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Opalux Window Film Blog
Why are car window films so invaluable?
It’s easy to think that there’s no real need to apply a specialist film to the windows of a vehicle, right up to the moment when such a need becomes obvious.
Excessive glare, for example, can be a major problem for many drivers, potentially blinding their view at crucial points and consequently heightening the risk of an accident. Temperature control, too, can be a pressing issue, while some drivers may wish to have window film applied to their vehicles chiefly for privacy or security reasons.
As a dealer or fitter, you may have received many enquiries from customers about car window films, or they may have spoken about problems like the above and asked you whether a solution is available.
When you invest in such films as our own OPX-branded products here at Opalux, you can answer their requirements while also opening up a potentially lucrative new market for your firm.
Our OPX products can meet almost every conceivable need
You only need to cast a glance or two around our current selection of OPX car window films to begin to appreciate just what wide-ranging requirements such products can serve.
If it’s superb protection against potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that your customer most needs from a vehicle window film, for instance, you may point them towards our exclusive one-ply, optically clear and non-metalized OPX NR Elite Solo offerings. These innovative window tints – from NR Elite Solo 5, right through to NR Elite Solo 70 – all filter 99% of UV rays.
Our NR Elite Duo car window films are just as effective in this regard, except that as their name indicates, these are two-ply products. Glare reduction is another major advantage to the driver of having films like these installed on their vehicle, however, with our NR Elite Solo 5, NR Elite Duo 5, HP Refined 5 and IR Challenger 5 films all bringing glare down by an astonishing 94%.
It’s easy to forget, though, that many vehicle owners also desire a certain ‘look’ from the car window films that they specify. In that case, you may consider – in particular – recommending our IR Challenger window tints to them, by virtue of the wide range of shades from which one can choose.
Get in touch now, so that we can help you to order the best-suited products
Would you appreciate the guidance and know-how of our experts when you are attempting to select the car window films that will be of greatest relevance to your customers’ needs?
If so, it couldn’t be easier to get in touch with us, whether to ask a technical question or request a free survey and quotation; simply call 0845 026 1125 now, or complete and submit our online contact form.
There are options for every need among our OPX window films
Car owners frequently approach dealers and fitters with an interest in having window films applied to their vehicle, although the reasons for such interest can greatly vary. For some drivers, it may be privacy that is the main motivation, whereas others may be chiefly concerned with boosting security or better protecting themselves from excessive heat or glare when behind the wheel.
These wide-ranging considerations make it vital that when you are looking to order the automotive tinted films that will satisfy your customers, you choose the right solutions from the right supplier.
So with all of the above in mind, here are the ranges of OPX window films that you can purchase from the Opalux team right now, and which help to show we really can supply the product that will meet a given customer’s requirements.
Solo or Duo?
As their respective names indicate, our OPX NR Elite Solo and NR Elite Duo automotive window films have much in common. They are all optically clear, non-metalized polyester films that offer impressive clarity and high-performing colour-stable properties. Both of these subcategories of our OPX window films also deliver 99% filtering of ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Our NR Elite Solo products, however, are one-ply films, compared to the two-ply products that make up the NR Elite Duo range. The former, 25-micron films come with a three-year product warranty, while the latter are 38-micron and accompanied by a limited lifetime warranty.
You can depend on OPX window films for consistently high-end performance
Continue your perusal of our OPX window film range, and you’ll also find such formidably-specified options as our HP Refined window tints. These two-ply metalized films combine high optical clarity with maximum heat rejection and stellar colour-stable properties.
OPX HP Refined films do much to make the driver feel more comfortable behind the wheel – the HP Refined 5 film, for example, provides 99% UV rejection, 94% glare reduction and 61% total solar energy rejection.
Finally, we are also pleased to be able to supply IR Challenger window tints that offer truly high-end performance. They’re available in various shades and can be depended on to provide long-lasting heat and glare reduction, as well as impeccable scratch resistance without the need for a metalized layer. These films, too, come with a lifetime warranty.
Would you like to talk to our team in more detail about our assortment of OPX window films, so that you can be sure of selecting the most appropriate products for the requirements of your business as a dealer or fitter, and as a consequence, our customers? If so, don’t hesitate to call 0845 026 1125 today, so that we can also give you the benefit of the most competitive quote.
