By Frank Fourchalk
Meeting with dealer representatives is always exiting, especially when they offer a unique product that leaves a lasting impression. Then again anything that offers bulletand bomb resistance is sure to grab my attention.
I’m talking about my meeting a few weeks ago with a security representative for a security window film company. Security window film is derived from the window tint industry and quite frankly has been around for almost 20 years. The only thing new about this product is the advancement in it’s effectiveness.
It was originally developed for use on sliding glass doors to prevent injuries from accidentally walking through the glass. Researchers found by applying a 2 mil film laminate to the inside glass of a sliding door, it held the glass together in the event of human impact.
Through the years researchers have developed a multi-layered polyester laminate that offers a higher level of protection. A level of protection that protects against personal injury, loss of life, property damage from forced entry, projectile entry and yes, even explosive blasts.
The beauty of this product is it can be applied at the new construction stage or as a retrofit to your existing windows. If you are considering installing security film to your windows, it is important to understand the various degrees of strength.
20 mil is recommended for banks, embassies, government, military installations and high threat-level institutions. This film will offer maximum protection against a forced entry attack and high level terrorist threats.
Bullet resistance pertains to various films being applied to 1/2 inch glass. This glass/film combination offers resistance to the penetration of a .38 caliber, .9mmFMJ, or even a .357 magnum.
Understanding there is no such thing as bullet proof glass because every product has it’s breaking point, the industry is talking about bullet resistance. This means products are certified to resist a specific caliber round with defined placement and a specified number of impacts.
And when the industry refers to attack resistance, this is defined by the certified to duration of attack, type of weapons used and sequencing of the attack tools. Attack-resistance is also know as forced-entry in industry circles.
I do not recommend do-it-your-selfers installing these new security films because of the crucial anchoring methods involved. If you are interested in installing security film to your windows, call your local security
expert for the name of a professional installer.