The Benefits of Installing Security Window Film on Your Office Building


Shatter resistant window films are designed to increase the shatter resistance of glass, keeping the glass in place during catastrophic events. They are similar to solar control window films in that they are polyester laminates and but are often used in buildings where bomb blast mitigation may be necessary or where dangerous foul weather events are frequently occur.

The big difference between solar control and security window films is that the security films – also known as fragment retention and shatter resistance window films - are usually thicker. They are offered in thicknesses ranging from 4 to 21 mils and use a heavier and more aggressive adhesive system. The added thickness and adhesive system are what make security films work so well in holding glass windows in place during catastrophic events. Depending on fragment retention performance and budget constraints, shatter-resistant window protection can be installed on the glass only - known as a daylight application – or physically attached to the window frame, known as attached systems.


Fragment window films are the result of a sophisticated manufacturing process in which the finest raw materials and state-of-the-art technology is used for the most effective shatter-resistant window protection.


Security films are available in clear or a variety of tinted, solar-reflective versions. This is significant because an added benefit of installing security window films with a solar control component gives you the benefit of increased glass strength, conserves energy make the building more comfortable.

The energy savings gained by installing this combination film can give you a payback on your investment that eventually will cover the cost of the installation. Considering the cost ramifications from a catastrophic event in which a building’s glass is blown out, injuring and possibly killing building tenants, the cost of security window film in minimal.

While solar control films have been around since the 1970s, during the country’s first energy crisis, security window films came much later. The pivotal moment came on April 15, 1995 when a bomb planted by Timothy McVeigh in a rental truck detonated in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. The bomb blast killed 168 people and injured 680.
A number of those killed and many of the injured were the result of flying glass shards from the federal building and buildings located blocks away. As a result of this horrific incident, film companies began developing security films that could hold the glass in place during such events.
Since the early days, security window films have improved significantly. And their use is widespread, from federal and state buildings, to major corporate structures, to hospitals, airports, convention centers, museums and schools.
Some of the country’s most well-known buildings are protected with security window films. They include the U.S. Capitol, all the U.S. House of Representative and Library of Congress buildings, Grand Central Terminal and  the Merril Lynch towers in New York City, O’Hare International and Seattle-Tacoma International airports, the United Nations, the Yale University library, the Washington and Houston convention centers, the Willis [former Sears] Tower, and the Philadelphia and Denver mints.
The most important thing for building owners, construction companies and architects to know if they are considering having security window films as part of their project: Make sure you hire an experienced and reputable fragment retention window film installer.  This is critical to the success of your project.


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