Automotive window films that help to maximise the profits of fitters and dealers
Given the considerable emphasis that we place on our supply of many of the most innovative architectural window films, it can be easy for some customers to overlook our similarly formidable reputation with regard to the provision of all manner of automotive window films.
We do not sell our OPX tinted automotive films directly to car owners, however, but instead to the professional fitters and dealers that can make the most advantageous use of them, to the benefit of their customers.
So, what are the aspects of these films that should make them your own first choice?
OPX is synonymous with quality, durability and performance
When you are next in the market for the automotive window films that will best suit your requirements as a dealer or fitter, you will naturally desire products that have been designed and produced to the highest standards. After all, any shortfall in quality in the films that you use compared to the customer’s expectation will not reflect well on you.
It is just as well, then, that our OPX line of automotive window films truly does represent an advanced level of design and manufacture, as shown by such elements as their excellent heat shrink, high-quality scratch-resistant coating and remarkable colour stability.
Take your pick from leading-edge car window films
While certain characteristics are apparent across all of our present automotive window films, such as an ultraviolet (UV) rejection rate of 99% and a similarly impressive ability to reduce glare, there may also be specialised requirements that necessitate the purchase of a very specific film in this range.
Our NR Elite Solo film, for instance, is a one-ply, optically clear, non-metalized polyester film that is a great option when stunning clarity and high-performing colour stable qualities are required. NR Elite Duo, meanwhile – as its name implies – is a two-ply version, and comes with a limited lifetime warranty compared to the three-year warranty accompanying the NR Elite Solo.
Also included in our current selection of automotive window films is the HP Refined metalized film that is acclaimed for its installer-friendliness, with its excellent heat shrinking enabling it to sit down well on the dot matrix.
Alternatively, your organisation may be best served by IR Challenger window tints, which deliver superior scratch resistance without incorporating a metalized layer, and can be specified in an assortment of shades.
Call the Opalux technical team today on 0845 026 1125, and we can provide you with the advice that you may need to make the most informed choice of car window film – followed by the most competitive quotation.
What are the differences between our internal and external heat reflective material for windows?
If you have been browsing the Opalux website in search of appropriate solar protective window film for your needs, you may have noticed that some of our reflective films are described as suitable for interior application, and others for exterior application.
This begs an obvious question: how greatly do these two forms of heat reflective material for windows actually differ from each other?
Solar reflective film can be an excellent investment – if you choose the right one
Whether you opt for internal or external solar reflective window film, there are certain consistent benefits that you can expect from this type of film.
The defining feature of such film is, of course, the uniform reflective appearance that it provides from the outside. This not only helps to project a professional and clean image of any organisation based within a building where this film is installed, but can also boost security by making visibility through the glass from outside – including for any prospective intruders – much more difficult.
At the same time, however, this heat reflective material for windows can assist in preserving a good level of daylight for those inside the property, thanks to its mere light tint effect.
However, not all of our reflective solar control films are priced the same, or provide identical levels of protection against excessive heat or glare. This is why we urge you to contact our team here at Opalux at the specification stage to ensure you make the best-matched choice of such film to your needs, by calling us on +44 (0)845 026 1125 or emailing solutions@opaluxwindowfilms.com.
Finally, the big difference between the two types is...
...in short, not that much. We offer our heat reflective material for windows in Silver 20 and Silver 35 variants for both internal and external application, as well as a Silver 50 film that is to be applied from the inside of a building.
Otherwise, the key differences between our internal and external solar protective window films are that the latter are of weather resistant construction, incorporating the additional UV barriers necessary to prevent the rapid sunshine-related degradation of the film, while also having a strong water resistant adhesive.
Our external window films are a popular choice for circumstances in which it may not be possible to install the film from the inside of the given building, or if the type of glazing involved does not lend itself easily to internal application.
All in all, whichever option you choose for your own premises, you can expect the highest standards of aesthetics, performance and longevity from Opalux’s heat reflective material for windows.
When you are in need of solar protection window film, should you ‘go reflective’?
