Security Window Film
Partner with Healan Window Films to safeguard your space against forced entry and breakageHealan Window Films Offers Both Security Film and Structural Attachment Installation
How Does Security Window Film Work?
Security Window Film is a method of enhancing your window’s strength to safeguard your space against breakage and forced entry. This type of window tint is designed to hold the glass together in the event of any glass breakage incident and can also be used to bring a window up to inspection or building code. Safety & security film installation is completed in two steps, film installation and structural attachment. Without one, the other is rendered useless in a break-in situation.
Safety & Security Window Film Installation
The first step is applying the security film to the glass. This film can offer some heat rejection and UV blocking benefits on its own, but it is not yet able to protect against break-ins. Essentially, the film will prevent the window from shattering, but the glass will still fall out of the frame in one large sheet. The second component is what “seals the deal.”
Wet Glaze Installation
Wet Glaze is a structural silicone sealant that bonds the security film to the window frame. Industry standard is DOW Corning 995. This structural silicone bonds your newly installed safety film to the frame of the window. Once the Wet Glaze is in place and cured, your space will be fully shielded from forced entry via your protected windows.
Where Can We Benefit from Security Window Film?
The primary focus of Security Window Film is enhancing the safety of your space by preventing glass breakage and forced break-ins in high-traffic areas. These protective barriers are essential for many types of buildings.
There are specific requirements for bathroom, stairwell, and entryway windows to pass Virginia Construction Code. In these areas the glass must be tempered or certified Safety Glass. According to Section 2402 if the window meets the following criteria it must be considered Safety Glass:
- The window measures 9 square feet or more
- The bottom edge of the window is less than 18 inches from the floor
- The top edge must be more than 36 inches above the floor
If the windows in your new construction home or commercial building meet any of this criteria you must have tempered glass or safety film installed. It is often more affordable to have Safety Film installed and certified by your home or building inspector. We use certified LLumar Safety Window Film for these applications and apply a permanent sticker to the glass after installation.
If safety or security window film is to be installed with the purpose of forced entry or bomb blast, it needs to be anchored with an attachment system. For this system to work, the adhesive or caulking must overlap both the film and the frame of the window. Industry standard overlap is a 13/16ths bead for forced entry deterrent. This means the hypotenuse plane (flat part) measures a distance of 13/16". This measurement is crucial for the system to stop intruders or objects, and could save your life.
- In most cases, a commercial storefront or school window is going to have removable gaskets. Before installing film we will pull out these gaskets and replace them with backer rod. This fills the void and acts as a bonding surface between the gap of the window and frame.
- Residential homes with unpainted vinyl windows may opt for an anchoring system such as BondKap security attachment system. This can sometimes be an easier method of attaching home security film an leaves a more finished appearance.
Every installer chases the elusive perfect bead, and chances are they will for a long time. While we have specialized tools and materials to perform a great-looking job that works as intended, we always let clients know the attachment system has a purpose, and it will have a different appearance after the installation.