Monday, June 10, 2013

Ceramic Window Films... What's the Difference?

So, is there pottery in the window film? Not hardly.
 
In the late 1990's the term "ceramic" was just becoming associated with window film. The term came from the fact that some metals, when applied to film and exposed to oxygen would oxidize and become a form of ceramic. This is not the same ceramic as in insulators or the tiles on the Space Shuttle. Certainly not the same as a ceramic flower pot.

The design idea was to create a window film that offered the performance of traditional reflective films without the shiny, reflective appearance. The product was a success! Unfortunately, it was more expensive and was not available in the darker, glare reducing shades.

Over time, manufacturers have modified the traditional films to resemble the ceramic films. For example, our Optivision 35 and Day Dream 35 look almost identical to it's ceramic counter part. The performance was not compromised, but the cost was substantially less.

Spectral Selective films are a little difference. These films offer the performance of a 35% light transmission film and are almost invisible on the window. This is great for homeowners that do not want to alter the look of their windows. Our Firewall window film is one of these products.  But, as with all high tech products, it does cost more. We also offer Sun Gard Nova 70. This very light film will  not darken the room and still reduce heat by better than 50%. Nova is slightly less expensive than the ceramic films.

At Clear View my goal is to provide a quality product at a fair value. That's why in many cases I suggest homeowners look past the high tech  products and the fancy sales pitch for the better value for the money.

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