Your first priority as a potential buyer of solar protection window film is likely to be to invest in a product that repels excessive heat gain and glare from entering your organisation’s buildings. However, it almost certainly won’t be your only priority – and nor should it be.
After all, our own broad selection of solar protection window film encompasses such options as solar reflective film, low mirror film and clear heat control film.
So, what is it that may make our reflective films an especially suitable purchase – and in which circumstances may other products in our range be a more appropriate choice?
Aesthetic appeal and brilliant solar protective results
You would expect any leading solar protection window film to reduce glare and heat so that a given building where it is installed is a much more bearable place for occupants and visitors.
Sure enough, this is precisely what our solar reflective films accomplish, with our Reflective Silver 20 film (SO-20RS-iSR) film, for instance, transmitting just 13% of solar energy through the glazing to which it is fitted. Instead, 52% of solar energy is reflected and 35% is absorbed. Glare reduction, meanwhile, is a stellar 82% and up to 99% of ultraviolet rays are filtered.
Such impressive specifications help to deliver a wide range of benefits, including greater comfort for everyone using your firm’s buildings, reduced energy tax liability and heightened daytime privacy from the outside looking in.
The appearance that such solar protection window film provides from the outside is uniformly reflective, which helps to mask any clutter in your buildings and project a clean and prestigious image for your organisation. From the inside, however, the visual effect is a much less noticeable light tint.
But there are plenty of other options...
As ideal as reflective film can be in certain contexts, it might be that you don’t desire such a high level of reflectance from your chosen solar protection window film. Instead, you may be interested in achieving a more muted, neutral look, while still enjoying significant benefits as far as heat and glare control are concerned – in which case, our low mirror solar control films might appeal.
Meanwhile, our aforementioned clear heat control films are state of the art, filtering out infrared (IR) radiation without the appearance of the windows or levels of daylight being noticeably affected. You are likely to choose these films when the preservation of the most natural-looking glazing is crucial, such as for a retail store or motor showroom.
Finally, solar reflective films can also be purchased that are specifically manufactured to be applied to plastic instead of glass, thanks to the incorporation of a special adhesive. A conservatory roof, skylight or other polycarbonate substrate is the obvious place to install such window film.
Remember that the Opalux technical team is available to advise you on which choice of solar protection window film would be the best one for your intended setting and circumstances. Simply call us now on 0845 026 1125, and we can also quickly arrange a free survey and quotation in line with your requirements.
Don’t depend on air conditioning alone to keep your company’s offices cool!
It would be easy to presume, as temperatures at your organisation’s premises remain persistently high despite the traditionally cooler time of year we are now entering, that you have little choice but to crank up the air conditioning and hope for the excessive heat to pass. However, it’s important to consider the adverse effects that this could have on your company’s energy bills – and as a consequence, its energy efficiency as well.
No company wishes to pay elevated air conditioning bills at a time when energy seems to be more expensive than it’s ever been – so how could a window film or two from Opalux help to keep everyone in your offices cool for a reasonable price?
We are experts in energy control window film
Just imagine how much less of a requirement your firm will have for air conditioning if it installs a solution that prevents as much as 80% of heat from the sun passing through its glazing and into its buildings. You might think the only thing capable of this would be an expensive piece of equipment, but that’s not the case, as one of our acclaimed window film products can also do the job.
Remember that unlike almost any other option for preserving hospitable temperatures at your company’s premises, a window film is a passive medium. Once you have fitted it to your office’s glazing, you don’t need to operate complex controls or intervene in any other way. Instead, it’ll simply get on with the task of rejecting solar heat gain and as a result, lessen your air conditioning’s load.
With any energy control window film that you purchase also potentially greatly reducing your company’s carbon footprint, there are reasons to invest in such products besides the immediate practical benefit of employees who feel more comfortable and better able to focus on their work.
How much could you hope to save with our energy control film?
Browse our complete selection of heat and glare control window films today – encompassing the likes of solar reflective films, low mirror films, clear heat control films and dual reflective films – to discover the possibilities for window film that not only gives your air conditioning systems less work to do, but also fulfils a variety of other aesthetic preferences and practical needs.
