The use of special protective film from the sun on windows is a thoughtful and rational solution for many apartment buildings and private buildings, the windows of which face the sunny side. It is usually chosen for protection from sunlight and prying eyes.
Important! Tinting using such a film is a current and even trendy solution that has become widespread in Europe and the CIS countries.
If a person lives on the ground floor, then you can hide the interior space of the apartment from prying eyes with the help of thick dark curtains and blinds, but often certain difficulties arise with the use of all these means, because it is not always possible to hang heavy thick curtains or order the installation of blinds on window.
Therefore, as an alternative to curtains and blinds, you can consider film, which can be glued to windows of any type. You can glue it yourself without any problems - without resorting to the help of specialists.
Let's look further at how to apply solar control film to windows.
How to close windows
If the room needs to not only be protected from heating by the sun, but also shaded, then there are several ways. The most famous are curtains; blinds will also work, but reflective films will give the best results. It is cheap, quite aesthetically pleasing and achieves the desired effect. Let's look at the pros and cons of alternative remedies.
You can close windows from the sun using light-protective film
Curtains
If the sun is not too active, then it is enough to close the windows during the day. Ordinary fabric or roller blinds will cope with this task. Of course, sunlight will heat them, raising the temperature, but only slightly.
Fabric curtains will reduce the level of illumination and prevent the heat from the window from penetrating into the room in full. The best results are obtained from curtains made of dense, loose fabric that conducts heat poorly. For example, Blackout fabrics, they can block up to 80-90% of the light.
Closed windows in the house with roller cassette curtains
Roller blinds will be more effective in reflecting heat. If they also have side guides, they will make the system more closed. It is better to take reflective fabric.
Clean window glass heats up less. The dirt on the glass heats up, and it, in turn, warms the room. To reduce heat, they need to be washed more often.
Blinds
Blinds will help darken windows from the sun and reduce heat. You need to choose one with a metallic coating; it reflects light and heat well. Pure white horizontal lines also work well.
What to hang on the windows to protect from the sun other than curtains? Blinds made of white slats or with metallic coating
Price categories vary with a choice to suit every taste. Heat removal is not complete, but noticeable.
We extend the service life
In order for the fabric to serve faithfully for a long period of time, products containing ammonia and abrasive powders should not be used for washing. Clean the contaminated surface using an alkaline soap solution and a lint-free microfiber cloth.
Reflective protective films increase the comfort of the room, keeping it cool in the summer heat and warm in the winter frosts. The mirror coating allows you to hide the interior from prying eyes during the daytime. Low prices, simple installation and easy maintenance are decisive factors for its growing popularity.
What to stick on windows from the sun
The easiest way to protect windows from the sun is to stick a reflective film. The term “reflective film” refers to a polymer base with a reflective layer applied to it.
Before purchasing, study the types of foil solar films, their advantages and disadvantages
The film is thin and flexible, with varying degrees of translucency or transparent in only one direction.
Nuances of operation
You have selected the tint taking into account its characteristics, now the gluing stage.
Pasting
During the gluing process, take into account the air humidity from 20% to 80% and the temperature range from +5 °C to +40 °C.
The humidity of a dry room can be increased using a steam generator or spraying water through a spray bottle.
Tools for work: tape measure, assembly knife, scissors, dishwashing liquid, spray bottle with soapy water, spatula or ruler, dry cloth.
- Before gluing, carefully wipe off all dirt and dust with a damp cloth.
- Wash the window and frame.
- Apply the film with the backing to the damp window and mark the gluing area along the window contour - wet application method.
- Cut to size with scissors.
- Dry the window.
- Degrease its surface.
- Treat the glass with soapy water using a spray bottle.
- Separate the backing from the top of the film prepared to size.
- Apply and fix the film on top of the window.
- Carefully separate the backing and glue the film to the window, centimeter by centimeter, smoothing it with a spatula or ruler.
