by Peter Davey, President, American Window Film, Inc.
The 3M Company manufactures a line of products that conserves energy, reduces fading of fabrics and furnishings, protects people and property from injury or damage due to flying shards of glass, reduces glare on monitors and television screens, provides privacy, thwarts smash and grab crime as well as graffiti damage to property, and improves a building’s overall aesthetics both inside and out. There are a variety of 3M Window Films that will do the above when used singly or in combination in certain applications.
As the cost of energy continues to rise and the hurricane season bears down upon us, it’s prime time to have 3M™ Window Film installed on your building’s windows for energy conservation and for protection while it holds glass in place due to severe weather or blasts. The installation will prove to be cost-effective preventative maintenance and if solar control is your major concern, it will pay for itself with the energy cost savings certain 3M™ Window Films provide.
Architects and engineers enjoy a diversity of designer window film options with 3M™ Window Films. Simple patterns provide both functional and creative effects for interior rooms. Window film patterns that provide privacy and aesthetics for conference rooms, lunchrooms and corridors with an abundance of glass can be installed inexpensively compared to the purchase of custom etched glass…and the design need not be permanent.
If your building’s outside appearance has become unsightly because of a mixture of odd drapes, blinds and office furnishings cluttering up the windows, a 3M™ Window Film installation on all your building’s windows will cure the clutter. It will provide a neat, uniform outside appearance that’s pleasing to the eye and will undoubtedly add value to your property.
A $21 billion diversified technology company and an ISO9002 certified facility, 3M has effectively responded to market demands through advances to solar control films, ultraviolet light control films, low reflectivity, high optical clarity and shatter-resistant window films. Many of their window films offer up to 99% UV protection and unlike other manufacturers, their UV inhibitors are included directly in their adhesives, ensuring lifelong clarity and long-lasting protection from fading of fabrics and furnishings.
3M continues to place emphasis on research and development. With the introduction of a new family of films, Prestige Window Films, 3M has once again outpaced all other manufacturers by responding to the demand for a high clarity, non-metallic window film. 3M is the only manufacturer that produces their own raw materials such as adhesives, polyesters, metals and scratch-resistant coatings and their patented micro-layered construction has proven itself in the field.
3M Company uses comprehensive testing facilities to assure quality and performance. Test equipment includes a spectrophotometer, used to calculate and monitor film performance, and a weatherometer, a large oven with an intense light source to accelerate the weathering process. Prolonged testing assures long-term film durability, color stability, adhesive performance and resistance to metallic corrosion.
Tests performed on 3M Window Films are published by the American Society for Testing and Materials and include: ASTM E-308 Standard Recommended Practice for Spectra-Photometry and Description of Color; ASTM-424 Standard Methods of Test for Solar Energy Transmittance and Reflectance of Sheet Materials; and ASTM G-90 Standard Practice for Performing Accelerated Outdoor Weatherizing for Non-Metallic Materials Using Concentrated Natural Light. 3M™ Scotchtint™ Window Films meet the requirements for a Class A Interior Finish for Building Materials for both Flame Spread Index and Smoke Developed Values per ASTM E-84.
As a 3M Prestige Window Films Authorized Dealer, American Window Film, Inc. is one of a select few window film dealers in the country recognized for their ability to offer quality work, extensive product knowledge and the highest standards of customer service. With so many window films on the market, it’s wise to go with experience, reputation and longevity in the field. Choose a company that can meet all your window film needs…one-stop shop with 3M.
Peter J. Davey is president of American Window Film, Inc., a 3M™ Authorized and Certified Prestige Window Film Dealer, located in Foxboro and Boston, MA, 800-274-TINT, www.americanwindowfilm.com. Published in the New England Real Estate Journal; May, 2006.
American Window Film, Inc. is your 3M Window Film Dealer serving all of MA, RI and southern NH, including Boston, South Shore, North Shore, Cape Cod & the Islands, Providence, Nashua, Manchester, Worcester, Springfield and surrounding communities.
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