You might even go as far as enquiring about our energy saving computer simulation that enables you to gain a more accurate estimate for how much you could save as a result of the installation of an Opalux window film. Call +44 (0)845 026 1125 to learn more about this service, or for further guidance as to our best window film offerings for your organisation’s circumstances.
Our low mirror window films are excellent for both glare and heat reduction
Are you, as a specifier or end-user, on the lookout for window film to reduce glare and heat, but without the highly mirrored look that our solar reflective films have? In that case, you might wish to consider our low mirror window films, which provide a more subtle, neutral appearance while still delivering brilliant practical results.
Both internally and externally applicable versions of our low mirror films are available, while you can also choose between the two hues of grey or bronze. But what else do you need to know about the precise specifications of these sought-after window films?
Not all of our low mirror options produce the same results
While our various low mirror window films have certain things in common – including remarkable filtering of ultraviolet (UV) rays while still letting a high level of light to pass through the glass – the exact results that they deliver in other respects can vary.
The distinction between the internal and external versions of this popular film is vital, for instance, because the exterior versions have been designed to withstand the elements. We would therefore strongly advise you not to fit interior low mirror film to the outside of your buildings.
Then, there are the different levels of glare control to consider. Our internally applied Neutral Grey 20 film (SO-20NG-iSR), for instance, is capable of reducing glare by 80%, but this percentage falls to 60% in the case of the Neutral Grey 35 variant (SO-35NG-iSR), and 45% when you choose the Neutral Grey 50 film (SO-50NG-iSR).
If, meanwhile, you are specifically on the lookout for internally applicable bronze low mirror window film to reduce glare, you should note that our Bronze 20 film (SO-50SB-iSR) cuts down glare by 77%, while 55% glare reduction can be expected from the Bronze 35 product (SO-35SB-iSR).
The ideal glare reduction film for more sensitive settings
When there is a pressing need to lessen glare within the buildings used by your organisation – or whatever entity you are serving as a specifier – you don’t need to give up on the idea of installing window film, simply because of what may be the architectural sensitivity of the buildings in question.
Indeed, our low mirror window film to reduce glare here at Opalux is designed squarely to be fitted to properties such as listed buildings, where a more muted visual impact is desired. Call our technical team today on +44 (0)845 026 1125, and we can help you to select the product that best suits your requirements, as well as provide a free survey and quotation.
Want heat control, but also a natural, clear appearance? We might have just the right film for you
When you are in the market for some form of glass film to reduce heat but don’t need whatever product you buy to also lessen the amount of glare at your business premises, you may understandably find many of the obvious window films on the market to be far from brilliantly-suited to your requirements.
After all, at certain business sites such as retail shops or motor showrooms, there is often extensive glazing in need of glass film to reduce heat. However, a solution like our solar reflective film may be a less than ideal solution, due to the accompanying need for the windows to be kept natural-looking and clear.
If your company premises have this combination of requirements, you may well have ruled out buying any of our low-mirror films for similar reasons. There is, though, an excellent alternative in the form of our clear heat control window films, which really are what they sound like.
A sophisticated solution for lessening heat, but maximising light
The state-of-the-art nature of these spectrally selective window films should not be understated. Our clear heat control films really do go a long way to rejecting the excessive heat gain that may presently be a problem at your workplace, without causing any noticeable appearance in daylight levels or otherwise altering the appearance of the windows at your site.
All of this means that your customers, clients and even employees may not even be aware that you have installed glass film to reduce heat, other than feeling the benefit of much more hospitable conditions.
Although glare control is a key feature of many of our window films, this is not the case for our clear heat control films, not least as the typical users of these products have often already adequately tackled any glare problems by other means, such as through the use of curtains, blinds and awnings.
Order the window film that matches your exact requirements
We’ve always dedicated ourselves here at Opalux to supplying window film for a vast range of potential applications, contexts and needs – and much the same is true of our clear glass film to reduce heat.
Both internal and exterior versions of this innovative film can be specified, delivering the significant minimisation of heat through the windows of your premises that helps to boost comfort and productivity for everyone entering your buildings. In the process, you can also lessen the pressure on your cooling systems and shield interior furnishings from accelerated heat-related deterioration.
