Many people think that window tinting is only for keeping the heat out, but it has so many other applications, and today I’m going to talk about the safety aspect of window films.
When we moved into our older home in the Shire ten years ago, we loved that we had huge picture windows, floor to just about ceiling glass. The thing we didn’t think about until someone walked into one with a bang was that they weren’t safe. If someone walked into the glass hard enough, it would certainly break and cut the person to shreds.
Safety of window – clear safety film.
The solution to our problem lay in clear safety film. We didn’t want to lose any view, we already had blinds for privacy, and we loved getting the morning sun as it faced east.
Safety film, also known as security film, can be used on houses and business premises. Safety film is 7 microns thick, or .7 of a millimetre. Normal films are about 1 micron thick.
Types of glass used in construction
But not all building glass needs safety film. There are three main types of glass used in construction: two can benefit from safety film and one doesn’t need it.
The first type of glass is plate glass (also known as float), which is the type in our home and most other houses. It’s thin and breaks into deadly shards. Window tinting is a sensible option for the glass you think may get walked into.
The next type of glass is toughened glass. Modern homes are more likely to have this type of glass in sliding doors, and it’s also in cars. This glass isn’t dangerous when it breaks as it forms small bits of rounded glass, but a film is still a good option in high-traffic areas because if the glass does get broken, the film will hold it all together, minimizing the need to clean up the mess after a breakage. Any kind of tinting film is good in this case. My car is tinted, and one night, someone broke into it by smashing the front passenger window. The tinting minimized the glass mess in the car.
The final type of glass, which doesn’t need tinting unless you want to cut out heat and glare, is laminated glass. This is super tough and expensive. The average home is unlikely to have this glass.
Child protection
Another area that benefits from safety film is childcare centres. Any windows a child could come into contact with the need to meet government safety standards. New South Wales government regulations state that:
“The approved provider of an education and care service must ensure that any glazed area of the premises of the education and care service that is in a room or other place accessible to children and is 0.75 metres or less above the level of the floor:
(a) is glazed with safety glass, if the Building Code of Australia requires the area to be glazed with safety glass, or
(b) in any other case:
(i) is treated with a product that prevents glass from shattering if broken, or
(ii) is guarded by barriers that prevent a child from striking or falling against the glass.”
We can tint those windows and provide a compliance certificate. Windows tinting is more cost efficient and less disruptive than changing the windows.
Safety film is also an excellent solution for retail premises that are in high-risk crime areas. The safety film can make it hard or even impossible for someone to smash their way through.
If you think your home or business could benefit from safety film, feel free to get in touch with us. We’re happy to have a chat over the phone or come out and give you a free no-obligation quote.
