WFAANZ window-make over for Newtown terrace

The owners of a prestigious residential terrace in Sydney's inner west loved the natural light and ventilation provided by their windows. Expansive glass doors opening onto their private courtyard were another favored feature, giving their living area spaciousness and 'bringing the outside in'.

The flipside, however, was various heat, glare, fading, security and privacy problems.

The owners soon discovered that window film would solve each of these issues, plus it could be retrofit so it was an easy and inexpensive alternative to new, pre-tinted windows.

Sydney installation company Sunscreen Window Tinting was brought on board to provide advice about the best window film options for them.

Rear courtyard glass doors - 3M Scotchtint S25NVAR400 Solar Control & Security film
A secluded, North East facing courtyard was accessed via large sliding glass doors. While the doors were attractive and functional, the morning sun made the room unbearable and faded the new timber floors. Security was also a concern, as the glass made an easy entry point if smashed.

The window film solution transformed the room overnight. It provides 59% heat reduction, 72% glare reduction and a 78% reduction in fading. The multilayered security film forms a tear and penetration resistant skin that holds broken glass together under extreme force. Therefore, in a break-in situation, the offender would almost certainly be deterred as research confirms that if glass is not smashed on the first attempt, a second or third attempt is unlikely.

Street-facing windows - 3M Scotchtint CS20
The terrace is located on a busy street with pedestrians and traffic going past on a regular basis. So blinds were closed all day for privacy's sake. This resulted in the apartment being dark and the occupants losing their view.

After the film was installed, pedestrians could no longer see inside, yet the occupants could see out clearly. The owner found they could leave the blinds open all day, with confidence that their privacy was maintained. This transformed the room by allowing light to enter.

Jeremy Wu from Sunscreen comments "...there are a variety of window film products at our disposal, which we can tailor to meet our client's specific needs.

"Protection from the sun's harmful rays, reducing heat, glare and UV rays and therefore lowering energy bills are common factors in a home owner's decision to use window film. The other benefit is that the external façade gets a make-over, which usually adds value to a home. Furniture and fabrics have a longer life too."

About Window Film
Window film, formerly known as window tint, has come a long way since its introduction in 1961. Advanced technologies mean window films now offer greater variety of shades, colours and performance levels; the best products are guaranteed to survive the harsh Australian climate with scratch resistant coatings for protection and metallic layers for colour stability.

About WFAANZ
A non-profit organisation, WFAANZ is dedicated to improving the standard of product and installation of window film in Australia and New Zealand; promoting the performance, values and cost effectiveness of solar control window film; and is a reliable voice for the window film industry at all regulatory levels.

All WFAANZ member products come with a minimum seven year warranty, and some are even supported by a lifetime warranty on residential applications.