Call the Opalux technical department today on 0845 026 1125 to receive informed advice and guidance on the most appropriate window film for your organisation’s circumstances and needs, as well as a free survey and quotation.
What are the best ways to minimise glare in your workplace?
Optimal lighting conditions are essential if the workers in your business’s buildings are to be as productive as you need them to be. All too often, however, this is not the case in workplaces up and down Britain, to such an extent that remedies need to be considered.
Glare – which arises when excessively bright light intrudes into a person’s field of view – is one such problem. Glare can occur directly, such as when sunshine enters through bare windows, but also indirectly, as in the case of light bouncing off highly reflective surfaces.
Various means exist of tackling glare
You may have tried various ways of reducing glare on your company’s premises already, such as the fitting of shades or diffusers to unshielded lamps and bare windows.
Another possibility is to creatively rearrange your organisation’s offices so that light is redirected onto walls or ceilings, away from computer screens or other areas that your employees need to focus on if they are to work effectively.
You may even go as far as having any especially reflective surfaces at your business premises refinished. Meanwhile, if you have moved your workers to a darker area of the office to avoid glare being a problem, you could provide them with task lighting that can be adjusted according to their needs.
When you are devising solutions for glare in your workplace, it is also important to appreciate the often relative nature of the problem, with a bright light source likely to be more of an issue in a room that is otherwise gloomy, than it will be in a well-lit space. Simply equalising differing levels of illumination in one space could therefore greatly help.
Our glare reduction films could be a crucial solution
With both solar reflective and low mirror glare reduction films able to be ordered from Opalux by specifiers and end-users alike, your organisation may need little more than the right window film to achieve a drastic fall in glare at its premises. One product that you may consider is our Reflective – Silver 20 (SO-20RS-iSR) film, for instance, which is capable of minimising glare by an astounding 82%.
There are many more renowned glare reduction films to choose from across the Opalux range, so to receive tailored guidance on which one may be the best match to your own organisation’s application, why not call our technical team now on +44 (0)845 026 1125 or send us an email?
5 strengths of our external reflective solar protection window film
If the amount of solar heat and glare that penetrates your organisation’s buildings is a problem affecting the comfort and productivity of your workers, an obvious step is to invest in appropriate solar protection window film.
But what makes our externally applied reflective films an especially sound choice? Here are just five of their qualities.
Weather resistance
You may choose external rather than internal solar protection window film for various reasons, with the most common justifications including the simple inability to reach the inside of the window, or the glass being a type that doesn’t lend itself well to the internal application of protective film.
Whatever the exact situation for you when you come to purchase this film, you will be thankful for its weather resistance that will ensure it delivers excellent glare and heat control for years to come.
A silver reflective outward appearance
One of the most immediately noticeable aspects of this particular range of solar protection window film is its combination of a uniformly reflective outward appearance and a mere light tint from the inside.
Indeed, such a contrast helps to provide vital privacy for your workers, as they’ll be able to see freely outside, but people outside won’t be able to see easily inside.
The rejection of excessive heat
At this time of year of all times of year, it becomes apparent just how important it is to keep your workers cool, which will be much harder to achieve if harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can penetrate the glass with ease.
Our Silver 20 and Silver 35 external reflective solar protective films both provide up to 99% screening of such UV rays, which could be crucial to ensuring your staff’s comfort.
The ability to lessen glare
Glaring reflections off computer screens are, at best, distracting, which could greatly hamper your employees’ productivity. In a worse-case scenario, high levels of glare are hardly good for the occupants of your building from a health and safety point of view, either.
That’s why you may be so thankful for the 82% glare reduction that our external Silver 20 film can deliver, as well as the 66% less glare that the Silver 35 film can give you.
Protection for your interior furnishings, too
The above qualities can also be instrumental in keeping such items as your building’s furniture, fabrics and artworks in optimum condition for longer when you fit our external reflective solar protection window film. These films can therefore save you considerable money and hassle in the long run, in more ways than one.
Opalux is no less than one of the UK’s most trusted window film brands, so why look anywhere else for the solar protection window film that will give you years of impeccable performance and a better environment for everyone using your buildings? Simply contact the Opalux technical team now to arrange your free survey and quotation.