Covering glass with film: protective, decorative, matte and other types of coatings

*A1. This is an impact-resistant film that protects the surface of windows from mechanical influences. Recommended for installation in premises with security: clubs, restaurants, public institutions, private companies, food stores. **A2. A more durable coating that provides the object with high safety. Installed in museums and exhibition halls, supermarkets and offices of large companies. ***A3. Such armored film is glued to window glass, as well as to display cases and partitions in the halls of banks and cash desks, police stations, courtrooms, jewelry and weapons stores, and pharmacies.

Purpose of covering glass with film

Window film has replaced the once popular solar control foil. It is a thin polymer coating with improved protective properties compared to its outdated counterpart. Depending on the type, the film on the window performs the following functions:

Improves appearance.
Increases the service life of windows.
Keeps the apartment warm during the cold season and cool on hot days.
Strengthens the strength of glass, protecting it from mechanical damage. In the event of a strong impact, glass fragments do not fly apart in different directions, but remain on the film.
Promotes a comfortable stay indoors, protecting the room space from sunlight and prying eyes.
Prevents the penetration of noise from the street and electromagnetic waves that have a negative effect on the human body.

Thanks to laminated windows, the level of comfort of the room increases with any type of double-glazed window. One of the advantages of the material is that any type of film does not reduce the transparency of the glass. To stick the product, you do not need to have any special skills; installing it yourself will also save money and time.

Advice from the experts

Most experts recommend applying this material to windows for warmth only during the winter season: in March or April it is worth removing the film to reduce heat loss. During the period from October to February inclusive, the difference between the temperature outside and inside the house is most significant, so an additional heating surface is most useful. The rest of the time there is no point in leaving the coating on. If carefully removed, the film can be reused in the future.

During installation and operation, it is necessary to protect the material from damage: it is afraid of the impact of piercing objects, especially when deployed. It is advisable to trim the film with a margin; excess can be removed after application, using, for example, a stationery knife.

It is also important to make sure that the glass does not have external defects that could negatively affect the quality of the anti-fog film after installation.

If it is necessary to remove the material, carefully pull it by the corners, this allows you to remove the coating so that there are no traces of glue left on the glass surfaces.

Film types

Manufacturers produce several types of architectural films that differ in properties. The material is usually sold in rolls and may or may not have an adhesive backing. Products belonging to the second group are held on glass due to statistical adhesion.

The material is endowed with impact-resistant, sound-proofing and heat-reflecting qualities during the manufacturing process. Depending on the purpose, the polyethylene base of the product is coated with copper, aluminum, titanium, silver, bronze or steel microparticles using vacuum technology. To obtain armored coatings (explosion-resistant glass), a highly effective molecular glue is added to the composition.

About the main types

Instead of curtains for window and interior decoration, you can now purchase any product. More details:

Electrochromic. It contains two parts. Liquid crystal base. Plus, there is a special substance with conductive properties, it is placed in the inner part. The material becomes transparent when voltage is applied to it. When everything is turned off, the color becomes matte and dense.
Protective structures. Helps protect equipment from glare on screens, resists mechanical stress and defects. Some models are simply quite durable, while others do not even break. They save energy because there is no need for additional air conditioning.
Mirror type. Reflect almost all sunlight, up to 80 percent. They make the room more modern and comfortable. When used like this, the room is not visible from the outside during the day. In the evening, efficiency may decrease.
With a decorative function. It is covered with a pattern that can imitate natural materials such as fabric, metal or trees.
High light transmission is typical for single-color stickers, which can be glossy or matte. Excellent decor for decorating glass partitions, windows and doors. Viewability of the room is limited.

There is also a metallized film. This is a durable product with a simple design. It’s good if there are several layers of metallization, then the quality of the model increases. Polymer stained glass stickers are highly durable. They successfully resist moisture and ultraviolet radiation. They look like real stained glass windows.

Stickers are produced in the form of rolls for windows. The standard width is in the range of 45-67.5-90 centimeters. Length – 2-15 meters. Product parameters, design features, and production materials determine the cost.

Decorative

exteriors. The second name of the product is stained glass film. It can have both bright patterns and delicate colors of muted tones. There are quite a lot of varieties of canvas, which does not limit the imagination of designers.

Pasting is possible both on the inside and outside of the window (for this purpose, you must choose a film marked “architectural”). The product is moisture resistant, so it is recommended to use it on bathroom windows.

