Stockfilms blog

Frosted window film can be used for various aesthetic and privacy effects

27 November 2019

Window film is available from such a renowned supplier as Stockfilms for a wide range of sometimes complex purposes – and it is for such purposes that frosted window film might sometimes be the best choice. But what exact films do we offer in this category, and why might you choose them?

Opalux frosted films

Opalux is one of the go-to names in window film, so it should be no surprise that it is a highly regarded brand with regard to frosted privacy film, too.

We provide Opalux translucent privacy screening films that provide two-way privacy while still allowing a good level of natural light through the glass.

Fine Acid Etch White (PA-902) is the most common choice of window film in this range where there is a need for 24-hour privacy, although alternatives like Fine Acid Etch Bronze (BR-912) and Fine Acid Etch Smoke (SM-922) are also available.

MACal frosted films

Another highly rated translucent window film range is the MACal frosted one, these films being suited to both indoor and outdoor use, and enabling an etched, frosted or sandblasted effect to be achieved.

These films come in Frosted or Dusted matt finishes, with both of them able to be counted on to deliver uniformity and stability. It’s also quick and easy to cut them using most plotters, and it is even possible to screen print onto them.

3M frosted films

When you are looking to create unique, special-effect applications with your choice of frosted privacy window film, the 3M range could be well worth perusing.

This category of window film is actually divided into dusted and frosted varieties, with the dusted variants having the uniform appearance of etched glass, as opposed to the sandblasted look of the frosted films.

With window films in this range encompassing the likes of Dusted Crystal White
(7725-314), Frosted Crystal Blue (7725-327) and Frosted Crystal Rose (7725-323), there’s plenty of scope to create precisely the look that you’re interested in.

Whether you are an end user or specifier, Stockfilms can be your go-to source of frosted, privacy and other window film that enables you to meet all manner of specialised requirements for the windows at a given site. Simply call 020 8441 0449 or send us an email today to receive a competitive quote.

There’s a wide range of ways in which window films can bolster safety and security

21 November 2019

Such is the astounding versatility of the leading window films, that you may not have even fully appreciated – whether as a specifier or end user – just how many functions these products can serve.

Our broad selection of safety and security-oriented window films is an excellent case in point – so, what products do we offer in these category, and for what purposes?

Clear Safety films can provide invaluable protection

A logical place to start in our exploration of the window films in our range that are geared around safety and security, is our complement of Clear Safety films. Variants of these films are available that are specifically designed to be installed on internal and external surfaces of a building’s glass.

If it is the internally applied version of this window film that most interests you, it may be such a product as our 100-micron clear product that you select. This film is a sound choice as a minimum specification for a safety film, and offers such benefits as high optical clarity, a scratch-resistant coating, and protection against interior furnishings fading prematurely.

Such internally applied Clear Safety film can also be sourced in 175-micron, 200-micron and 300-micron guises, with the latter routinely specified for ground-floor windows and other high-security areas of a building considered to be at particular risk.

As aforementioned, though, externally applied versions of these Clear Safety films are available, too. In fact, they can be combined with interior films to maximise the level of protection given to a building, including by guarding against vandalism of the glass through graffiti.

Or consider Combined Safety film for resolving multiple problems at once

However, it isn’t even just safety and security that our window films in this category can help to provide. You may have reason to look at our multi-laminate Combined Safety films, for example, the ‘combined’ element a reference to the usefulness that these products can have as solar protection films.

This functionality, in turn, translates into such advantages as superb heat and glare control, the filtering of harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, and improved privacy due to the reduced vision possible through the glass.

Allow us to guide you towards the most suitable window film

With all of the above products collectively representing just one of our many categories of window films, it’s fair to say that you may appreciate some help when on the lookout for the most appropriate product for your own setting.

Call the Stockfilms customer service team on 020 8441 0449 today, and we will provide you with the tailored information, advice and competitive quote that you would expect from one of the most renowned and trusted distributors of window films since our establishment in 1976.

Our internal low-mirror films make as much sense in the winter as they do in the summer

11 November 2019

It would probably not be overly bold a statement to suggest that heat control films are largely associated with the task of repelling excessive solar glare and heat gain at the height of the summer months, rather than necessarily reducing heat loss from a building during colder periods.

