by Peter Davey
After a daylight redirecting film is installed in upper clerestory windows, the light from that upper glass is redirected toward the ceiling, increasing natural light and decreasing harsh glare caused by direct sunlight.
Protect
Glass in windows and doors remains extremely vulnerable to forced entry. Safety and security film is a low-profile, high-performance measure of protection that helps strengthen windows and mitigate potential injuries and damages caused by terrorists, vandals, violent weather, and blasts.
A strong security film deters break-and-entry and affords first responders precious time. Frustrated by the inability to gain quick access, intruders often move on. In the aftermath of catastrophe, a strong safety and security film will hold broken glass in place — protecting your property and furnishings from the elements.
In addition, a safety and security film upgrade to your window and door glass can help meet city and town safety glazing codes. A quality window film retrofit by a reputable and experienced window film dealer will protect your occupants from the hazards of broken glass. Far less costly than window replacement, a quick, clean installation over existing glazing can be completed with little interruption to business-as-usual — and business continuity is much more likely in the aftermath of an event.
Insulate
A single pane window loses 20 times as much heat as the same area in an adjacent well-insulated wall. This leads to nearly 30% of all energy used to heat and cool your indoor environment escaping through your windows.
Climate control window film acts like insulation for windows. Patented construction helps reflect more interior heat back into a room, improving personal comfort by reducing cold drafts near windows. A professional installation of a high-grade insulating film on a single-pane window can boost insulation performance to nearly double-pane, and double-pane to nearly triple-pane. Manufactured to provide solar heat control and UV/fade protection benefits of traditional sun control films, this uniquely engineered insulating window film additionally reflects rather than absorbs radiant heat during cold weather.
Addressing two heat sources, this film is particularly beneficial for Northeast property owners. The insulating technology in these films helps retain indoor heat in colder months and block the sun’s heat in warmer months. From historic registered buildings to contemporary towers, climate control window films are an all-weather winner for buildings that must maintain their appearance while meeting requirements to reduce energy consumption.
Naturally brighten your day
The use of natural light in architecture to support a building’s occupants and their visual needs is called daylighting. 3M Company recently launched a highly engineered daylight redirecting film that actually redirects sunlight as much as 40 feet deeper into a building, subsequently reducing dependence upon artificial lighting while providing the many benefits of natural light and making it an energy saver as well.
Without a daylight redirecting film, when shades are open, direct sunlight can beam into an indoor environment at angles that cause nuisance glare and discomfort. As displayed in the photograph, after a daylight redirecting film is installed in upper clerestory windows, the light from that upper glass is redirected toward the ceiling, increasing natural light and decreasing harsh glare caused by direct sunlight. Even if shades are drawn on the vision or lower portion of window glass, natural light continues to penetrate into the space through the clerestory windows with daylight redirecting film. Cost-effective integration into new or existing windows requires no extra hardware or infrastructure and little to no additional maintenance or special cleaning.
As cited in “The Benefits of Natural Light” published in Architectural Digest, by Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, “Research supports daylighting’s positive effect on building performance and human health.” There is considerable data gathered that indicates that buildings with natural light have been shown to improve student test scores, decrease absenteeism, increase employee productivity, boost retail sales, and improve patient recovery times. At the end of the day, we all simply feel better when we are exposed to more natural light.
Peter Davey
Peter J. Davey is president of American Window Film, Inc., a 3M Authorized Prestige Window Film Dealer, located in Foxboro, Mass. and Atlanta, Ga.
