Security Window Film can Make Your Home More Secure

security window film

Security window films can make your home much more resistant to burglary attempts. They consist of polyester, or PET films that are applied to your windows or glass doors in order to hold them together if the glass is shattered (similar to laminated glass).  The difference between security film and laminated glass is that these security films can be applied to your windows after they have been installed.

Security film is thicker than regular window film that you buy to tint your windows. It normally uses a pressure-sensitive adhesive type of glue, which helps prevent glass breakage, along with holding glass pieces together while the glass gets broken.

Windows are always one of the biggest weaknesses in most homes.  Security film will cause an attacker to make a lot of noise plus delay him while giving you time to react.

According to manufacturer claims most security film can resist blows of up 400 foot-pounds. 3M’s 28-ply Ultra Safety and Security Clear Window Film costs $7 to $9 per square foot or about $105 to $135 for a 3×5-foot window. Any security window film you purchase should comply with testing standard ANSI Z97.1

Here are links to a couple of sites that show doors covered with security window film being attacked.  They give you some idea of the type of damage the film can withstand. Second video. 

In addition to being burglary resistant security window film also offers protection against glass breakage during earthquakes.  Security window films have proven their worth by protecting people and property during earthquake activity, by helping retain window glass in its frame, thus prevent injury by falling glass.

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They also are used on many government buildings to minimum damage from flying glass caused by explosions.  This can reduce casualties.  In addition, security window film can stop Molotov cocktails from reaching the interior of your home.

Films can be installed in a couple of ways, the first and most common is only on the daylight area of the glass. The second, is if the glass is removed from the frame and film is installed on the entire glass surface called an edge-to-edge installation. Security window films installed on the daylight portion only hold the glass together and in the frame so long as some of the glass edge remains unbroken along the line where the daylight part of the glass meets the frame. Once there is total edge break of the glass itself, then the film and broken glass held by it vacates the frame.  Films installed edge-to-edge hold glass in the frame better since a part of the film is installed on the glass under the frame, thereby holding the broken glass in place even with total daylight area glass breakage.

Remember security window films will not make your home burglar proof, but they will make it harder and noisier for someone trying to break in.  As with anything remember there are scams, for one thing make sure you are comparing apples to apples when you go to buy.  Be sure that the glass thickness in your windows is the same as what they are talking about. Some scammers show test with thicker glass and mislead you.

Howard

 

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12 thoughts on “Security Window Film can Make Your Home More Secure”

  1. I have 3M security film on all bottom floor windows and some higher up. The window frames can be beefed up with a lining kit to keep the glass in place if broken pretty much no matter of it’s condition! I’m impressed this is tough stuff and you’d never know it’s there! Check it out!

  2. It sounds like it would be worth it, just for holding the glass together if it breaks. That would make clean up a lot easier. My kids are always throwing things around out back, and it hits the window a lot. I’d get it for the security reasons, but not having a football go through the window would be a nice plus.

  3. My family’s home was broken into while we were on vacation, and it was because the security around our home wasn’t strong. We are wanting to improve this problem, but we aren’t sure how to go about doing it. This helped a ton and I hope that we can get this done again soon.

  4. security window film also names window security film which is a coated polycarbonate or polyester film with permanent anti-scratch properties on the outer layer and a back adhesive on the inner layer. It is an explosion proof film to keep window safety by high impact resistant and super good back adhesive.

  5. I doubt that most windows in our homes will withstand a blow from a hammer like that. One of the cooler things about security windows is that when the glass breaks, the window doesn’t. It is similar to that of a car windshield that will fracture but not shatter.

  6. VERY TRUE THAT SECURITY WINDOW FILM NOT ONLY PROTECTS FORCED ENTRY BUT ALSO IT PROTECTS NEAR BY INJURIES CAUSED BY BROKEN GLASS SHARDS… GLASS MAY BREAK DUE TO STORM,EARTHQUAKE,BOMB BLAST OR DUE TO IMPURITY IN ANY CASE IT PROTECTS.
    ALSO THESE FILMS ARE U.V. RESISTANCE SO IT BUILDING INTERIOR EXPOSED TO SUNLIGHT IS ALSO SAFE FROM FADING.

  7. I like the benefit listed about delaying the attacker. It seems a little extra time is all that is needed to get the police there in time. There have been a number of break-ins in our neighborhood over the past few months. I’ve been looking at ways to make our home more secure, so I think I’ll get some window film. Thanks for sharing.

  8. Jorge McMillan

    My wife and I are looking to make our home more secure and locked down at night or when we aren’t there. We do have a security system, but we still feel that won’t stop someone from breaking in and doing whatever it is they are there to do. We want to find ways to physically stop them, and this window film seems like a great method of doing so. We will try this out and see if it can help us out or not.

  9. I have double pane windows. Would l install the film on the inside pane or the outer pane? For security I would think you should put it on the outside pane. For safety from earthquakes, the inside.

  10. Security window films can also prevent bird injuries. I have faced this issue and installed reflected bird deterrent window tints

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