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Don’t just think about temperatures when you’re comparing heat control films!

With this time of year typically seeing sunnier skies and lengthier daylight hours, it’s understandable that you may look to the residential or commercial buildings for which you have responsibility, and wonder whether heat control films are the answer for lowering the temperatures inside.

The short answer is, yes they are! Dedicated heat control films like those supplied by Stockfilms are a much more convenient solution for repelling excessive heat gain than curtains or blinds, which are likely to require manual adjustment over the course of a day.

However, there isn’t just one type of heat control film available. This is a good thing, as it enables you to order the window film that fulfils all of your needs, at the right price. But it does also mean you’ll have to carefully consider factors other than temperature control.

Here are some of those factors we would ask you to think about.

Where will I be installing the window film?

We make available heat control films for both residential and commercial settings, but our products can also be even more specialised than that.

Our solar reflective films, for instance, have a highly mirrored external appearance that works well when a uniform look is desired for a building’s windows. But for more architecturally sensitive and listed buildings, the comparatively muted aesthetic of our low-mirror films may be much more desirable.

Among our window films that work really well for reducing severe solar heat gains in domestic settings, meanwhile, are our solar reflective films for polycarbonate windows. These products are ideal for application to plastic conservatory windows or rooflights.

Do I need glare control capability, too?

It is often presumed that if a window film is good at lessening heat, it will also be an effective glare reduction solution. But while this is routinely true of solar reflective and low-mirror heat control films, there are other products for which it is not the case.

This underlines the importance of carefully comparing the specifications of different window films and discussing your requirements with the Stockfilms customer service department, before you commit yourself to a particular solution.

Are there other visual or practical factors to account for?

You might be surprised to learn about the various window films on the market that ostensibly have little or nothing to do with heat control, but which could nonetheless greatly help to reduce internal temperatures and make life more hospitable for the given building’s occupants.

One might have imagined that internally applied coloured window film, for example, would only be popular among those wishing to introduce a different aesthetic to the glass.

We offer coloured window films, however, that are impressive heat control films in their own right, while also rejecting glare, enhancing daytime privacy, filtering out potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and even helping to reduce a building’s carbon footprint.

Although choosing the right window film for your own buildings’ circumstances and requirements doesn’t have to be arduous, you are nonetheless likely to appreciate the specialised help we can give you to select the most suitable product. Simply call the Stockfilms team now, on 020 8441 0449, to have your questions answered, request free samples and/or ask for a competitive quote.

 

When you’re attempting to lessen glare, window film consistently beats the alternatives

It’s an inconvenience that can become more and more prevalent at this time of year, as the sun comes out and the daylight hours last longer, and it’s also one that might be surprisingly difficult to solve for good, whether you’re in the home or at work.

We are – of course – referring to glare through the windows of your residential or commercial property. Whether glare is simply interfering with your personal comfort or is posing a bigger problem – for example, preventing you from getting on with vital work – you’ll probably want to know what the best ways to solve it are.

Unfortunately, a lot of obvious solutions have their downsides

Anything that intervenes in the high level of sunlight that is likely to stream through your windows during the spring and summer, might seem to be a good thing. So, why not just have some blinds put up?

That might seem fair enough, but in practice, you may often feel that you need to completely pull your blinds down to make being in a room hospitable at all. This, in turn, means you won’t get the benefit of such lovely natural light – in fact, you may feel in this situation that you might as well have not had windows in your buildings at all.

Plus, having to constantly fiddle about with blinds during the day as the sun changes, can be a time-consuming hassle. Isn’t there an alternative solution that you could just ‘leave and forget about’?

Considering the other obvious possibilities may leave you feeling similarly dispirited. You could have trees planted outside your windows to try to diffuse the light, but this entails quite a lot of effort. Or you could just wear sunglasses... but you might feel a little bit ridiculous doing so indoors.

Our glare reduction window film brings benefits beyond the obvious

Sure, the best specialised window film for lessening glare can certainly be depended on from a performance point of view. We offer many such solutions here at Stockfilms, including highly rated solar reflective window films, low-mirror films, tinted films, coloured films and more.

One other thing that you are likely to notice from looking through our online selection of glare reduction window film, however, is how many advantages these films offer other than glare control.

You might be looking for window film that provides your building’s glass with a certain specific aesthetic – muted, mirrored or coloured, for instance. Alternatively, it might be that you would like the glare reduction window film you buy for your residential or commercial building to also enhance privacy, safety and/or security. Regardless, we have products in stock right now that ideally match such preferences and needs.