- Level the surface to be glued from the center to the edges, expelling bubbles.
- After gluing, remove excess parts of the film.
We recommend watching the video instructions for gluing film to a window:
There is another gluing method, but it is more difficult for a beginner. You can immediately remove the entire backing from the protective material and begin gluing. Maximum care should be taken to ensure that the film does not curl up during the gluing process and that debris does not fall on the surface of the window.
If gluing is happening for the first time, practice gluing a small piece in an inconspicuous place. It is more convenient to glue two people together, especially with an impressive size of ramie using the second method.
Care
The film does not require special care. If it gets dirty, wipe it with a damp cloth soaked in soapy water. Never scrub or scrub with a rough sponge.
Removing Film
Over time, the sunscreen product loses its appearance, its shine disappears, and scratches appear. It should be removed from the surface. Branded and high-quality products easily peel off from the surface. You should bend the edge of the film and pull it with force, tearing it away from the glass.
If it is firmly stuck, heat it with a hairdryer and gradually remove it from the surface using a kitchen sponge with a rough surface.
To make the work easier, you can use special film removal products HG STICKER REMOVER, Cosmofen 10 or 5. Pry off the edge of the film with a mounting knife and pour solvent inside. Remove after a few minutes. Residues of glue are removed with a soap solution or using the above solvents.
Types of sun protection films
Reflective films have different bases, the degree of transparency will differ, but they all cope with the task. Here's what you can stick on your windows to protect from solar heat:
- In most chain supermarkets or construction stores, there are inexpensive products with a foil layer . They cost little, and the effect depends on transparency. To attach it, just moisten the glass with water and spread the film on it.
- Tinting. From the inside it looks like a mirror, from the street it can be colored or look like tinted. It has an adhesive and protective layer. It costs more, but can be found in specialized stores or window installation shops.
Are there colored or colorless? - Athermal . Sold in special stores, auto shops, it costs more than others, but is also more effective. Often happens with an applied adhesive layer.
These are the most common, not too expensive and generally available options. Any of these types will protect wall coverings and furniture from direct sunlight.
And you don’t need to glue it like this:
The window handle is not a hindrance! The window handle will not interfere with your carefully gluing the tint film.
Methods for attaching foil to a window
Most often, metallized film is used to protect against sunlight. The choice is obvious - this is the cheapest option and it is easy to secure. Here are a few examples of how to hang solar foil on windows.
Packing and roll of sunscreen curtains
Adhesive tape on foil
The manufacturer provides for film fastening. To do this, adhesive tape with a protective layer is applied to the upper part of the edge. This allows you to secure it without resorting to additional means. This makes it convenient to attach protective foil to plastic windows.
There is a sticky layer on the sunshade
Glue gradually removing the protection of the sticky layer
The film is attached to its own sticky layer
You need to cut a piece of glass along the width of the roll, hook the protective strip on and remove it. Stretching a piece of foil across the width of the glass, glue it. The bottom and sides remain free and will let in sunlight, although only slightly. Secure them if desired.
Fastening with buttons
The method is suitable for wooden frames. However, it should be noted that punctures from the buttons will spoil the appearance of the window after the shading is removed.
Easy snap fastening
Scotch
You can secure the foil with tape to a frame made of PVC or wood. In this case, the protective agent is selected slightly wider than the glass or cut from a roll of the required width. The film is attached with pieces of narrow tape around the perimeter of the frame.
This method is the most profitable, since after removing the darkening, no traces remain on the frame. In addition, the tape holds the foil quite firmly and can be used outside the window.
Double sided tape
Allows you to attach a protective film over glass or frame. To do this, you need to stick pieces of tape around the perimeter of the glass or frame. Remove the protection and stretch the darkening and stick it on. As in the first case, with the correct selection of adhesive tape, no traces remain.
Transparent double-sided tape will not be visible on the window
Stick to glass
A common method that allows you to get an aesthetic look when using cheap film. The idea is to evenly smooth the metallized film over the glass. Water or soap solution acts as the “glue”. To do this you need:
- Clean the glass from dust and dirt.
