Concord Window Films - Heat Control Window Film

Heat Control Window Films
What you need to know:

Traditional heat control window films contain micro-thin layers of metal, which act as infra-red (heat) reflectors/absorbers and visible light filters. These layers are so thin that they actually transparent. Because visible light is very close to infra-red light in the electromagnetic spectrum, films which are the darkest and most visibly reflective also block the most heat.

What types of light contribute to heat?

49% Visible Light
49% Infra-Red Light
02% Ultra Violet Light

It comes as a surprise to many people that visible light contributes equally to heat. When visible light enters a window, it is absorbed by solid objects within your home or commercial building. This light is absorbed and reradiated at longer wavelengths (infrared heat). This is the reason why darker and more reflective films are more efficient heat blockers. In addition to blocking infrared light (heat) darker films block more visible light, which contributes equally to solar heat loads.

Ceramic Films. For those applications when only a light film is acceptable and you want to block the greatest amount of infrared light (heat) Ceramic Films are the best choice. While not the overall best performing films, Ceramic films are the "best of the lightest" when it comes to solar performance compared to other light films. Concord offers 4 different Ceramic films for you to choose from.

Silver Reflective Series films are the highest performing heat blockers available. These are the most common heat blocking films worldwide because of their ability to block up to 79% of the solar solar energy. The only drawback of these top-performing films is their reflective appearance, which some customers want to avoid if possible. If you have a severe heat control situation and do not mind the increase in visible reflectivity, Silver Reflective films are by far your best choice.

If you want to avoid the reflective look, you can still achieve a substantial reduction in solar heat with films that are both lighter and less reflective. There are many different types of films to choose from and we will explain each one in detail (below)

What happens in wintertime? The films are infra-red reflectors, so you will lose some of the free solar heat coming in during winter. At the same time, the films are able to reflect some of your heating system's energy back into the living space, which makes up for some of this loss. When considered on a year round basis, the films are proven energy savers, which is why they are considered insulating products eligible for the IRS Energy Saving Tax Credit.

Helping you choose a film: Our "Featured Films" below are the ones which are the most popular choices for heat control applications. For those customers who prefer to select from a wider range of films, we list our entire heat control product lineup further down on this page. If you have any questions along the way, do not hesitate to contact one of our solar control specialists. Selling solar control window film has been our one and only business since 1982. We will provide you with expert advice and guidance every step of the way.

General Guidelines: For severe heat control applications, always consider the darker films. Your eyes will adjust to the lower light levels and you will be blocking the highest amount of the total heat load. If light films are a must, consider Ceramic Films or something "in the middle".

Featured Films: Silver Reflective 15%, Neutral 35% and Pearl Ceramic
For Extreme Heat Control Applications - Silver Reflective Series. 10 Year Warranty
Silver Reflective Films are the most effective heat blocking films available. They are also the most visibly reflective. For severe heat control applications, they are often the best choice.
Silver 15% Film Blocks 79% of Solar Heat Our Most Effective Heat Blocker View From The Outside Looking In	Daytime View Is Clear At night, windows are very mirror-like if bright interior lights are on. View From The Inside Looking Out

Silver 15% - Click to see pricing and available sizes.
Note: Lighter Silver Films are also available (35%, 53%, 68%) further down on this page.

Our # 1 Selling Film - Neutral Residential Series: 10 Year Warranty
If your objective is to reduce solar heat while avoiding the "reflective mirror-like" appearance, Concord Neutral Residential films are a popular choice. These films contain the micro thin layers of metal, but they are situated behind a layer of lightly tinted polyester, which reduces the surface reflectivity. Performance is slightly less than the Silver Films, but the reflective look is avoided. This combination of reduced visible reflectivity and good solar performance makes the Neutral 35% our #1 most popular film for homes.
Medium Neutral 35% Our #1 Most Popular Residential Film VIEW FROM OUTSIDE 60% Heat Rejection	Medium Neutral 35% Our #1 Most Popular Residential Film VIEW FROM INSIDE 60% Heat Rejection
Neutral Series 35% - Click to see pricing and available sizes

Ceramic Series: Lifetime Warranty
Ceramic films are indicated for applications that require very high light transmission (being practically invisible) where maximum solar performance is desired. Ceramic Films are the most efficient performing films when the requirement for light transmission (visibility) is high.
Pearl Ceramic 5885 85% Infra Red Rejection VIEW FROM INSIDE	Pearl Ceramic 6777 77% Infra Red Rejection VIEW FROM INSIDE
Order Pearl Ceramic 5885	Order Pearl Ceramic 6777

Here is complete list of all Concord Heat Control Films

The three films listed above are the most popular ones we sell for heat control. Still, they are not the only films Concord has available to control solar heat. A complete list of all of our heat blocking films is listed below. To see sizes and prices for each film and to add them to your shopping cart, simply click on the film name.
Below this list of films is an explanation of the difference in each one of them.