It is important, however, to acknowledge that such window films can be genuinely invaluable right through the year.

Furthermore, when you are a specifier or end user on the lookout for heat control films that do make sense during every season, you could hardly hope to make a finer choice than our internal low-mirror window films here at Stockfilms.

Balanced year-round performance from these renowned heat control films

Our present range of highly rated, internally-applied low-mirror window films encompasses such options as Bronze 20, Bronze 35, Neutral Grey 20, Neutral Grey 35 and Neutral Grey 50. While these films each slightly vary in terms of their advantages, they can be depended on to deliver formidable, balanced performance all year round.

After all, when you are seeking out heat control films that lend themselves to winter conditions as well as they do to warmer ones, you will probably wish to achieve a certain level of heat and glare rejection, while also not overly reducing how much heat and light are allowed to pass through the window.

Sure enough, in the case of the Neutral Grey 50 film, some 48% of visible light is allowed to be transmitted through the glass, while 39% of solar energy is transmitted and glare can be reduced by 45%. If, however, higher levels of solar energy rejection and glare reduction are desired, such alternatives exist in the same range as the Neutral Grey 50 product, which transmits just 14% of solar energy and 18% of visible light.

Bear in mind that amid the ongoing unpredictability of the seasons, effective heat and glare reduction are both likely to be appreciated at times by users of the buildings where these heat control films are installed. Low-lying winter sun, for instance, can be a highly unwelcome source of glare that could compromise the comfort and productivity of a building’s occupants.

Enquire now about your next window film

One benefit of our low-mirror window films that we haven’t touched on yet in this piece is, of course, the characteristic that defines them; their much more muted and neutral appearance compared to the reflective solar films you might have otherwise considered.

The aesthetic advantages that such heat control films bring to a relatively architecturally sensitive setting is a further all-year-round reason to make them your choice.

As for if you would like to discuss that choice in more detail, including the specific low-mirror window film that may best suit the application you have in mind, it couldn’t be more straightforward to give the Stockfilms team a call today, on 020 8441 0449.

Heat and glare control and a reduced carbon footprint can all be achieved with just one window film

29 October 2019

During this era when the news is constantly alight with troubling headlines about the consequences that our day-to-day activities could be having for the environment, you may understandably feel a certain urgency to adopt the measures that will help to make your organisation part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. Could something as simple as heat and glare reduction window film play a part in making this possible for your firm?

The short answer is: yes, especially when you choose to have low-emissivity window film installed at your company’s buildings. We offer this type of window film for internal application, incorporating a Low-E coating that will help to keep heat within your buildings during colder times of year. However, this film is also capable of rejecting excessive heat from entering your rooms once the sun returns.

So many more benefits than just greater social responsibility

Yes, the fitting of some of our low emissivity window film at your own organisation’s premises could be invaluable for demonstrating to staff, clients, customers and other stakeholders that your firm cares about ‘doing the right thing’. However, such film can also bring a wealth of benefits that are not simply about better protecting the only planet we have.

Purchase our Low-E Neutral 50 film (SO-50LEN-iSR), for instance, and you will be assured of a solution that allows for the transmission of 48% of visible light through your building’s glass, while also reducing glare by 45% and rejecting 57% of solar energy. Such qualities, in turn, will help to make your firm’s buildings much pleasanter places for occupants.

Alternatively, if you would prefer a product that is even more effective as heat and glare reduction window film, we can also offer you a Low-E Reflective Silver 20 film (SO-20LERS-iSR) that delivers a remarkable 82% glare reduction and rejects 78% of solar energy. This particular film transmits 16% of visible light.

Ask us now for a competitive quote

There may be a wide range of reasons why you initially consider our Low-E products when you are in the market for heat and glare reduction window film as an end-user or specifier. However, there’s only one company that you should consistently turn to for such window film: Stockfilms.

Call our team now on 020 8441 0449 or email sales@stockfilms.co.uk, and our professional and friendly customer service team will be able to discuss your specific needs with you, followed by a quote that answers all of your requirements for your next window film.

What’s the best way to reduce heat from windows?