It’s just one more reason to choose our glare reduction window film over the other solutions you might have been considering for tackling excessive glare – the fact that investing in such a product won’t only work wonders in terms of lessening glare.

Browse our online product range now, then, or call 020 8441 0449 to learn more from the Stockfilms team about our latest sophisticated and cost-effective window film offerings, as well as to request your competitive quote. 

 

 

Should you be using an internal or external solar control window film?

If you are reading this blog post at all, it is likely that you already understand some of the broad benefits window film can have for solar heat and glare control. Whether it is installed at a residential or commercial premises, the right window film can make a significant difference to the comfort of such buildings' occupants, while reducing pressure on air conditioning systems.

At this time of year, as temperatures gradually rise, many specifiers and end users alike feel an increasing urgency to purchase window films that will repel heat and lessen glare.

But it's not just a given window film's appearance or even performance statistics that should inform whether you select it for your own intended setting. That's because the question of whether a particular window film is meant to be internally or externally applied will also be a significant one.

These types of window film aren't directly interchangeable

The first reason to care about these two types of window film for solar heat and glare control, is that it makes a real difference to the performance and value for money you get out of your chosen film.

In a nutshell, a window film that is described as 'internal' is designed to be applied to the interior surface of a window. These internal films are processed in such a way that it is not recommended to apply them to the exterior surface of glass; they are simply not designed to withstand external conditions, including the varying weather and ultraviolet (UV) rays.

External films, meanwhile, are – as their name suggests – meant to be installed on the exterior surface of a window. They sport the tough, exterior-grade construction that internal window films lack, which means they won't prematurely degrade in harsh weather conditions. They also use a strong waterproof adhesive.

Different circumstances will dictate the window film you select

Ultimately, there are various factors that will determine whether you go for an interior or exterior window film. Cost can be one such factor, of course. But there might also be practical difficulties associated with attempting to install window film on a particular side of the glass, thereby forcing you to have the film applied to the other side instead.

Other customers of ours here at Stockfilms may choose an external window film because the type of glass involved - such as laminated, Georgian-wired or heavy-tinted glass, or even some double or triple glazing - doesn't lend itself well to an internal film.

Bear in mind, in particular, that an interior film would leave the glazing unit exposed to the sun from the outside, thereby increasing the thermal stress on the window.

Would you like to have a more in-depth discussion with our team with regard to the solar heat and glare control solution for your site that would enable you to rest easiest? If so, we are available to take your call, on 020 8441 0449; alternatively, simply fill in and submit our short online contact form.

 

Repelling heat from windows is likely to become a greater priority for you in the coming months

With the arrival of each spring, inevitably comes a new set of priorities for those managing and maintaining both residential and commercial buildings.

However, while the aspects of your own buildings to which you need to pay the most urgent attention may vary from one year to the next, one thing that you should always prioritise, is ensuring the occupants of said buildings can use them comfortably.

Given the gradually creeping temperatures that characterise this time of year, it can be very easy to be (almost literally) blindsided by excessive heat and glare problems. You might not have known, however, just how effective our window film products are when you wish to do more than simply reduce heat from windows.

Whatever aesthetic and practical results you seek, we can guide you to a solution

We have been in the window film industry here at Stockfilms since 1976 – and one of the many reasons for our longevity is our steadfast commitment to serving even the most discerning and exacting requirements of specifiers and end users alike.

If you are simply looking to reduce heat from windows, for example, you might think that ‘just any old’ window film in our acclaimed solar control range would do.

This doesn’t account, however, for the wide range of visual and other practical effects that our heat control films can offer. Our External Grey/Silver 20 reflective film, for instance, rejects a whopping 85% of total solar energy and reduces glare by an astounding 91%, but also sports a mirrored look and maintains a one-way privacy effect, preventing those outside from easily looking through the glass.

Those building owners, specifiers or end users who desire a more muted and neutral outward appearance, meanwhile, may look to our low-mirror window films that come in both bronze and grey hues. Even these tinted films, however, still deliver a perfectly satisfactory level of heat and glare control for the many customers of ours that request them.

Then, there are such frequently less-noticed options to consider as our low-emissivity window films that could greatly help to improve your buildings’ carbon footprint, and even our coloured window films, which are far from merely decorative. Indeed, the Blue/Silver 15 film – to give just one example – rejects 71% of total solar energy, while achieving 84% glare reduction as well.