- Cut the foil to the size of the glass.
- Moisten the glass with water or soap solution. To prepare a soap solution, dissolve 5 drops of liquid soap or detergent in 1 liter of water.
Lay the film down and smooth it onto the wet glass using a roller or rubber spatula. You can do it by hand, but then bubbles will remain, spoiling the appearance. Small air bubbles need to be pierced with a needle and the remaining air expelled.
Using a soft spatula will smooth it out faster.
After sticking the foil on the windows with water, it will take a long time to wash off the sun protection
The appearance will improve, but there will be a problem with removal. Under the influence of high temperature, the metallized layer “sticks” to the glass and is very difficult to remove.
To reduce problems with removal, glue only the corners or strip at the top and bottom of the glass.
Film care
Following all the rules and recommendations for gluing film is only half the battle. It is very important to properly care for the film after gluing the window. Here are some tips: – during the first month after gluing, try not to wash the window; – even after a month, you should never wash the film with window cleaning products containing ammonia. – we also do not recommend that you use hard sponges, as they can easily damage the thin layer of film; If you need to get rid of heavy dirt, use a rubber spatula!
Advantages and disadvantages
The positive aspects of using cheap mirror film are that it is easy to apply it yourself and is very inexpensive. Protects wall coverings, floors and furniture from fading due to direct sunlight.
The downside is its unaesthetic appearance. It is too thin and it is difficult to smooth it out or stretch it well; wrinkles remain.
Cheap film from the supermarket doesn't look very attractive
Another disadvantage is that it is not indicated what percentage of transparency it has.
How to remove
The process is complicated by the presence of a metallized layer, which requires careful removal from the glass surface.
Two ways to remove the coating.
Using a household steamer
The selected area is heated with hot steam for 5-7 minutes. As soon as the material has lifted, they pick it up and tear it off, pulling it towards themselves. The same manipulations are done with other areas one by one until all the glass is clean.
Remaining traces can be easily removed with soapy water.
Tinted and athermal films
Due to the greater thickness of the base layer, these films do not wrinkle and look beautiful on the window. Due to their differences and price, they are suitable for long-term use (with cheap foil, you can seal the window for 1–2 months or the summer period, and then dispose of it).
For mounting on glass, they may have an adhesive layer already applied, and if it is missing, they are attached using the same methods as cheap film. Let's look at how they differ below.
Tinted
The main layer of tinted film is made of polyester coated with various metals, which impart sun protection properties. The most commonly used metals are aluminum and nickel, as well as bronze or silver. Sputtering colors the film in different ways and makes it possible to obtain products with different transparency. The table shows some data:
| Color | Transparency % |
| Silver | 15–20 |
| Gold | 15–35 |
| Bronze | 15 |
| Violet | 15 |
| Grey | 15–35 |
| Green | 15 |
| Blue | 15–35 |
Technologies make it possible to obtain films with different functionality. The most popular of them are mirror and sun-protective, while the rarer ones are matte and decorative.
To achieve the required qualities from a tinted film, it is made multilayer, which increases its service life.
Multilayer tinted film device
Matte or decorative films are used if you want to decorate your apartment. It is easier to cover the glass than to replace it. To achieve maximum effect in reflecting rays, it is recommended to glue the film with a “metallic” layer to the glass.
Athermal
Athermal – translated from English as heat-protective. They are based on modern polymers, with a coating that well reflects thermal energy and ultraviolet rays.
Operating principle of athermal film
This type is more expensive, but also more effective. It allows you to protect home furnishings from fading without resorting to darkening the room.
Thanks to the manufacturing technology, the high transparency of the film is maintained, which is important, for example, for office spaces where the emphasis is on natural light. This allows you to save on lighting and resort to using split systems less often.
