Glass type impacts film choice

Tinting of flat glass is not as straight forward like car tinting. The biggest limiting factor is the type of glass to be tinted.

In automotive glass, virtually all glass is toughened and not subject to heat stress.

When it comes to glass in a building, you have annealed (ordinary), laminated, tempered or toughened. It can be single, double or even triple glazed. Then there is clear, tinted, coated, obscure, sand blasted, acid etched, textured and so forth.

Applying a film generally changes the temperature of the glass, when exposed to the sun.

Three things happen to the heat, when striking the glass: Some gets reflected back, some gets absorbed and then some gets transmitted. Usually the critical part is the absorption rate, the higher it is, the greater the risk of breakage in certain glass in certain circumstances.

Sometimes, a low risk pane of glass will break. Film usually gets the blame, but when de-glazing the window, it is most often the poor edge condition of the glass being the real cause.

A good rule of thumb is the less reflective the film is, the higher the absorption and consequently the risk of glass breaking. Our lighter ceramic films are an exception, but the darker ones are subject to heat stress.

A good window tinter needs to be familiar with glass types and risk factors.

We always try to give our customers their preferred choice of reflective or non-reflective, but are bound to recommend a safer option, if a risk of glass failure is present.

I remember a customer few years ago insisting on a non-reflective film, against my advice. I deemed this a high risk situation; the customer was prepared to take the risk. So I installed the film. After finishing the first side of the room, I moved over to the other side and was working away, when I heard this noise. I looked over to the other window, and watched it crack from one side to the middle and fork out into more shards. The client was not able to blame me. True story.

So when getting a quote on having your windows tinted, make sure the consultant knows his job and don't be alarmed, if some technical assistance is required, before a film type is recommended. Use a member of Master Tinters in New Zealand, if possible. I get questions from other tinter on a regular basis. Sometimes I have to ask for guidance from my film manufacturers.

Tinting windows is not just about sticking a piece of film on glass.

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