18 October 2019

The all-too-frequent problem of excessive heat gain in homes and workplaces that serves to make many interior spaces less-than-pleasant places to be, has long led many specifiers and end users alike to try out a wide range of solutions. Among the most obvious of them are curtains, shutters and blinds – but are any of those arrangements quite as effective as window films?

After all, when you wish to reduce heat from windows, there’s an extremely wide range of such films available to address all manner of specific needs – by no means restricted to heat reduction.

Regardless of your exact requirements, we have the films that do the job

If you are looking for a window film squarely with the intention of lessening the amount of heat that passes through your building’s windows into the rooms inside, you certainly have lots of choices in our own product range here at Stockfilms.

Presuming it is sheer performance that you desire from such films above all else, though, our reflective window films may be of particular appeal. As their name indicates, these films are notable for their reflective external appearance that provides a uniform look and enhances privacy by preventing outside observers from easily seeing inside.

However, the most impressive aspect of our solar reflective films is arguably the amount of heat they can repel from a building. The internally applied Grey/Silver 10 film (SO-10RGS-iSR) is a great case in point, as it only transmits 8% of solar energy, reflecting a further 54% and absorbing the remaining 38%.

But even the Silver 50 solar reflective film (SO-50RS-iSR), which allows much more light through the glass, still reflects a very useful 30% of solar energy and absorbs a further 37%, thereby permitting a mere 33% to reach the space inside.

Nor are we just about solar reflective window films

You aren’t limited to solar reflective films – whether fitted to the interior or exterior surface of the glass – when you are looking for a proven way to reduce heat from windows. Such other products as our low mirror, External Clear Heat Control (SO-70IR-eSR), tinted and coloured window films all provide varying degrees of heat control as well.

Alongside such other advantages as glare reduction and improved aesthetics, these products can help to ensure all requirements you have for your building’s glass can be met by a single window film.

Call the Stockfilms customer service team today, on 020 8441 0449, to discuss your full set of needs from window film so that we can guide you to the most suitable choice. In the process, we will also be able to present you with the best possible quote for the film you ultimately choose.

Yes, both heat reduction and colour can be provided by one window film

3 October 2019

If you’ve ever wondered – as a specifier or end-user – whether our selection of glare and heat reduction window film here at Stockfilms really does need to be as broad as it is, we would draw attention to the fact that our customers often have similarly wide-ranging preferences and requirements.

Indeed, you may be one of those customers, with an interest in imbuing a building’s windows with a certain colour while also providing an effective solution for repelling potential heat gain.

Sure enough, we are pleased to be able to supply proven glare and heat reduction window film in colours that also enable this product to provide a high level of decoration to the glass.

What options for coloured window film do we presently give you?

You don’t have to make undesirable compromises when you take your pick from our extensive selection of aesthetically appealing and high-performing coloured window films.

Consider the example of our Reflective – Blue/Silver 15 (SO-15BL-iSR) product; from the outside, it offers a deep blue reflective appearance, while from the perspective of the occupants inside the building, it sports a much less noticeable light reflective tint. But it also delivers genuinely formidable performance, reflecting or absorbing a high proportion of solar energy and reducing glare by 85%.

Another reflective coloured window film of ours is Gold/Silver 15 (SO-15GD-iSR), and again, it offers the best of both cosmetic and practical appeal. It can be counted on to lower glare by a whopping 82%, yet offers a gold reflective outside appearance and a light reflective tint from the inside.

Even low-mirrored coloured films are available

Of course, you might want to inject some colour into the windows of the premises for which you are responsible, while avoiding the highly mirrored look that reflective films like the above are known to provide. In that case, our low-mirror solutions could be just the right ones for you.

These products in our current range include a Blue 20 (SO-20LMBL-iSR) and Green 30 (SO-30LMGN-iSR) film, which lessen glare by 75% and 66% respectively, at the same time as transmitting less than 30% of solar energy. Naturally, all four of the films we have mentioned in this piece also filter out ultraviolet (UV) rays by as much as 99%.

Combine these qualities with the two lower-mirror films’ more subtle external look compared to their reflective counterparts, as well as a light tint from the inside, and you have what may well be the ideal glare and heat reduction window film for the needs of your project.

