3M Window Film upgrades existing glazing without the cost, waste and disruption of replacing it
Refurbishment briefs want better performance from a limited budget, and the windows are usually first to be questioned. Replacing them in an occupied building means scaffolding, skips, disruption and the carbon cost of removing glass that still works.
Window film offers another route. 3M films upgrade the glass already in place, fitted from inside and often out of hours.
What the film does
3M Sun Control Window Film Prestige Series are clear, spectrally selective films that reject up to 97% of the sun’s heat-producing infrared light and up to 60% of the heat coming through windows, providing comfort and energy savings. Safety films hold broken glass together, decorative films add privacy, and every film extends the life of existing glazing.
“Architects come to us with a problem rather than a product in mind. It might be a classroom that’s overheating, glare on a trading floor or a carbon target that needs to be met. Window film can deal with these challenges without touching the frame,” says Jack Carr, Brand Manager at Architextural.
Why architects specify 3M
3M was issued the first patent for sun control window film in 1966, and its Prestige Series now packs hundreds of layers, none of them metal, into a film thinner than a Post-it Note.
“When you specify 3M, you’re specifying 60 years of research, published performance data for every film and a network of trained, authorised installers. Architects need to know the product on the drawing is the product that goes on the glass, and that it performs the way the data sheet says it will. That consistency is what 3M has built its name on,” explains Jack.
Support from specification to site
Through Architextural, architects and contractors get specification guidance, product recommendations and technical support to find the right 3M Window Film for each project.
He adds, “The worst outcome is the wrong film on the right building. We’d much rather have the conversation early, look at the glass, the orientation and what the client wants to fix, and put the right 3M product into the specification from day one. That saves everyone time on site and means the building performs the way the numbers said it would.”
“The most sustainable building is usually the one already standing. Window film helps architects get more years out of it, and that’s a brief every client can sign off,” concludes Jack.
To discuss your project or request samples, contact Jack Carr, Architextural at jack@architextural.co.uk