Summers a-comin’. And with it, that excruciating heat you thought you might be looking forward to when it was snowing outside. We all know once those ninety-something degree days come around, that heat is something we have to deal with constantly.
There are many ways to deal with heat, and as with anything, some are more effective than others. You can fold those solicitations you get in the mail that you never signed up for into little makeshift fans, buy one of those electric fan squirt bottles they sell at Disney World off of amazon, or even empty your ice maker in the bath tub like one of those commercials with Stephon Curry and James Harden. We wouldn’t recommend any of these. What we would recommend, is window film.
Window film is as unique as it is undervalued. It offers an excellent solution to problems we face all the time, but often overlook until someone points them out. When you are enjoying a nice, sunny Saturday afternoon watching college football, or having tomcatch up on some office work on your laptop, and the sun starts to creep through the windows, making sure you are explicitly aware that it is far brighter than any screen you have ever will be, what else would you ever consider doing other than shutting your blinds? Back in school this was called something like brain-block but with a far more intellectual sounding name. Your brain is as lazy as you are, and it is hardwired to take the most efficient route to solving whatever it is you are thinking about. Glare, close blinds, no glare. That simple. So simple, you never realize there is a far better solution. A better solution called window film. Window film lays right over your windows as if it isn’t even there, yet, it reduces glare tremendously.
Those who may be aware of window film often are unwilling to make the tradeoff of comfort for aesthetics – but they don’t have to. 3M’s nanotechnology Prestige Series Window Film that performs exceptionally while also maintaining your original aesthetic appeal. Like a Ferrari. But far less expensive. Prestige Series Windows Films consist of 227 micro layers that absorb and diffuse heat, rather than reflect heat like the dark and mirrored window films you may be more familiar with. And while we’re on the subject of heat rejection, this is the type of performance you really need to know about.
Window film rejects heat at a level efficient enough that power companies will literally pay you to have it installed, so that you will reduce your carbon footprint. An issue we are all aware of. The United States Department of Energy has taken the initiative to reduce our massive commercial energy expenditure (by the way, the stuff works just as well on commercial buildings as it does homes) and has listed window film providers as one of their five recommended solutions. Point being, this stuff works. It really, really works. To give you a better example, lets compare window film to solar panels. Certainly you have heard all about how energy efficient they are, how much money they can save you, and so on. Some of you may have even considered in investing in them yourselves. If you have done your due diligence, you will be familiar with solar panel’s roughly 10-12 year return on investment. Know what window film’s expected return is? 3-5 years. With a residential warranty of 25 years. If you have genuinely considered investing in solar panels, you NEED to do your homework on window film before you pull the trigger. You will likely find a much better solution.
Now, this article is titled “Benefits of Window Film” so allow me to spell all this out a little more clearly. Windows are responsible for 30% of your buildings envelope, meaning that 30% of the heat that gets into your home or office, the heat you have to pay to have turned into cold air, comes in through the windows. Window films can reject over 80% of that solar energy. This is why window film yields such large returns. And this takes a massive load off your HVAC system which provides value, that while difficult to measure, is blatantly obvious. Window film also rejects Ultra Violet Light. 99.99% of it. This is why the Skin Cancer Foundation so highly regards window film, having awarded window film their “Seal of Recommendation.” Know what else UV light does? It causes fading in your furniture, artwork, hardwoods, and essentially, everything you own. So instead of having to replace your carpet, floors, chairs, tables, desks, sofas, paintings, and everything else every five or six years, they’ll last for ten to twelve.
Window film is an economical solution to problems you may not be aware of, or even consider solvable. Window film eliminates the need for blinds and provides an excellent low-cost alternative to window replacement with 3M’s Thinsulate. Thinsulate we did not touch on here, but for more on Thinsulate as a window replacement alternative, check out our website, as well as 3M’s. We hope you gained something from this article! If you have any other questions or concerns, or would like a free in-home or in-office consultation to see how window film can help your specific situation, do not hesitate to contact us! Thank you and have a wonderful day!