Frosted films reduce the transparency of the glass, making the window stand out in the overall interior design of the room. Products with a matte effect are glued to shower doors, glass partitions or interior door inserts.

What is it and photo

This is the name for structures with a coating that imitates the design and structure of natural wood. They are much cheaper than natural analogues and have a lot of positive characteristics. They are considered a very profitable alternative to natural wooden windows, not inferior to them in durability and practicality.

Energy saving

This type of film works on the principle of a heat reflector due to its spectral-selective filtering property. Advantages:

retains from 60 to 90% of heat in the room;
reduces the flow of warm air in summer;
reflects electromagnetic radiation;
prevents the window from fogging up.

Due to these properties, energy-saving films are called third glass. Scope of application: windows of apartments, country and country houses, office and industrial premises, as well as warehouses.

Mirror

Films with a mirror effect have the highest level of reflectivity. It is about 80%. This is an excellent option for tinting glass for those who live on the lower floors, or whose apartment windows are located opposite each other at a close distance.

Materials of this group have a silver-colored surface. Thanks to the mirror surface, sunlight is completely reflected during the day, limiting the visibility of the interior space of the room. Outsiders will not be able to observe the actions taking place, even armed with optical-visual surveillance devices.

Average prices

The cost of purchased ready-made wood-look windows and those made by yourself varies. Factory-made plastic windows with wood-look coating:

Single leaf window 1420 mm x 1160 mm:
double-sided lamination - from 5800 rubles.
Double-leaf window 1420 mm x 1400 mm:
double-sided lamination - from 11,850 rubles.
Triple-hung window 1420 mm x 1760 mm:
double-sided lamination - from 17,500 rubles.

Lamination in bulk - from 2900 rubles per 1 sq. m.

Materials to create the “wood” effect:

The cost of wood lamination film is from 300 rubles to 3600 rubles per linear meter.
The cost of paint for coloring is from 400 rubles to 2000 rubles per can.

Sun protection

They are an effective way to combat hot air in both residential and commercial premises. Especially in demand for the south side of buildings. Capable of reflecting from 45 to 65% of sunlight and 99% of ultraviolet radiation, which allows you to keep cool in the summer and protect items from fading at any time of the year. Their surface shines only when the sun's rays are directly reflected.

Manufacturers are not limited to producing sun protection products only in gray. You can buy film in various shades in stores. Regardless of the density, which affects the degree of light reflection, all products prevent the penetration of ultraviolet rays into the room.

ATTENTION! Don't skimp on your purchase. Low-quality products protect the room only from the sun, but not from ultraviolet radiation.

Negative aspects of using film that you need to know about

Since the film almost completely reflects UV rays, indoor plants, whose growth directly depends on the Sun, begin to suffer because of this. To prevent the plants from dying, they have to be additionally illuminated with photo lamps. That is, this problem is solvable. However, where is the energy saving? The photo lamp must be turned on at least 12 hours a day to ensure normal plant growth and compensate for lost sunlight. Even the most economical lamps will not save you.

What happens to the heat energy if the film is used in spring and autumn, when the heating is already turned off? Since the film does not allow natural solar heat from the street to penetrate, dampness will settle in the apartment and it will be cold.

Few people know about another property of film - they reflect radio waves. That is, radio signals that go to an indoor antenna or mobile phone will be reflected by the coating of the film. And, vice versa: the signal from the mobile phone will be reflected back into the room. Conclusion: cellular communication in buildings where the film is pasted will be very poor.

You should not use film for greenhouses and greenhouses, because plants need the full spectrum of sunlight.

There is no point in gluing the film if the apartment has modern windows with high-quality thick double-glazed windows. But when restoring old windows, it, on the contrary, will serve as a good help. You also need to take into account the fact that the film needs to be changed annually.

Instructions for self-gluing

To perform installation there is no need to have special skills; the main thing is to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and have an assistant. Most products have a self-adhesive base; the material can also be glued using soapy water or tape.

Before starting work, it is advisable to prepare the following tools in advance:

construction or stationery knife;
soft cloth;
double sided tape;
household hair dryer;
scissors.