Place your faith in the Stockfilms team

Browse our extensive online selection of window film options here at Stockfilms today, and you’ll realise just how much thinking you will need to do to make sure you choose the most appropriate solution for your own building’s needs. In short, there definitely isn’t just one product worthy of consideration if you are looking to reduce heat from windows at your premises this spring.

Call 020 8441 0449 or email sales@stockfilms.co.uk now, and we will be able to have a more detailed conversation with you about the window film products you would be best-advised to purchase from us right now, before the rush of demand for them commences in the later spring and summer. 

 

Does the appearance of your building’s solar control film really matter?

To a certain extent, you might imagine that when it comes to window films for repelling excessive solar glare and heat gain, how the film that you purchase looks will be a deeply secondary consideration.

After all, will many observers – whether from the inside or outside of the building to which the solar control film is to be applied – even take much notice of the film’s visual characteristics, or realise you have installed window film at all?

A window film’s aesthetics and function go hand-in-hand

In reality, when you are shopping for solar control film, it is unlikely that you will be able to entirely neglect the matter of the film’s appearance – not least given how this interacts with other aspects of its day-to-day performance and practicality.

If, for instance, you are interested in our internally or externally applied reflective solar control film, its highly mirrored appearance is not merely incidental. This is because it is actually instrumental in the creation of a one-way privacy effect that prevents outsiders from easily peering into a property, with the implications this also has for safety and security.

Or perhaps it is our interior or exterior low-mirror film that you feel would best suit your intended application? This particular film offers good solar heat and glare rejection, but also sports the more understated and neutral outward appearance that helps to make it a popular choice for architecturally sensitive and listed buildings.

No matter how specialised your needs may be, we can cater to them

The above solar control film products are not the only ones in our range that show why appearance is likely to be an integral consideration for almost any specifier or end user who purchases window film from us.

Our tinted window films, for example, serve the purpose of tinting clear glass to enhance daytime privacy. Meanwhile, coloured films are also available from us to act as decoration at the same time as being genuinely useful in the rejection of elevated levels of heat and glare.

Then, of course, there is the possibility that you wish your chosen solar control film to be genuinely useful in absorbing and rejecting solar energy, while also having no discernible impact on the look of the glass. Sure enough, your building’s windows can look completely clear to the casual naked eye, when you install one of our clear heat control films.

In short, then – yes, the look of your solar control film can definitely have a profound impact on aspects going well beyond mere aesthetic preferences. That’s one more reason why it is so crucial to discuss with professionals like our own, the matter of which film may represent the most appropriate match to your building’s functional and other requirements.

Contact the Stockfilms team today by phone or email, and our skilled and knowledgeable technical staff will be able to ensure you only choose the very best-suited window film.

 

Bring both patterns and practicality to your building’s windows in 2020

Often in life, cosmetic considerations interact with practical ones, which is certainly something keenly appreciated by many of the purchasers of our window films here at Stockfilms.

When we say this, we could be easily referring to the highly reflective or low-mirror anti-glare window films that have also helped so many specifiers and end users to reject excessive heat gain within their buildings.

However, in this particular blog post, we’d like to draw attention to our patterned window films and coloured tints, which have their own reasons to exist, beyond the opportunity they provide to give a building’s glass a striking makeover.

Our patterned films are about more than mere prettiness

You might imagine that the most compelling reason for any architect, designer or specifier to invest in any of our Opalux-branded patterned window films, would be as a means of giving the glass in various parts of a commercial or residential building greater aesthetic appeal.

In many ways, you would be quite right to think that; there are always glass surfaces in such settings as retail stores and offices that stand to benefit from having some interesting patterned window films added to them. 

Our present selection of such patterned films, for instance, encompasses the likes of the Augusta and Georgia designs that consist of strips of frosted film separated by strips of clear film. Then, there’s such a product as the Nevada film, which comprises 1mm dots with 2mm clear gaps in between.

However, such films can also be highly effective in providing a certain desired level of privacy, while still allowing plenty of natural light to pass through the glass.

Alternatively, why not get... arty?

The coloured tints that we have already referred to in this blog post are also known as Opalux Art Colours, and it’s fair to say they live up to their promising name.

Whether you pick out such an option in this range as Art Blue, Art Green, Art Red or perhaps even Art Yellow – to suggest just some of the possibilities – it isn’t only the vibrant appearance of these decorative films, but also their performance statistics that may well catch your eye.

You might not have expected coloured tints, of all possible options in our online store, to have genuine glare reduction credentials, or to absorb a significant proportion of the solar energy that would otherwise pass through the glass to which they are applied.