These types of “athermals” are almost invisible on the window, and a pleasant darkness is created inside the room. A big plus of athermal film is that, while reflecting UV and IR radiation in the summer, it retains heat inside the apartment in the winter. Such protection on roof windows, a glazed balcony or loggia will be especially appropriate.
Athermal film using spattering technology slightly darkens the room
According to manufacturing technology, athermal films are divided into three types:
- Metallized . The working layer is made of a metal polymer, which is applied to the outer or inner layer. Has a mirror effect.
- Spatternaya . The name comes from the spattering technology, which creates a layer of sputtered different metals. The sprayed layer is thinner than the base and is practically invisible, so it does not darken the room.
- Spatter-metallized . A combination of the two methods mentioned above to increase efficiency.
Depending on the manufacturing technology, films have different transparency. And with the application of an additional protective layer from atmospheric influences, external use is allowed.
Protective films
There are different types of protective films available in stores, the functionality of which can vary within serious limits. With their help, the premises are protected from unauthorized access.
Film materials can have the following types of protective characteristics:
- From weapons. If a shot is fired from a pneumatic gun or a traumatic pistol, the film material can easily withstand such mechanical impact. Unfortunately, no film can protect against a metal bullet, but it can slow it down.
- From burglary. The home or office is protected from unauthorized entry - the glass will be difficult to break, because the film material, if glued correctly, will be extremely difficult to damage. It will be able to withstand prolonged impacts. The level of resistance, depending on the manufacturer of the product, will vary from 30 to 190 kg/cm2.
- From listening. Specialized models that significantly reduce the vibration of passing sound waves. If there is a conversation going on inside the room, it will not be possible to record it from outside.
- From fragments. High-strength film materials that trap flying fragments and penetrating into windows.
- From childhood exposure. The presence of this film material will allow you not to worry about the child being able to break the window and fall out of it, or be injured by fragments.
- From heat loss. Models of this type are necessary to reflect ultraviolet and infrared radiation, so their use allows you to retain heat in the cold season, and provide coolness in the summer months. The light transmittance of such models is about 90%.
- From the fire. If a fire develops on the street, then the fire is guaranteed to not be able to pass through such film material (relevant for private country houses).
Protection classes
All types of protective films can be classified according to their protection classes, which are determined by the thickness of the product:
- A1 (thickness up to 0.24 mm), withstands mechanical stress of 3.5 J.
- A2 (thickness up to 0.412 mm), withstands mechanical stress of 6.5 J.
- A3 (thickness up to 0.6 mm), withstands mechanical stress of 9.5 J.
The use of protective film is a rational and correct decision if there is a possibility of dangerous situations for the home or the people living in it. Such products are inexpensive, but can provide high-quality protection against burglary, unauthorized entry, exposure to fire, and heat loss.
How to apply solar control film to a plastic window (2 videos)
We glue the sun protection film (20 photos)
Tools
To install the film at home you will need the following tools:
- knife with a sharp blade (for even cuts);
- scrapers (for mechanical cleaning of glass);
- wiper and washes (to remove installation and cleaning solutions from surfaces);
- forcing (to remove residual water from under the film and to roll the edges of the material);
- ruler (roulette) 1.5 m long;
- square;
- pencil (marker);
- sprayer (any);
- smooth paper napkins;
- sponge;
- filtered (distilled) water.
Let's sum it up
Selecting a product begins with studying the features of the protective film. Then you need to decide on the manufacturer from whom the element will be purchased. You can buy one of the films that were listed in this article, or read reviews on the Internet and make your own choice.
In addition to the manufacturer, it is necessary to understand what type of film coating is required (mirror, vandal-proof or other). After this, the tools and windows are prepared for work, and only then can we begin gluing.
There is nothing complicated about gluing the protective layer. The main thing is to strictly follow the step-by-step algorithm of actions, do not forget to prepare the glass for the work process and study in detail the information about the types and manufacturers. If difficulties still arise, you can always use the services of professionals.
