The primary reason to invest in solar control film for a building’s windows may be solar control – or to be more specific, the rejection of heat gain and solar glare – but it is still worth considering the security benefits that certain films of this type can bring.
With our own architectural solar control film products at Stockfilms encompassing the likes of internally applied and externally applied reflective films, as well as low-mirror and tinted offerings, the exact security and safety advantages can vary between products.
How can security be enhanced at a property when solar control film is installed?
The main way in which a solar control window film can help make a given premises more secure, is by decreasing visibility through the glass from the outside.
If a would-be intruder or criminal cannot see through the window easily to view the contents of the building, this can help make the property less of an obvious target.
Here are some of the specific products in our range that can hamper external visibility through the windows of commercial buildings such as an office:
• We make available solar reflective films that are optically clear for people who look out of the building from the inside during the daytime, but which prevent people from easily looking into the property from the outside. This phenomenon is known as “one-way privacy”. Our bestselling Reflective Silver 20 film is one of our products that achieves such an effect; it transits 16% of visible light through the glass.
• Our Dual Reflective Silver 05 and Dual Reflective Silver 15 films also allow for a one-way mirror effect to be achieved. The first of these products only permits 8% of visible light to be transmitted through the glass, rising to 15% in the case of the Silver 15 option.
• If you are seeking a privacy-enhancing (and therefore security-boosting) solar control film with a more “muted” appearance than the mirrored look of traditional solar control films, a tinted option – such as NR Slate 05 – could be perfect. This product only allows 8% of visible light to pass through the window. It can be a fine option for improving security in a part of a building where there isn’t a need for much light transmission.
What else do you need to bear in mind about using solar control film to boost security?
If you are depending on the achievement of a one-way privacy effect to make your commercial premises more secure, you will need to be well-informed on what the effect will be both during the daytime and once the sun sets.
A daytime one-way privacy effect reverses after dark if the interior of the given building is illuminated. This would mean that occupants are unable to see out so clearly, but people from the outside would be able to easily see in.
The aforementioned dual reflective films are a type of solar control film that you might choose for a building where outward vision is crucial – for example, where there is a security gatehouse.
In the event that you do have a solar control film applied at a building for the one-way privacy effect, depending on your needs at the given site, you might opt for different measures – such as curtains or blinds – to ensure privacy at night.
For an in-depth conversation about your needs from solar control film, and to be pointed towards the most suitable product by the Stockfilms team, please call 020 8441 0449 now.
https://www.stockfilms.co.uk/architectural-films/film-type/solar-control-98
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