Call 020 8441 0449 today, and the Stockfilms team will be able to answer any of your queries in relation to window film, followed by presenting you with the very best quote.

Sometimes, your building’s solar control film will need to be an external one

25 September 2019

You might think that as a specifier or end-user, you know precisely why you are purchasing a particular solar control film for a given building for which you are responsible. Surely, such window films chiefly serve the purpose of rejecting excessive heat gain and tackling the glare that can be so distracting and uncomfortable for the users of so many buildings like yours?

That may well be the case, but there’s at least one other key factor to consider when selecting this type of window film: whether it will be fitted to the interior or exterior surface of the glass.

What’s the significance of a solar control film being designed for exterior application?

You can probably guess that with such a film typically being installed on the surface of the glass that faces the outside world, it will – or at least should – be designed and manufactured to stand up to the elements.

Sure enough, an external solar control film from a trusted supplier like Stockfilms is of weather-resistant construction, incorporating the extra ultraviolet (UV) barriers needed to ensure the film does not rapidly degrade due to being continually exposed to the sunshine.

Meanwhile, the strong waterproof adhesive also used for these films in our range will help to ensure rain isn’t a worry for you, either. After all, given how difficult it can sometimes be to access the exterior surface of a building’s windows in the first place, you’ll hardly want to see your chosen window film literally slipping off the glass as a result of a few showers.

But there’s more that prospective buyers should appreciate

With reflective, low-mirror and other solar control film available from Stockfilms right now in a form that renders it ready for external application, there are certainly other things you might wish to know about this category of product before committing to a purchase.

The very fact, for instance, that these films are fitted to the exterior surface of glass can actually make them more effective for solar protection, given that this means the sun’s heat will be repelled before it even has the chance to penetrate and be absorbed by the glazing unit itself.

This, in turn, means that when you have external solar control film fitted, you don’t have to fret about absorbed heat from the sun being re-radiated inside the building.

Exterior-fitted solar protection films reduce the risk of thermal fracture, too. This can be a particular issue for laminated, Georgian-wired and heavily tinted glass, although even double and triple-glazed windows can be affected in some cases.

Plus, there is also simply the fact that access to the inside surface of glass may occasionally be difficult or impractical to achieve for one reason or another, such as the windows having been boarded up internally.

Get in touch with our friendly and helpful professionals now

Whatever the specific situation for you and your buildings, our technical team here at Stockfilms can help to assess the risks and probabilities, so that you make only the most informed choice of window film. Call 020 8441 0449 now to learn more, as well as to request a competitive quote.

Turn to us for dependable emergency and temporary protection window film

13 September 2019

Sometimes, you may not contact a window film specialist like Stockfilms with the specific intention of purchasing such a product for long-term, permanent installation. Instead, you may be in need of an emergency or temporary arrangement, and it is window films for precisely these purposes that you can purchase from our ‘glazier section’.

But what forms do these window films take, how do they work and in what specific circumstances may you have them fitted at the property for which you are responsible?

You can have faith in our emergency glazing film

Our emergency glazing film is, in many ways, exactly what it sounds like; a heavy-duty film that is only used temporarily while awaiting the removal or replacement of damaged glass.

We’ve probably all found ourselves, from time to time, walking past a shop, office, school or hospital where the glass in one or more of the windows has evidently been broken, judging by the fact that the affected windows have been boarded up. It’s hardly aesthetically appealing, so it shouldn’t be a great surprise that the window film industry has come up with this elegant alternative.

As the ‘emergency’ part of its name indicates, this type of window film is only applied to a window once the glass has been broken. It serves the purpose of keeping the glass safe and preventing it from cracking further until the glass is finally removed from the frame and replaced.

This window film is easy to use and cost-effective in public places like those cited above, and can even be fitted with no specialist training or tools – although of course, great care should always be taken in any situation where broken glass is present.

What about when you are undertaking building or restoration work?

Well, in that case, you are likely to appreciate the thin polyester and low-tac Temporary Protection film that we can supply to protect glass against dirt or scratching when such sensitive work is being undertaken. You may also use this film for the protection of glass panels during handling, transportation and installation.

This temporary protection film is clear, so it won’t hinder visibility through the glass. Purchase this product, and you can be sure of the window on which the film is installed being kept perfectly clean and unmarked throughout the building or restoration work.

