3M Night Vision vs. 3M Prestige

So you’re looking to add some solar control window film to your windows, and aren’t quite sure about which direction you want to go. You’ve edited your choices to interior Night Vision and Prestige, now it’s time to decide which one, and with 6 options that can be difficult. So in order to make this easier lets decide whether we’re going with Night Vision or Prestige, then we can limit our choices to 3 options and make a film decision from there.

When deciding whether or not you want to go with Night Vision or Prestige you have to determine exactly what your needs are. If your needs include glare, then you’ll be able to eliminate Prestige pretty quickly, as 3M Prestige Window Film will not help much with glare issues. If you are not willing to darken your windows and don’t want a reflective film than it’ll be easy to eliminate Night Vision.

3M Night Vision 15

When Night Vision is a better option than Prestige:

1. Glare Issues

2. Budget Conscious

3. Best Heat Control Possible

When 3M Interior Prestige is a better option than Night Vision:

3M Prestige 50

1. Wood Frames or French Paned Windows

2. Want to allow as much light as possible

3. Do not want to change the aesthetic of your home or office

Once you’re able to determine what the main issues your are experiencing with your windows are, you can decide which direction to go quite quickly. In my opinion, if you’re looking to reduce glare, and heat, the best interior film option will be Night Vision 15. Along with a 43% heat reduction, this film comes with a great price point. In my opinion 3M Night Vision 15 offers the most bang for your buck.

If you have Wood Frames, French Panes, or incredible views, my expert suggestion would be 3M Interior Prestige 50. This film provides a 25% heat reduction, and in my opinion makes your views even better by adding just a tinge of shade which enhances the outdoor colors and views. It’s my personal favorite.

There are so many film options which can make deciding difficult, but with all the options it allows customers to customize a film choice specific to their needs. I hope this BLOG will make it easier to decide which interior film product will work best for you.

We just went over our interior products here, but also have amazing exterior products for those looking to reduce as much heat as possible. Check out our Exterior Window Film Blog post to learn more about our exterior film options.

If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to us at 303-862-6376 or info@coloradosolarvision.com.

By, Shelley Meador

Adding Solar Film to French Panes

Home in Avon, CO having 3M Prestige 70 applied

Having a Window Film company based in Colorado means there’s no shortage of French Paned windows. We have a vast array of home styles in Colorado from Swiss Chalet, and Mountain Modern in our High Country, to historical Bungalows and Four Squares in Denver. All of which can contain a variety of different French Pane types.

While French Panes may seem like a simple process, it can be anything but. Even though the panes are small, they are all like individual windows for film application. Each piece has to be individually cut and installed, much like a large window.

Since we’ve done our fair share of French Panes, and have learned what does and does not work, we’ve limited our film options to 3M Prestige 50, 60, or 70.

Example of Light Gap

3M Prestige Window Films work great on French Panes. They reduce heat, and fading without changing the look of the glass. Going with a dark film on French Panes can be a mistake as you run the risk of noticeable light gaps between the film and window frame.

When choosing a company to apply film to your French Paned windows, ensure you hire a company that has a lot of experience with this application. At Solar Vision Inc. our Film Installers have had plenty of practice, and new Installers are put through in-house training where they practice this application on demo windows.

Call Solar Vision Inc. 303-862-6376

〰️

Call Solar Vision Inc. 303-862-6376 〰️

Home in Larkspur with 3M Prestige 70 application

Call Solar Vision Inc. today at 303-862-6376 or email info@coloradosolarvision.com to have film applied to your French Panes. A film application will reduce UV and Heat, protecting your home and frames from fading and damage.

Looking at Window Film Data

Have you ever been asked to look at data you aren’t familiar with, and to decipher it yourself? If not, you probably will soon if you’re shopping for window film. We in the Window Film Industry have a tendency to hand over product cards with tons of data, but not much insight on what it all means.

When shopping for window film, you’ll be handed a window film card, generally with an enclosed sample, and all the pertinent info about that product on it. But what does it mean to you, and what data or numbers should you be most concerned with? Well that all depends on what you’re buying solar control film for. Is it fading, one-way visibility, or just plain heat. This data can help you figure out which film product will work best for your needs.

The technical data above is for 3M’s Interior Prestige Window Film Products, and since most of us are looking to add film to double paned clear glass, we’re going to use those numbers in our examples below.

The First Number you’ll notice on Prestige or any window film card for that matter is a number following the name of the product. This number roughly represents the amount of visible light transmitted, and this is generally true for most window film manufacturer’s products.

Product Name = Visible Light Transmitted (The higher the VLT, the lighter the film). If you want to add a film that will not change the look of your glass, you’ll want to choose a window film with a high VLT, and probably not anything with a VLT under 45%.

• Prestige 70: 62% VLT

• Prestige 50: 45% VLT

Now that we know why a film is called Prestige 70 or Night Vision 15, we can easily decipher which film products will change the appearance of our glass. If you don’t want to darken your glass, this will limit you to films with a VLT of 45% or higher. If you don’t mind darkening your windows, you’ll have an even wider variety of options.

Once you’ve settled on how dark or light you want your window film, you’ll be able to utilize the technical data to find the perfect window film for you. Below are explanations of what all the acronyms and data mean.

Visible Light Reflected Interior: This is the amount of reflection the application of window film will add to the interior side of your glass.