Pasting stages:

The window is prepared by washing and natural drying.
The blank is cut to the size of the glass. If the film does not have an adhesive base and will be glued to tape, it is necessary to leave a margin of a few centimeters of material.
Release the adhesive side (if present) by removing the protective paper.
Apply the workpiece stretched to the glass surface. When gluing with tape, the edges should overlap the frame.
To prevent bubbles from forming, the product is smoothed from the middle to the edges with a soft cloth or rubber spatula. If you cannot avoid a single swelling, pierce it with a thin needle and warm the puncture site with hot air from a hairdryer.
Some types of coating, such as energy-saving ones, are applied to the window and heated with a construction or household hairdryer. As a result, the material adheres tightly and without bubbles to the glass.
The excess is carefully trimmed with a stationery knife.

Caring for any type of film is not difficult: the product is wiped off dust and dirt with a soft flannel cloth soaked in a warm soapy solution. The material is also removed without significant difficulty, leaving no traces. To dismantle the film, just peel off the double-sided tape or pry the lower edge of the protection with a sharp object, then carefully pull the glued film towards you.

Research results

In 2014, a study was conducted at the Ukrainian State Research Institute of Building Structures. A polyethylene film was glued to the frame of the double-glazed window, and its characteristics were checked before and after pasting. Here's the result:

Tests of the reduced resistance of a window block have shown that the additional use of film installed on the surface of the sash or frame leads to an increase in the heat transfer resistance of the glass unit by 0.2 m2*K/W. When using the film, the reduced heat transfer resistance of the window blocks that were used for testing increased from 0.45 to 0.56 m2*K/W, and the heat transfer resistance of the glass unit from 0.32 to 0.46 m2*K/W.
The results of calculating the temperature on the surface of the glass unit and the film in the central zone showed that the temperature on the inner surface of the glass unit not covered with film was 5.3 °C, and the temperature on the surface of the film was 10.4 °C.
During the experiment on the surface of the film. no condensation was observed, while the surface of the glass unit, not covered with film, was covered with condensation.
Calculation of heat loss through the building envelope during the heating period showed a decrease in heat loss by 64.6 kW/h, which is 13% as a percentage, for the type of wall structure under consideration.

Based on the results of the study, we can say that insulation with plastic film makes sense. Pasting a window block can reduce heat loss by 30.3%. Exactly the same effect can be achieved using energy-saving film third window, but it will cost more due to the beautiful packaging.

Film selection

There are no specific differences between films installed in residential or commercial premises. The choice of product type depends on the requirements or specific problem that the property owner wants to solve. Any type of film is equally suitable for different types of premises.

Some tips and recommendations for choosing products:

When purchasing, you should take into account that the light transmittance of products ranges from 5 to 50%.
Do not pay attention to cheap products, they will not fully meet the stated requirements.
Focus on consumer reviews and give preference to products from well-known manufacturers.
If you need to reduce the intensity of the light flux and the level of radiation, you should buy sun protection film.
To hide the internal space from prying eyes, it is better to take a closer look at a mirror coating with one-way visibility.
If you are guided by the desire to decorate an apartment or non-residential premises from the inside, it is advisable to buy decorative film.
To decorate the facade of a building, purchase film marked “architectural.”
To retain heat/cool indoors, choose energy-saving film.
To reduce noise, buy soundproofing protection.

Lifetime

The film is of good quality and glued using technology and is not afraid of frost or overheating, does not fade, does not scratch, does not fog up, does not peel off or become covered with bubbles. It is different:

strength;
durability;
aesthetic appearance;
resistance to household detergents that do not contain abrasive particles.

Manufacturers, subject to professional installation, provide a guarantee on films from 5 to 7 years. If handled with care, they can last much longer than this. If the “protection” is installed on the inside of the glass unit, then maintaining the window will be much easier and its service life will be longer.

Lamination technique

There are many options for film that can be used to decorate wood-like surfaces. But, unfortunately, it will not be possible to implement such technology independently in everyday conditions. Perhaps something will come of it, but how high quality this type of lamination will be is a rather controversial issue. How is the technological process of imparting a wooden texture to a plastic window frame carried out?

To increase adhesion, the profile surface is first primed

Initially, the entire surface to be coated is treated with a special primer mixture, which will ensure reliable bonding of the plastic to the laminating film.

The next step is direct coating of the profile surface using industrial equipment. In this case, two types of adhesives are used: polyester and polyurethane.

After this, the frames are rolled on special rollers, which smooth and level the surfaces.

The result of this technology is a high-quality product made from a firmly adhered film, which will ensure a long service life.

It is impossible to laminate a window profile yourself

But what to do if the windows are already installed, but you want to change the design style? To do this, you can use the technology of painting profiles, which is quite accessible to everyone.