Commonly Asked Questions

One aspect to consider when talking about the drying time of window film is the time of year. Cold and non-sunny weather conditions can lengthen the dry-out time. Warm weather and direct sun light exposure will shorten the dry-out time. If slow drying occurs, do not be alarmed. The trapped moisture will dry-out completely.
Some safety and security window films will always have a longer dry- out period due to their increased thickness. Thicker films and a less than perfect drying climate will lengthen the dry-out period. Dry-out times can vary from a few days to as long as several months.

Window film creates an efficient vapor barrier between the glass and the film. During the installation process, your window tinting installer will remove as much of the mounting solution as possible by using a squeegee, although a small amount will remain. Trapped installation moisture can cause small water puddles and/or a slightly cloudy look. This is normal and should be expected. Do not attempt to pierce a water puddle during the dry-out period. This water and cloudy look will eventually dissipate. Attempting to pierce a water puddle in an effort to drain moisture will damage your film. This damage would not be covered by warranty.

The manufacturers of window films utilize numerous types of scratch resistant coatings during the manufacturing process. This scratch resistant coating is applied to the exterior surface of the window film to protect the film from normal wear and tear and abuse by humans by the natural environment.
While most quality films are scratch resistant, no window film is entirely scratch proof. With a small amount of care and precaution, window film can provide you with years of service and protection.

When deciding to purchase window film for your home or office, the subject of glass breakage may come up. Industry wide, glass breakage caused by window film occurs in approximately 1/10 of 1% of all installations. In most cases, when breakage is reported, the film installation was not the sole cause for the failure. Breakage is usually the result of flaws, imperfections, or expansion restraints that existed in the glass or window framing prior to the installation of the window film.

Window films reduce the transmission of damaging and harmful solar radiation. By increasing the amount of solar radiation absorbed and reflected by the glass, less solar energy can enter the building. When glass is subjected to the effects of solar radiation, the normal and immediate result is the increase in the temperature. The sun naturally warms the glass as its powerful energy passes through. Glass with film has an increased ability to reflect and absorb solar radiation. Because window films are usually installed on the inside surface of the glass, increased amounts of solar radiation will be absorbed as it passes back and forth through the glass.

Some window films can cause excessive solar energy absorption in certain kinds of glass. The result can be extreme thermal expansion and stress, which can cause glass breakage or seal failure in an insulated glass (IG) unit. Additionally, thermal stress fracture can result from uneven temperature distribution across the surface of a glass plate. This is typically caused by partial shading of the window.

To avoid problems, you must select the correct window film for your glass. To do this, it is helpful to know how glass reflects, absorbs and transmits solar radiation and how its ability to reject solar radiation will change when a window film is installed. In the past, dark or highly reflective films were very popular and used to attain maximum solar energy rejection performance. Unfortunately, dark reflective films typically have high absorption ratings which can increase the risk of glass breakage and seal failure. Thanks to the technological and manufacturing advances used in today's window films, it is no longer necessary to purchase very dark films to achieve significant solar energy rejection performance. Today's high-tech films provide impressive performance without absorbing excessive amounts of solar energy. Best of all these films save energy, reduce ultraviolet transmissions, increase interior comfort and give a contemporary appearance to a building or home.

Every year hundreds of thousands of people around the world are injured, maimed or killed by lethal shards of flying or falling glass. Many events can cause glass to break unexpectedly resulting in potentially thousands of dagger-like projectiles.
Unfortunately, many glass breakage events are not predictable, such as a child falling into a patio door while playing. In these cases, existing homes or buildings may have no form of glass protection causing a high-risk potential of injury to the property and/or occupants.

There are many potential users of safety film. It may be a homeowner who lives next to a golf course, a storeowner with high priced merchandise in a display window, or anyone who wants to protect him or herself from injury due to broken glass. Flying or falling glass shards can result from acts of terrorism, vandalism, smash-and-grab burglaries and natural disasters.

The life of your window film will vary due to a variety of factors including:

Generally speaking, the application of window film will not have an affect on the growth of most indoor plants.
Near growth and flowering may be retarded in the initial days after your window film is applied as the plant adjusts. In some cases where plants are in constant, direct light for long periods of time which causes wilting, the plant may actually thrive after the window film is installed.

Where there is concern about possible plant growth being affected, it is recommended that owners move the plant, as a test, to another part of the room to stimulate a less lighted area before the window film is applied. This move will help to judge what the potential affects might be. In addition, it may be wise to consult a local nursery for advice, which is also recommended in the case of exotic plants.

Many windows, especially those on storefronts, have stickers, decals, burglar tape, and other such items on the glass. Depending on the circumstances, these might have to be removed.
Your window tinting professional should discuss the potential problems with you and determine what to do with any decals. If they are not highly raised above the glass, window film can be applied over them. However, this will create a poorer bond on the decal than on the glass. More highly raised stickers should be scraped off.

Burglar tape and alarm contacts are also found on windows. Tape is usually only slightly raised above the surface of the glass. Film can be installed over such an irregular surface, but customers should be advised that the installation will not be tip quality. Alarm contacts, however, should be removed before applying film, but should not be done by the window film installer. It is better to ask you, the customer, to contact your security company to remove and replace the alarm contacts.