light, visible light and heat. While visible light and heat can affect fabric fade by around 25%, UV radiation can cause the most colour deterioration by up to 40%.

Window tinting films reject 99.9 per cent of solar UV light, which starkly contrasts with a clear single pane glass, rejecting only between 23-28% of solar UV radiation and double glazing / insulated glass, 36-41 per cent.

Photo courtesy Llumar

Damage To House Plants

Finally, the question of whether window tinting will harm house plants because of the reduced sunlight! While some slight acclimatization to the changed conditions might be observed by leaf wilting in the first 1 -3 days, if a plant has generally survived under previous changing sun light conditions then no damage is likely to occur. It’s likely that dark green coloured plants will need less sunlight than a lighter coloured variety.

The author of this post and owner of Solar Tint and Design is Rico Lowe. He is a window tinting specialist with over 25 years of experience in his field. Rico and his highly qualified team keep up to date with the latest technology to ensure to provide you with the highest quality products.