Which one is right for you?
There are countless on the market. Firstly, be careful with film made in Asian countries. They may be ok in other parts of the world, but will never stand up to the harsh UV in New Zealand.
Beware of other "American" brands, but made in India or Israel or wherever. These products have little history and only time will tell how they will perform here.
Some questions to consider:
- Is there a credible NZ distributor? Trade Me is full of shady deals.
- Is it backed up by a manufacturer's warranty in NZ, or is it the Dealer's warranty? Some dealers do not get a warranty, in return for cheaper prices.
- Is the distributor committed to continuous supply?
- Are you aware, that a "Cash deal" will not give you any warranty?
- How long has the film been used in NZ?
Dyed Films
These come in different types. It can be a dyed polyester, or a dyed glue. Neither will last for long. Then there is the new generation dye, which is a solid, rather than liquid dye. The colour will be more stable. Dyed films are non-reflective. Their performance is poor in heat rejection.
Metallised Films
By far the most common type of film used here. Colour stability is better, but is prone to corrosion, especially in coastal areas. Metallised films do perform very well and tend to be moderately to very reflective.
Powder coated films
This type of film is generally used in the very lightly or clear films. The coating absorbes the heat, none is reflected. Some high end films contain these coatings in the form of dyes to boost the performance. Unfortunately, the scratch resistance of these films as not as good.
Ceramic Films
This film type was developed and refined in the late 90's. Perfomance is very high, optical clarity is superior, colour stability is guaranteed, it is not prone to corrosion and it is non-reflective. Ceramic film is not prone to irridesence or refraction, which plagues most other films.
We are talking about the latest type of window film, which contains a vast number of micro-layers. Although very effective in heat rejection and non-reflective, they suffer from irridesence and it appears that the scratch resistance, nor the stability is very good.
Premium Metallised Films
These films, such as V-Cool, are the best performing films in heat rejection. They use precious metals to get the performance. They are very costly and have a short life, due to corrosion.
Hybrid Films
These films are popular, with a metallised layer to the outside and a dyed inner layer. The result is a high heat rejection, with a low internal reflection. They are relatively colour stable.
Reverse Hybrid Films
Here, we have a reversal of the above. Non-reflective exterior appearance. Overall high performance with a higher absorption rate than other metallised films. Risky in some installations, due to the increased risk of thermal breakage.
Clear Films
These films are used for safety, security or anti-graffiti, providing an invisible barrier.
After all this, which is the right film for you? Who knows, it depends on many factors. We can certainly give you a general guideline, but to be of best service, a visit and measure up is the best way of getting all the information we need in order to present you with the best options.
For a free consultation, call Tint Waikato on 0800 846 892
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