But when you order Opalux Art Colours from us, this is indeed possible. It just goes to show, once again, the astounding variety of both visual and pragmatic needs that can be met by an innovative window film from an industry-leading supplier like Stockfilms.

Now’s the time to get talking to us

It couldn’t be much easier to enquire to the Stockfilms team about the window films that could offer more than just ‘surface’ effectiveness for the buildings for which you are responsible this year.

Call the Stockfilms team now on 020 8441 0449, or complete and submit our online contact form for an in-depth discussion with our customer service department. You can then be sure that you are purchasing the right product for your requirements, and request the most suitable and competitive quote accordingly.

 

The need to reduce glare isn’t the only great reason to purchase anti-glare window films

Are you likely to be particularly motivated to have anti-glare window films fitted at a property for which you have responsibility, if glare is only likely to be an occasional or seasonal problem for the building’s occupants?

You might have imagined not. However, the reality is that a need to lessen the amount of glare experienced in a given interior space is not the only good reason to arrange the installation of anti-glare window films from the Stockfilms range.

There’s so much more than glare control that our films can offer

If you’ve already been taking a look around our online selection of both interior-applied and external anti-glare window films, you might have noticed variances in the glare reduction percentages outlined in the specifications of these products.

Such differing levels of glare control can be largely attributed to the interaction of our products’ anti-glare capabilities with other qualities, such as their appearance.

If the effective reduction of glare is one of your prime priorities when you are in the market for window film, it is relatively unlikely, for instance, that you will be attracted to our Clear Heat Control offering, which only lessens glare by 24%. Instead, this is very much the kind of film you would specify if you were eager, above all else, to provide the given building’s windows with an almost invisible treatment, together with good solar heat rejection.

But on the other hand, we offer no shortage of window films that definitely do have strong anti-glare credentials. These include our both internal and external reflective films and low-mirror films, as well as such specialised products as our tinted, coloured and polycarbonate films.

We would always advise you, however, to carefully scrutinise the exact specifications of any particular window film in order to judge its suitability for your own intended application. When you then call us for a quote, on 020 8441 0449, we will be able to provide you with any further advice and guidance required, so that you can be sure of purchasing the right product.

Get in touch with our team to discuss your needs

Even if you are fairly confident as to which of our anti-glare window films represents the best match to your requirements, a conversation with us prior to placing your order will enable you to clarify your competing priorities for such a window film – such as privacy, safety and price – before you commit to any particular product.

As leading window film stockists and distributors since 1976, Stockfilms is the company best-placed to answer your most specialised needs, whether you are a specifier or end user.

 

This New Year, why not invest in the right heat control films for your property?

January may be the month in which many of us customarily head back to the office after a well-earned festive break, but it is also supposed to be a time of entirely new beginnings.

Indeed, one way in which your own New Year may turn out to be precisely that, is if you make steps to better regulate the changes of temperature at your premises that may otherwise threaten to make your workplace a less-than-hospitable one for many of your staff.

There are many potential solutions for controlling office temperatures

Anyone who has ever worked in an office or a similar workaday environment will probably be familiar with the frequent complaints among staff about the temperature at any one time.

There are, of course, potential cheap and ‘low-tech’ means of keeping temperatures in an office at an optimum level for workers.

Overly hot staffers, for instance, may consider investing in a fan to provide them with a cooling breeze at their desk, or wearing more breathable fabric such as silk or cotton. Those who feel cold, meanwhile, might be tempted to layer up or sip warm beverages.

Window films, however, can have a significant impact and versatility

The arrival of January means many things, but one thing that it certainly means for those with responsibility for office buildings – whether they are specifiers or end users – is the need to think ahead about what their building is likely to require over the months and year to come.

If you are such an individual, you may be surprised by the considerable versatility that our own heat control films offer.

With the options we present in this product category here at Stockfilms including the likes of internally and externally applied reflective window film, internally and externally applied low-mirror films, tinted and coloured films, and so many more, we can give you the solutions that cater to various aesthetic, practical and financial needs alike.

In particular, the heat control films that we offer are renowned for their effectiveness at rejecting solar glare and heat gain. This, then, could make them an invaluable purchase as temperatures around your office buildings creep up in the months ahead.

Stellar results, for a stellar price

You can learn more about the performance that can be expected from our various heat control films by perusing our relevant online product pages. If, after doing so, you find a product or two that you would like to investigate further and even perhaps request a quote for, you are welcome to do so, by calling the Stockfilms team on 020 8441 0449.

