Large windows and glazed doors are a fantastic way to bring natural light into your home, but when they’re exposed to direct sunlight, they can also allow unwanted heat and glare into the rooms behind them.
During warmer, sunnier weather, this can leave bedrooms and living spaces feeling uncomfortably warm, while bright sunlight can make the room difficult to enjoy at certain times of the day.
Solar control window film can provide an effective solution — and in some situations, the most appropriate option is to install the film to the outside of the glass.
What Is External Solar Control Window Film?
External window film is specially designed to be professionally installed onto the exterior surface of suitable glazing.
Like other solar control films, its purpose is to manage the effects of solar energy passing through the glass, helping to reduce excessive heat and glare inside the property.
External films are manufactured specifically to cope with exposure to the elements and can provide an effective solution where the glazing or circumstances make an externally applied product the preferred option.
A Recent Silver 35 Installation
This recent Shades Window Films installation is a great example.
The property has a large area of floor-to-ceiling glazing across a bedroom, providing fantastic views of the garden and allowing plenty of daylight into the room.
However, large areas of glass can also result in significant solar heat gain when exposed to direct sunlight.
For this project, we installed External Silver 35 solar control window film.
From outside, the film gives the glazing a smart, reflective appearance that complements the property.
But take a look from inside and you’ll see another important benefit.
The view hasn’t disappeared.
Natural daylight can still enter the room and the occupants can continue to enjoy the view outside, while the solar control film helps to reduce the impact of heat and glare entering through the glazing.
Will Solar Window Film Make My Room Dark?
It’s one of the questions we’re asked most frequently.
People often assume that reducing solar heat means covering their windows with a very dark film and sacrificing natural light.
That doesn’t have to be the case.
Solar control films are available in different specifications and finishes, allowing the most appropriate product to be selected according to the glazing, property and level of solar control required.
The aim is to find the right balance between solar protection, glare reduction and natural light.
What Are the Benefits of External Solar Control Film?
Depending on the product and glazing involved, professionally specified solar control window film can help to:
- Reduce solar heat entering the room
- Reduce uncomfortable glare
- Filter UV radiation that contributes to fading
- Improve comfort during sunny weather
- Maintain natural daylight and outward views
- Improve the appearance of existing glazing
And because window film can be applied to suitable existing glass, it can provide an effective way of improving the performance of glazing without replacing the windows themselves.
Why Is Some Window Film Installed Externally?
Not every window or type of glazing requires externally installed film.
Whether a film should be applied internally or externally depends on several factors. Including the type and construction of the glass, its location and the performance required from the film.
That’s why choosing the correct product is important.
An experienced window film installer can assess the existing glazing and recommend an appropriate film and installation method. Rather than simply applying the same product to every window.
Choosing the Right Window Film for Your Home
If rooms in your home become excessively warm or suffer from uncomfortable glare when the sun shines, you don’t necessarily have to live with permanently closed curtains or blinds.
The right solar control window film can make a significant difference. While allowing you to continue enjoying the natural light and views your windows were designed to provide.
At Shades Window Films, we can assess your glazing, discuss the problems you’re experiencing and recommend the most appropriate window film solution for your property.
Get in touch to find out whether solar control window film could help make your home more comfortable.