TIP: The film numbers tell you how dark the films are. The lower the number, the darker the film. The number is the percentage of light transmission.
For example, a 15% film lets in 15% of the light and blocks 85%.

*** Single Pane Only: Denotes films which are not approved for application to double pane (thermal insulated) glass.

Download Our Complete Specification Tables
A Complete List Of All Concord Fade Control Films Click The Links To See Available Sizes & Prices
Silver Reflective	Neutral Residential	Dual Reflective	Sputtered Neutral	Sputtered Copper	Concord Ceramic
10 Year Warranty	10 Year Warranty	Lifetime Warranty	Lifetime Warranty	10 Year Warranty	Lifetime Warranty
Compares To: 3M P-Series Llumar Silver All Other Silvers	Our Most Popular !! Compares To 3M NEARL FILMS Llumar N-Series	Compares To: 3M Night Vision CP/Vista Sun-Tek Symphony	Compares To 3M Night Vision CP/Vista Sun-Tek Infinity	Compares To 3M Night Vision CP/Vista Sun-Tek Infinity Brz	Compares To: 3M Prestive Huper Optik / V-Kool Sun-Tek Ultra Vision
** TSE = Total Solar Energy Silver 68% Blocks 32% Glare Blocks 34% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Silver 53% Blocks 47% Glare Blocks 59% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Silver 35% Blocks 65% Glare Blocks 65% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Silver 15% Blocks 85% Glare Blocks 72% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV	TSE = Total Solar Energy Res Neutral 50% Blocks 50% Glare Blocks 34% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Res Neutral 35% Blocks 65% Glare Blocks 53% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Res Neutral 20% Blocks 80% Glare Blocks 58% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV ** Do Not Apply 20% to Double Pane Glass	** TSE = Total Solar Energy Dual Reflective 45% Blocks 55% Glare Blocks 42% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Dual Reflective 35% Blocks 65% Glare Blocks 48% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Dual Reflective 25% Blocks 75% Glare Blocks 62% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Dual Reflective 10% Blocks 90% Glare Blocks 75% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV	TSE = Total Solar Energy Sput Neutral 60% Blocks 40% Glare Blocks 35% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Sput Neutral 45% Blocks 55% Glare Blocks 46% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Sput Neutral 35% Blocks 65% Glare Blocks 55% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Sput Neutral 20% Blocks 80% Glare Blocks 66% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV ** Do Not Apply 20% to Double Pane Glass	** TSE = Total Solar Energy Sput Copper 50% Blocks 50% Glare Blocks 56% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Sput Copper 35% Blocks 65% Glare Blocks 66% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV Sput Copper 20% Blocks 80% Glare Blocks 78% TSE Blocks 98%+ UV	** IR = Infra Red Rejection Pearl Ceramic 7643 Blocks 34% Glare Blocks 43% I.R. Blocks 98%+ UV Pearl Ceramic 6865 Blocks 32% Glare Blocks 65% I.R. Blocks 98%+ UV Pearl Ceramic 6777 Blocks 33% Glare Blocks 77% I.R. Blocks 98%+ UV Pearl Ceramic 5885 Blocks 42% Glare Blocks 85% I.R. Blocks 98%+ UV

What are the differences in each of these films?

Silver Reflective:

For severe heat control, Silver Reflective Films are the most effective. The only “downside” of these films is the increase in visible reflectivity (a mirror-like appearance). If this is not a consideration, Silver Films are your best choice for heat control. If you are seeking to avoid the reflective look, consider Neutral Residential or one of the other films listed below. The other films block a bit less total heat, but you can avoid the reflective look. There are 4 different Silver Films in the series. 68% 53% 35% & 15%. The lower the percentage, the darker the film and the more heat it blocks. The darker ones also look more reflective. Silver 68% is virtually invisible on the window while the Silver 15% is the most reflective looking and blocks the most heat. All of the Silver Reflective Series Films are approved for application to double pane (thermal insulated) windows up to 40 square feet in size. Double pane windows larger than 40 square feet should not be tinted with ANY film due to the risk of thermal shock fracture or seal failure.

Neutral Residential Series:

These are our most popular heat control films. For the majority of our customers, they provide the right combination of heat rejection without the increased visible reflectivity of a Silver Film. In particular, the Neutral 35% (which is the medium shade) had been our #1 Best Seller for over 20 years. It seems to represent the ideal "Happy Medium" in terms of shade, color, performance and reflectivity. There are 3 films in the Neutral Series. 50% 35% & 20%. The lower the percentage number, the darker the film. Neutral 20% is not approved for application to double pane glass. Neutral 50% and 35% are approved for application to double pane windows up to 40 square feet in size. Double pane windows larger than 40 square feet should not be tinted with ANY film due to the risk of thermal shock fracture or seal failure.