Are you on the lookout for window film that will give you much-needed peace of mind during emergencies or in other circumstances where some form of temporary protection may be required for your glass? If so, we would be pleased to talk to you about your requirements, and present you with a free A4 sample of these or any of our other products, when you contact the Stockfilms team.

Our dedicated safety and security window films can be depended on in all manner of contexts

4 September 2019

As pleased as we are here at Stockfilms to be able to supply window films across a range of categories that can be instrumental in safeguarding the people and possessions within the buildings to which they are applied, we can also provide especially impressive dedicated safety and security films. These include internal, external and combined safety window films.

There are many ways in which the right film can boost safety

Your principal motivation for seeking out specialist safety or security window film may be to minimise the likelihood of your building’s glass breaking when it is placed under considerable stress. However, these window films can also further help to keep occupants safe by holding together shards of shattered glass that could otherwise be dangerous in a breakage situation.

The internally applied safety window films that we source from the Opalux brand are renowned solutions for precisely these purposes. 100-micron, 175-micron, 200-micron and 300-micron variants are all available, offering similarly high levels of visible light transmission while also all coming with 10-year warranties.

However, we also offer safety window films that are specifically designed to be fitted to the exterior surface of glass, with these normally being used alongside internal films to better strengthen and protect glazing units from both sides. Again, there are multiple versions of the film that one can order via Stockfilms – a 100-micron and a 175-micron film – and both offer superb optical clarity.

Finally, multi-laminate combined solar, safety and security films can also be purchased through us, and are popular among both Government entities and commercial organisations that demand especially high-performance safety in addition to solar control capabilities. Silver and matt white frost variants can be obtained in accordance with the most discerning requirements.

Would you appreciate advice and guidance when purchasing window films?

What do you expect in the safety or security window films that you order from a company like ours? Are you looking for a scratch-resistant coating, perhaps, or the effective screening of harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays? What about reduced vision through the glass to further improve privacy and security, or effective solar heat and glare control?

These characteristics can all be provided by window films like those that Stockfilms supplies. So, why not get in touch with our professionals now to discuss your most specific needs, as well as to receive the best-value quote?

Anti-glare window films don’t cease to be important once the summer passes

30 August 2019

The reasons why you may look to purchase window film for a building with the specific intention of better protecting its occupants from the adverse affects of glare are fairly obvious in the summer – but does that mean it isn’t so vital to have such window film in place come the autumn?

As paradoxical as it may seem, glare from the sun may actually turn out to be a greater problem for many of us during the darker and colder months than it is at the height of the summer. This is due to the sun being lower in the sky in the fall and winter period, meaning that when light hits a surface, it will also reflect such a lower angle compared to the situation in the summer.

This is not to suggest that anti-glare window films are unimportant during the warmest and sunniest months; after all, the best such window films are also frequently excellent at repelling excess heat that may otherwise easily pass through the glass. As a consequence, they can represent a superb all-round solution for making the interior of a building more comfortable, whatever the time of year.

We have an all-encompassing range of films for controlling glare

The widespread perception that glare from the sun is generally a summer problem can unfortunately be blamed for many specifiers or end users failing to take the need for anti-glare window films seriously when the autumn and winter months roll around.

Thankfully, here at Stockfilms, we can make it straightforward for you to select a film that perfectly suits every requirement of your organisation and building. There are almost as many different types of innovative and effective anti-glare window films in our product range, in fact, as there are circumstances in which they may need to be bought and fitted.

Reflective window films, low mirror films, tinted films and even coloured varieties can all be ordered from us, with many of these products coming in both internal and external variants, given that practical factors may dictate the film must be applied specifically to the inside or outside surface of the glass. All manner of colours and appearances are also available to suit the particular architectural or stylistic requirements that the given building may have.

Don’t neglect the need for film to protect against glare at this time of year

The summer may be coming to an end, but the requirement for effective window film certainly isn’t. Call the highly capable and knowledgeable customer service team at Stockfilms on 020 8441 0449 today, and you’ll be able to receive the highest standard of advice on the right film for your building or setting, along with a free A4 sample and competitive quote.