Window film is a type of self adhesive material and we need to apply to an existing or new glazing to deal with specific problems. They are not used only for cars, but also windows of our home. Windows films provide anti shatter capability, decorative purposes, privacy capability and solar control. The simplest window film is usually consisted of thin polyester backing liner, adhesive and a thin sheet of polyester. Some window films have multiple sheets of polyesters for additional security. You may also choose scratch resistant windows film to deal with the usual daily wear and tear. We should be able to fit windows film to many types of glazing. All should be usable on flat glass, but for raised or patterned glass, we will need a different kind of window film. We should be able to apply the window film that curves on a single direction. But for windows that curve in two directions, we may need to use the heat shrink method, so the film will match the shape of the glass. It means that you need to choose heat shrinkable window film, instead of the regular window film.
We could also use dyed windows film at our home and it should be relatively affordable. They are useful if we want to get decorative purposes from our windows. These dyed films usually have adhesive mixed with the dye, so the color will less likely to degrade. For better results, it is a good idea to choose dyed films that are scratch resistant. We should avoid films with dye that is in the film itself, because the color can fade relatively quickly, especially when the window is subjected to intense sunlight for years. Another good quality dyed windows is when the dye is sandwiched between polyester sheets and this arrangement is also relatively color stable. The installation procedure is also easy, because when the dye is mixed with the adhesive, there could be color shifts during the installation. It is a good idea to choose a window with at least 10 years warranty because we expect to use the window for a longer period of time.
It is important to be aware that double glazed windows film usually doesn’t allow proper air movements between the glasses. It means that interior dyed film may not suitable for this kind of glazing. We should be aware that choosing the wrong type of glazing may result in thermal cracking. Another type of window film that we can use at our house is the deposited film type. It is made by drawing films through a contained will with metal bars, such as copper, nickel chrome or aluminium. The reduction of pressure inside the container will create a vacuum and argon gas will be injected. After the tank is properly filled with argon gas, the metal bars will be heated. The increased temperature will cause the metal bars to give up their atoms at small amount. The metal will be deposited at atomic level on the film. Manufacturers are able to control the rate of metal deposit by changing the speed of the film. A more expensive type of windows film for our house is the sputtered model and it uses electromagnetic field to deposit ions of metal to the windows film.