Don’t hesitate to place your order for the most appropriate heat control films for your needs at Stockfilms this month, before demand ‘heats up’ with the rising temperatures as we edge ever-closer to the spring and summer! 

 

Our solar heat and glare control film offers so much more than solar heat and glare control

If there's any time of year when end users and specifiers - or even just those with any level of responsibility for a building - can be at risk of underestimating the risk of excessive heat and troublesome glare, it is the winter months.

After all, you might think that during seasons when it isn't especially sunny or hot most of the time, going out of your way to improve a premises' level of solar heat and glare control would be a waste of time, money and effort.

This can be an unfortunate misconception, however. Glare, for instance, can actually be a major problem at this time of year due to the low-lying winter sun, especially for office workers in taller buildings.

And while December and January are hardly months associated with escalating temperatures, it's still important to consider what solutions need to be in place for when temperatures do begin to climb as spring and summer come ever closer.

Won't the right curtains or blinds do the job?

Well, yes, in theory, you could simply fit some blinds or curtains in your premises for the purposes of solar heat and glare control. However, these products can bring their own issues.

Blinds and curtains, after all, take up space in a building, and can contribute to an interior space looking less roomy and more cluttered than needs to be the case.

Furthermore, curtains and blinds can be notorious for the dust that often accumulates on them - and that's before you consider their tendency to fade over time, due to the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays.

The right window film from Stockfilms really could tick every box

While the window films we can supply to you here at Stockfilms certainly look good - the available varieties including the likes of reflective film, low-mirror film, tinted film and coloured film - it's important to appreciate that all of these types of film can also deliver truly stellar solar heat and glare control.

That includes up to 99% filtering of UV rays, thereby helping to prevent the premature deterioration of furnishings like your office's curtains or blinds, in the event that you do choose to have some installed.

Plus, our window films are just so versatile that they often make great sense to purchase, even if better control over solar heat and glare is merely one of your priorities.

We offer dedicated safety window film, for instance, that can resist vandalism or other deliberate attempts at damage, while still delivering impressive solar heat and glare control results, and even perhaps enhancing the privacy of the users of your buildings, too.

Get in touch today for a great-value quote

In short, even if you turn to a supplier like Stockfilms with your top priority initially being the installation of window film for controlling solar heat and glare, it doesn't need to be your only priority - and nor should it be - for the simple reason that our window films really can 'do it all'.

Simply call our team now, on 020 8441 0449, for an in-depth discussion about your own exact requirements in relation to window film, as well as to request a competitive quote.

 

Be ready with the right solar control film for when the temperatures begin to rise

It may seem a strange priority for anyone with responsibility for a building where excessive heat gain and glare can be problems, to specifically seek out solar control film during the winter. Surely, the conditions that would necessitate the installation of such a product at almost any building, would rarely or never arise at this time of year?

That might well be an understandable observation to make. However, there are several very good reasons to turn to a supplier like Stockfilms for solar control film right now, and not merely the fact that this type of film is very easy to obtain at the height of the winter months.

Glare and heat gain can be issues during any and every season

As climate change continues to bring serious implications for our winters and summers alike, it is becoming harder and harder to be sure that high levels of solar energy and troubling glare won’t be problems during any given season.

In any case, even if the weather during the day in the winter is never especially sunny for the occupants of your building, glare can still happen. In fact, it might turn out to be an even greater inconvenience at this time of year than in the summer, thanks to the lower-lying sun.

This all means that whether you are a specifier or end user, if you are responsible for a particular building, you might not want to take the risk of simply waiting until the spring or summer before you enquire to a company like Stockfilms about solar control film.

Remember, too, that solar control film isn’t purely about solar control

Another convincing justification for purchasing solar control film for your building without delay, is the simple fact that the other reasons for buying such film – like the need to achieve certain aesthetic effects or maximise privacy for users of the rooms within – remain pertinent and pressing all year round.

You may be especially interested in ordering our reflective solar protection films, for example, due to their highly mirrored external appearance during the day that prevents observers from peering inside. Or perhaps you are instead most drawn to our understated tinted window film or even our striking coloured films, which have their own excellent track record of repelling solar heat gain and reducing glare?

All of these intriguing solutions, and many more, can be sourced at excellent prices from Stockfilms this festive season. So, why wait any longer to request a competitive quote for any of these renowned products, when you can do so right now, and give yourself invaluable peace of mind this winter as a conscientious and responsible end user or specifier?