Home Security - Window Film

security window film is surprisingly good, the weak spot becomes where the glass is in the frame and cannot be laminated, a hard hit and the class "collapses" instead of sends shards flying (assuming single pane, builder grade windows).

but it is still glass and if someone does not care about the noise, will still be your homes easiest b&e (breaking and entry) point

I've been recommending window film to businesses for years as a way to limit B/Es. Shatterguard is probably the most well-known and expensive of the brands out there. I do believe 3M is making a cheaper version, but the name escapes me at the moment.

I've never used this myself, but intend to once I have a place of my own. The way I heard about it is from the TV show To Catch a Thief, which is on the Discovery channel I believe. It is a show done by two former professional thieves that show people how to b&e proof their homes. I know that they highly recommend it. Hope that helps.

Yeah we recently put shatter guard on all or windows and doors in a 9,000 sq ft office area. Doors are magnetically locked and released by a register card or buzzer. Shatter Guard has different varieties for sale. One for break ins which is impressive and one for explosions which one day will be the top seller. Get on their website they have some interesting stunts.


Jim

About how much are the different varieties of this stuff?

Shatter proof, or shatter resistant window

I researched this a lot, and that burglar Gard film is really expensive. You can get the same stuff, if not better and CHEAPER at uhmmmmm.......

http://www.shattersafe.com

www.shattersafe.com .. I don't know if that link up there worked or not so i typed it out.

I bought some online for my house and it went on pretty cleanly. Once it was on I could not even tell it was there unless I looked really close. I bought the SSF-400 2ply 4 mil stuff 36 inches wide by 10 feet long and it was like.. 110.00 bucks or something.

I hope this helps.

Almo

i wonder if i can get some samples to play with.

Almo,

How much trouble was it to install and make it look good/no bubbles?

It was pretty easy actually. They said that if you had any exp with hanging wallpaper, or applying tint or frost on a window it was almost the same except thicker. I have done both so it went pretty good. Clear as a bell too.

Only hint I can give you is to make sure you have lots of lint free paper towels. The blue shop ones worked well.. and LOTS OF TOWELS below where you are working. There was a lot of water.

Bubbles? No bubbles at all... but then again maybe I got lucky.

Good luck . let me know how it went.

I saw a demo of that stuff on a car window. It was impressive. So I'm sure it would work well on residential applications. But I wouldn't put anything like that on car windows. I'm sure it would be great for keeping thieves from getting your CD collection, but it might also keep you from escaping in the event of a firey accident.

I saw a segment on the local news recently that had some new type of window screen they were using. They were throwing bricks and firing a 2x4 out of an air cannon at it without effect.

http://www.tapcoinc.net/

Yeah.. It's a steel security screen.

Great idea but I would still want to see out and not have a dark window screen in front of me. Simply a personal choice, but it is cool.

With the window film on the car, I asked them about that and they told me the film is designed to withstand impact from the outside, not the inside and you can get out.

I THINK THOUGH.. that with everything that you do to protect yourself and your family, there are still going to be some risks.

perhaps you can get out... but if you're knocked unconscious it makes it harder for a paramedic or FF to get in.

what i was wondering is, what keeps the glass that is under the window frame from giving up and allowing the entire film coated window to fall in? it seems you would almost have to remove the glass from the window in order to make it effective.... but thats certainly not an option on most modern windows/patio doors etc...

geesh.


I am not pretending to be an expert on this stuff at all, but I am pretty sure just like the screen idea... a first responder will be able to get in with other tools... even if they pry the front windshield off, or the back glass.

Anyways.. just my 2 cents.

Unless your window or glass door has the laminate coating the entire pane of glass, including the glass that is covered by the frame, you are talking about buying yourself, or the security company, time. Not completely preventing entry. Still a good option, one which I've been looking into.

When I installed new windows they has the Lo E coating and it said NOT to install window tint over it.

I wonder what would happen if this was installed?

I checked that too with a company and the reason was that almost every glass manufacturer says the same thing. It's about the warranty. If anything ever happens tothe glass, if there is no film on it, the warranty is in place.

kinda odd..

I believe the US Gov. Is using Mylar transparent film on buildings. Keeps the glass from shattering into thousands of shards. BUT you still get a plate of glass coming a you in the event of an exsplosion.

Incorrect about the "plate of glass" coming at you. The more I look into this stuff, the more interesting it is. With most govt jobs evidently the film is anchored with either a compound or physically to the building structure so that the film, the glass and the frame become one large unit.

Kewl, isn't it.

I called the sales team at Shatter Safe to get the lowdown.

I think this thread is all used up now.

Almo

I have a friend that is in the commercial window tint business and he put hurricane film on my windows for this very same reason.

There are several levels of security that can be achieved with film. You can just simply apply film or there is some way (he explained it to me but I didn't understand) to use some sort of epoxy and seal the glass, film and frame together for better protection.

With the epoxy method you'd probably want to get a professional to do it for you.

If you have any experience with window film you should be able to do the basic method yourself. Note, though, that security film is much thicker than the film on your car windows and is a little more difficult to install and get all the bubbles out of.

3M's product is reported to be very good - it will stop a hurricane wind-driven 2X4 from penetrating a window.

3M also makes a bonding agent that seals the window film to the frame of the window, thus making everything one unit...

see the link:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...E3E02LECFTDQGGG7_nid=K9WHBV0B32beT4DCJBL6BVgl

3M™ Impact Protection Adhesive is available in both black and white option

Click to expand...

ugh. i believe in order to be effective it has to cover approx .5'' of the window film and the window frame. as much as i despise caulking... that could end up being a mess

this... while probably being more expensive... is what i would think to use.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/..._RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQGGG7_c=LongDescOutlink

I think the differences in films is thickness and elasticity. the better companies usually have better film. The local window shops should have close to the same thing. Buy the thicker material.



Jim

shattergard.com

I use this product: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_H_SNdO4_s

or

www.shattergard.com

Good Luck/stay safe