Back to school for heat and glare

The Window Film Company has completed an extensive project at an East London school, applying window film to over 120 panes of glass to reduce excess heat and glare.

Schools vary in size, age and appearance, but the majority have a shared characteristic – a large number of windows. The benefits of large expanses of glazing are clear – they provide students and staff with a view to the exterior, as well as being a source of welcome natural light. On the flip side however, glazing can cause unwanted issues such as heat and glare. This was the case at this primary school and The Window Film Company were engaged to deliver a solution.

Excess heat is caused by the unchecked build-up of solar energy during the day, while glare can be an all-round problem, the sunlight making it difficult to focus on colleagues, paperwork or screens. Both issues were resulting in an uncomfortable environment for teachers and pupils and a solution was urgently required.

A survey was undertaken by one of The Window Film Company’s experienced team members, allowing for a full understanding of the project, the location of the glass and the number and size of the panes. With the survey complete, a number of window film samples were sent to the project managers at the school. This allowed them to experience the different products in situ and to see how they appeared and behaved in different weather conditions and at various times of day. After first-hand experience of a number of films, it was agreed that Optiview 15 was the appropriate choice.

Optiview 15 will reject up to 80% of excess heat and will reduce glare by up to 86%, with the film effective immediately once installed. The reflective exterior appearance of the film is what delivers the solar control – reflecting away a percentage of the solar energy before it has an opportunity to enter the premises and to gradually raise the temperature. This is achieved without blocking the view from the inside out; this particular film has been manufactured specifically to provide as neutral an internal appearance as possible.

With the film type approved, The Window Film Company’s dedicated operations team liaised with the school to agree on a suitable timeframe for installation. The survey had revealed that a total of 126 large panes would require an application and three days was allowed for the work to be completed. It was agreed that the work would take place over the half term break to ensure the minimum of disruption.

The work was carried out by a team of The Window Film Company’s fully trained and qualified installers, with the film applied to the internal face of each pane. Once fitted, the film was effective immediately – minimising solar gain and reducing glare. There was also an aesthetic improvement, with the exterior of the glass taking on a sleek and professional reflective appearance. Internally, the view was maintained and natural light was still allowed to enter each room.

For more information on heat and glare reduction window films, please contact a member of the team on 01494 794477 or email info@windowfilm.co.uk.