We are often asked, “What is the best window film?” It’s a good question. People want to know the answer when they are shopping around for window tint.
Our answer is always the same, “That depends on what you want to do.”
For commercial property managers, it often comes down to one metric – Return on Investment or ROI. How long will it take the film to pay for itself? Especially when it comes to solar control. (Security is a separate issue we will tackle later).
After consulting on hundreds of window film applications in locations around the world I have an opinion I’d like to share with you. The absolute best window film for reducing solar heat, lower your energy costs and improving the look and feel of your building is…
3M Exterior Prestige Window Film. Hands down.
Dollar for dollar and all things equal, exterior window films outperform films installed on the inside of a window. This is true of every exterior window film. But they also have a downside. Historically they don’t last. Exposed to the weather and beat up continually by the sun the typical life of an exterior film is under 2 years.
All this has changed with 3M’s Exterior Prestige product. They deliver the best “value for money” combination of benefits. With the 3M Exterior product, you get:
- Significant energy reduction, even on triple pane, high-performance Low-E glass. No matter what type of glass you have, you will still get substantial savings.
- A very fast Return-on-Investment. These films pay for themselves quickly.
- Very low reflectivity, less than the glass itself.
- No metals to corrode. This means the film will last significantly longer. In fact, these films come with a comprehensive warranty for up to 10 years.
Another aspect we love about exterior window films, especially on commercial buildings, is that they are out of reach of the tenants. Less access to the life means less damage, and that means they’ll last longer and require less work from your staff.
So, there you have it, what might be the best window film not only for commercial buildings but also for homes and hotels.
Is this the best window film for you? To see if your building, home or office can benefit from this of one of our other 3M Window Films call Starmor at 800-297-3862 or fill out our contact form.
