End your glare despair...

Typical, isn’t it? You wait all year for the decent weather and when the sunshine does arrive, it brings problems with it. If you have windows in your office, studio, shop, factory or home, you’ll probably know what we mean. Glare is one such issue, even effecting one of the most recognisable brands in the world. Naturally The Window Film Company were happy to lend a hand…

A Hampshire branch of Starbucks benefits from a sleek glass frontage, with the front facing side of the shop consisting entirely of glass. This ensured a contemporary, stylish look as well as excellent natural light levels and a view both into and out of the popular shop. It also meant glare.

Left unchecked, glare can be a problem all year round, but it can be particularly acute during the warmer months. With brighter, longer days the sun can make it difficult to focus on screens, colleagues or paperwork or, in this case, make for an uncomfortable coffee drinking experience.

It became apparent that the middle row of windows were the main cause for concern, with six panels – each four square metres in size, allowing bright sunlight to pass through into the main body of the store, making it uncomfortable for staff and customers. After a consultation with one of The Window Film Company’s experienced account managers, it was agreed that High Reflective Silver – a high performance solar control film - should be used.

Once applied, this film reduces glare by up to 81% and achieves this without blocking the view from the inside out, or sacrificing high levels of natural light.

Due to the branch being continually busy, it was agreed that the work would take place outside opening hours, ensuring there would be no disruption or negative impact on the business. This was organised and agreed by The Window Film Company’s operations team, whose responsibility it is to manage the logistics for each and every installation. On this occasion, the job also required provision for scaffolding – the 6 large panes were at first storey height.

The installation was undertaken by one of The Window Film Company’s fitting teams, with the film being applied to the internal face of the glass. The size of the panes meant that two pieces of film were required to fully cover each panel; the experience of the team allowing them to install the film with a join that was imperceptible to the eye.

With the work carried out on time, the branch could open as normal, with the only change being an improved internal environment all year round. The external appearance of the film complemented the fascia of the building, while the anti-glare properties ensured a continual comfortable experience for staff and customers.

For more information about the full range of anti-glare and solar control window films supplied and installed by The Window Film Company, please call 01494 794477 or email info@windowfilm.co.uk.