The Benefits of Solar Window Film from Arizona Solar Control

Read below about comfort, fade protection, saving energy and lowering utility bills, elegance and privacy, security, our professional installation and then let us answer some of your most frequently asked questions. If you have any additional questions, you are always welcome to contact Arizona Solar Control. Also Read About Safety and Security.

Why do you need Solar Window Film?

• Why install window film?
  
• What is window film?
  
• Will it peel?
  
• Will it scratch?
  
• Will it bubble?
  
• What does the warranty cover?
  
• Is it safe for insulated (double-pane) windows?
  
• Does film control fading and heat damage, while letting maximum light into the rooms?
  
• Will film change the appearance of my windows?
  
• Will I be able to see out of the windows at night?
  
• Do I need to wash my windows prior to installation?
  
• Does Arizona Solar Control install tint for cars?
  
• Why use Arizona Solar Control?
  
• What areas does Arizona Solar Control cover?

Why install window film?

To control heat buildup, fading and glare.

What is window film?

Window film is extremely thin layers of metal, making up what you see as tint, enclosed between two pieces of clear polyester plastic.  Older films used chemical dyes to provide the "tint".  These have largely given way to the sputterized (metalized) film.  Dyed films were notorious for fading and even changing colors.  Dyed films typically had 5-7 year warranties; today's sputtered films typically have ten-year or lifetime warranties.  Modern films adhere to glass with adhesives that no longer form gas pockets (bubbles) after a few years.

Will it peel?

Peeling (delaminating) is not a problem with modern films.

Will it scratch?

Modern films have excellent scratch-resistant coatings.  Older films had no scratch-resistant coatings and some were ruined the first time they were cleaned unless extreme care was used.  Today's films have very hard scratch-resistant coatings that allow for normal cleaning.  The manufacturers recommend that no abrasives be used.  A scratch-resistant coating does not mean scratch-proof; care should be taken when working around filmed windows with paint scrapings or other metal objects.

Will it bubble?

Bubbles can be caused by inexperienced installers or adhesive failure.  Arizona Solar Control uses only highly experienced installers and films that no longer form gas pockets several years after use.  In fact, Panorama and SolarGard films use a dry adhesive that has been on the market since 1977 without a failure of any type!

What does the warranty cover?

Film warranties cover virtually anything that has happened to films in the past such as but not limited to peeling, bubbling, crazing, demetalizing, etc.  Maybe the most important thing about film warranties is that they are not prorated.  If a film with a ten-year warranty fails after nine years, the manufacturer is contractually obligated to pay a dealer to remove the old film and install new film at no cost to the warranty holder.  The warranties also cover glass breakage from heat cracks and seal failure on insulated (double-pane) glass because most glass manufacturers will void their own glass warranty after window film has been applied.

Are films safe to insulated (double-pane) windows?

Modern window films like Panorama are safe for double-pane windows.  In fact, the manufacturers of these films warranty the film for life.  They also warrant the windows for stress fractures and seal failures.  Panorama warrants stress fractures for five years and seal failures for three years.  Panorama also offers modestly-priced warranties that take over the manufacturer's warranty, word for word.  As an example, if the window manufacturer warrants the window for seal failure for twenty years and seal failure occurs after 18 years, it is the film manufacturer's responsibility to pay for the new window.  Panorama covers cost of the window, the labor to install it and the cost to re-film the new window.  (Many window manufacturers don't cover labor!)

Will film control fading and heat damage while letting maximum light inside?

The films that accomplish this are called spectrally selective.   This is because they reject almost all of the ultraviolet light and the majority of heat that comes through the window while transmitting most of the sun's visible light.

Will film change the appearance of my windows?

The answer to this depends on which film is chosen.  Panorama has films that are very dark as well as those that are very light.  The lightest films are those that are spectrally selective.  These films are so light that they are used on retail store-front windows where clarity is mandatory.

Will I be able to see out of the windows at night?

The best films for this are the spectrally selective films.  They only reject small amounts of light and so do not reflect the light back at the viewer.  Panorama has installed thousands of square feet of spectrally selective films in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills and in the hills and high-rise condos of San Francisco, where keeping the night view was of considerable importance.

Do I need to wash my windows prior to installation?

No, Arizona Solar Control installers prepare each window thoroughly prior to installation.

Does Arizona Solar Control install tint for cars?

No. Automotive window film installation is a specialty, just as residential and commercial window film installation.

Why use Arizona Solar Control?

Arizona Solar Control has been serving the Phoenix area since 1984.  We specialize in residential and commercial installations.  We use some of the finest films on the market (films whose manufacturers restrict distribution to only the top dealers).  In addition, Arizona Solar Control uses only installers with many years of experience installing all types of flat-glass films.  Arizona Solar Control has many satisfied customers around the Phoenix metro area who ask us back for additional work and recommend us to their friends and neighbors.  References are always available upon request.  We have probably done residential or commercial work very close to you.

What areas does Arizona Solar Control offer window tinting service?

Arizona Solar Control does work all over Arizona, as well as New Mexico, Nevada and California.  We have done many installations in and around Flagstaff, Prescott, Payson, Tucson, Sedona, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Avondale, Surprise, Glendale, Goodyear, Lichfield Park, Sun City, Queen Creek and Ahwatukee, AZ.

Please contact us to set up an appointment for a free consultation.

Contact Arizona Solar Control