Dual Reflective Films:

Compare these to 3M "Night Vision" Films. Note that this type of film is not like “night vision goggles”, which rely upon infra red sensing technology to help you see warm objects in the dark. We are asked about this quite often because of the name 3M chose for their product. We call ours exactly what they are; Dual Reflective.

The reason they are called "Dual Reflective" is because the measurable surface reflectivity of the inner surface and outer surface of the film is different. Typically, the more reflective side faces the outside of the home or the building. The purpose of building a Dual Reflective film is to provide high solar reflectance (on the outside) while still maintaining less visible reflectivity on the inside. This becomes important if you have the lights on at night and want to preserve your view of the landscape outside your window. Note that the same effect can be created with non–Dual Reflective films by simply dimming your lights at night if you want to see outside. Since 3M introduced the "Night Vision" series, Dual Reflective Films have become more popular. If you like to leave the lights on inside at night and still see out, these films are worth considering. Just don’t leave them on too bright! If there is too much light, you won’t be able to see out no matter what film is on the glass!

One additional benefit of Dual Reflective Films is that they are all approved for double pane windows up to 40 square feet. There are 4 films in the Dual Reflective Series 45% 35% 25% & 10% and all of them are approved for application to double pane windows less than 40 square feet in size. Dual Reflective 10% is the darkest film approved for application to double pane glass. Double pane windows larger than 40 square feet should not be tinted with ANY film due to the risk of thermal shock fracture or seal failure.

Sputtered Neutral Films:

These films are constructed with metal alloys; Nickel and Chromium and contain no dyes or pigments whatsoever. The key benefits are longevity and performance stability over time. Sputtered Ni-Chrome films are considered within the solar control industry to be among the most stable and durable.

There are four films in the Sputtered Nichrome Series. 60% 45% 35% & 20%. Except for the 20%, they are approved for application to double pane windows which are not larger than 40 square feet in size. The 20% is not approved for application to double pane windows. Double pane windows larger than 40 square feet should not be tinted with ANY film due to the risk of thermal shock fracture or seal failure.

Note: We suggest the GT064 Sputtered Film Squeegee for use in applying any and all Sputtered Window Films.

Sputtered Copper Films

These Bronze Films are essentially the same as the Sputtered Neutral Films above except that they are made with Copper. They have an appealing architectural look which is often described as like a "shiny new penny". These films are highly visibly reflective and look very much like a shiny new copper penny.

Similar to the Ni-Chrome films described above, sputtered Copper Films tend to retain a large amount of the installation water used to apply them. If they are not squeegeed out very thoroughly (and with the right tools) water will condense beneath them and the resulting fog can persist for a long time after application. While they are an excellent choice, we suggest that you check with our friendly and knowledgeable tech support desk about which tools are best to use on this type of film. There are 3 different films in the Sputtered Copper Bronze Series 50% 35% & 20%. All 3 films are approved for application to double pane glass. Double pane windows larger than 40 square feet should not be tinted with ANY film due to the risk of thermal shock fracture or seal failure.

Note: We suggest the GT064 Sputtered Film Squeegee for use in applying any and all Sputtered Window Films.

Ceramic Films: Compare To:

Huper-Optik
3M Prestige Series
Vista
V-Kool

Ceramic films are indicated for applications that require very high light transmission (being practically invisible) where maximum solar performance is desired. Ceramics are the most effective films when the requirement for light transmission (visibility) is high.

Here are some application examples where you might consider a Ceramic Film:

A requirement for inward visibility (such as a storefront display window)
A requirement from a homeowners association (or other architectural standard) that the film be completely undetectable
An architectural requirement or individual preference that the visible light levels not be reduced by more than 15-35%

Be wary of advertisements for Ceramic Films often boast "High Infra-Red" rejection. Because the metering of Infra-Red is highly wavelength specific, this information should be entirely discounted. Even if a film blocked 100% of the infra-red (none of them do) the sun would still heat the room up because visible light contributes equally to the heat load.

There are 4 films within the series 76% 68% 67% & 58%. All of our Ceramic Films are approved for application to Double Pane glass up to 40 square feet in size. Double pane windows larger than 40 square feet should not be tinted with ANY film due to the risk of thermal shock fracture or seal failure.

Questions?

Call and speak with one of our friendly and knowledgeable solar control technicians. The team at Concord Films has been working in the solar control industry since 1982. You can rely upon our vast knowledge and experience to help you select just the right window film for application to your windows.

Concord Window Films
East Coast Warehouse
82 Mill Plain Road
Danbury, CT 06811
(203)798-0343