Little Known Way to Improve Pupil Comfort and Security

The installation of window film to a school building can provide a variety of benefits.

The ill-effects of solar glare and heat gain can quickly make studying conditions extremely uncomfortable and finding a cost effective method of combating these issues should always be a high priority.

Finding ways of improving the safety and security of staff and pupils is of obvious importance whilst enhancing levels of privacy is also something that should be factored into the thought-making process of any facilities manager.

Taking Responsibility

Whether you are responsible for a primary school, secondary school, college or university, it is essential that all possible steps are taken to help safeguard the children, pupils and staff that are based there. From adding safety film to glass, to applying solar control window film to help provide protection against harmful UV rays, heat and glare, WF Glazing Protection Ltd have a solution for you.

Cost-Effective Solutions

Offering a cost-effective way to help protect schools, window film has been utilised by an ever-increasing number of schools throughout the UK.

Many schools have high level windows in their classrooms and the glare and reflection on the computer screens make their use uncomfortable for students. Blinds do not offer a viable solution because of the difficulty relating to maintenance and therefore alternatives have to be found.

The application of window film can be highly effective in making display screens easier to read and in addition, can help to reduce the heat from the sun during the summer months, a common issue for many schools.

The Perfect Example

The school hall at Winstanley Community College in Leicester had recently undergone a major window replacement. Smoke-tinted double glazed units had been installed to give a modern appearance and the old blinds had been removed.

Unfortunately, this had led to a problem with glare via the high level windows affecting school assemblies and the projection screens.

We were referred to the school as a company who would be able to solve their problem. Following a survey we identified that the glazing configuration had a laminated safety glass inner pane. Therefore, an external solar film installation was recommended to avoid any thermal fracture risk on the inner panes. The school requested that the film needed to have the same smoked appearance as the glass to keep the modern aesthetic.

Madico CH08 XSR was specified to provide 91% glare reduction. The installation to 82sqm of glazing from 5.2m mobile access towers by our certified installers was carried out during the October half-term holiday to help the school minimise disruption and so as to not cause a health and safety issue.

Ian Joyce, Site Manager, commented “It looks really good and I’ve received some positive comments”.

Wide Ranging Benefits

As referenced above, the application of window films to a school building can offer a wide range of benefits. These include:

1. Effective UV Protection: Solar control window films are extremely effective at blocking a significant amount of UV light. Our protective films significantly reduce fading by rejecting up to 99.9% of harmful UV rays and 97% of infra-red heat.
2. Solar Heat Gain Reduction: Our window films can reduce solar heat gain by up to 82% creating a far more comfortable and productive working environment.
3. Reduced Energy Bills: One of the biggest benefits of solar control window films is the ability to reduce energy costs throughout all times of the year. By keeping temperatures up during the winter and down during the summer, both heating and cooling bills can be reduced as a result.
4. Reduced Glare: Our films can reduce solar glare and reflection by up to 92% creating more comfortable, productive studying environments for staff and students.

Increased Safety Levels

As well as the benefits outlined above, safety and security window film, particularly 3M™ Safety and Security Window Film has proven to be popular in schools because:

• It is more cost effective than replacing all windows and doors with laminated glass
• It is easily applied, even over existing glazing
• While it cannot stop intruders from entering school buildings, it does act as a deterrent, providing precious response time by slowing the intruder down