Many window films will have a high interior reflection, some can even cause a mirror effect, especially at night. If you want to see out of your windows at night, you should probably stay away from window films like 3M Silver P18 series with high interior reflectivity, and opt for products with low interior reflectivity like 3M Night Vision series.

Visible Light Reflected Exterior is the amount of reflection the application of window film will add on the exterior side of your glass.

The higher this number the more reflective your glass will be. This is an important number to look at if you are wanting to add film for daytime privacy. Prestige 70 would not provide this for you, you’d need to look at a film with a VLR Exterior of at least 20%, like one of 3M’s Night Vision products.

• Prestige 70 VLR Interior: 13%

• Prestige 70 VLR Exterior: 15%

• Night Vision 15 VLR Interior: 11%

• Night Vision 15 VLR Exterior: 39%

SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient): The lower the number means the better the heat reduction performance.

• Prestige 70 on Double Paned Glass: 0.56

• Prestige 50 on Double Paned Glass: 0.53 (Prestige 50 blocks more heat than Prestige 70)

Solar Heat Reduction: This is the estimated reduction in heat transfer with the application of window film. The higher the number, the less heat transferred through your glass.

• Prestige 70: 21% heat reduction when added to basic clear double paned glass.

• Prestige 50: 25% heat reduction when added to basic clear double paned glass.

UV, Ultra Violet Light Rejected: All Window Films will reject 99.9% of the UV Light. This is because the UV inhibitors are the in the adhesive. UV is the main cause of fading.

Glare Reduction: The percentage of glare reduced with the application of a particular window film product. The higher this number, the better the film works at reducing glare. If you are looking to reduce glare in your home or office, you’ll probably need to look at a window film with a glare reduction value of at least 50%, like one of 3M’s Night Vision products to have any real benefit.

• Prestige 70: 22% Glare Reduction

• Prestige 50: 44%

• Night Vision 35: 60%

• Night Vision 15: 82%

While this doesn’t touch on every piece of data, and we’re only looking at a few different film types, you may still have questions. If so, give us a call @ 303-862-6376 or email us at info@coloradosolarvision.com. We’re here to answer your questions Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.

All info provided in this BLOG is for educational purposes only, and does guarantee specific performance of glass after window film application. Numbers and estimated performance are based off provided 3M Technical data, tested using the application of 3M Solar Control Window Film on Double Paned Clear glass with an estimated SHGC of .70 prior to installation of noted window films.

Why Exterior Film?

One of the questions we get the most as a window film company is “does it go on the outside or inside”? Our answer is “both”! Generally window film is applied to the interior portion of your glass. This is great for durability, and access, and while interior window films perform great, sometimes they’re just not enough, and that’s where exterior film comes into play.

Exterior window film can be a great option for a couple of reasons. The number one is performance! Exterior film reduces the heat in its tracks. The heat is absorbed prior to even hitting your glass. Since the heat is absorbed on the first surface, this significantly reduces if not eliminates any potential glass breakage, while absorbing a drastic amount of heat. Another great use for exterior film is access. Skylights, and other hard to reach windows might not be accessible from the interior.

At Solar Vision Inc., our favorite product is 3M Exterior Prestige Window Film. 3M Exterior Window Films offer great performance, and come with up to a 15 year warranty. 3M Exterior Prestige Window Film is designed to last, and will keep your home or building cool, and comfortable for years to come.

Click here for 3M Exterior Prestige Technical Details!

3M Prestige Exterior 40 (PR40X) applied to first floor windows at this apartment complex to reduce heat in gym area.

3M PR40X can enhance the look of your home or building.

3M Prestige 70

3M Prestige 70 window film is the perfect solution for heat and UV reduction. You can hardly tell it’s even there, but you can feel it! If you’re looking to protect your home, or building without changing the appearance, 3M Prestige 70 might be just what you are looking for.

• 3M Prestige 70

• 69% Visible Light Transmission

• 50% Solar Energy Rejected

• 99% UV rejection

The window on the right has 3M Prestige 70 applied to it, the window on the left doesn’t.

Home Window Tinting

It's that time of year again, it's starting to warm up, and the sun is staying out longer. There are many reasons to have film added to your homes windows, but the number one concern we hear from our customers is heat. In spite of our best efforts…air conditioning, blinds, curtains, it still might not be enough! This is where home window tinting can help.

Home window tinting can lower your overall utility cost by blocking up to 50% of the heat entering through your homes windows, and since the film is absorbing that heat you can leave the blinds open longer. Think about it, why have windows in the first place if the blinds are closed, and the curtains are drawn all day, we might as well build windowless homes. That'd be super-efficient, but not very attractive. Adding a 3M solar control window film to your homes windows will allow you to open the curtains and enjoy your natural light and views again.

Other benefits of home window tinting are less fading, and less glare. We spend so much time choosing furniture, flooring, and window coverings, it would be a shame to allow all of those costly items to deteriorate quickly. Adding a 3M solar control window film to your homes windows will drastically slow down the fading and damage caused by UV Rays. Think of what the sun’s rays can do to your skin? They cause the same damage to your home and furnishings, only much quicker.

Home window tinting can also drastically reduce the glare in your home. If you have glare issues and trouble seeing your computer screen, or worse yet your television, our 3M solar control window films can help with that too.

There are many reason to add 3M window film to your home. It's a no brainer, call Solar Vision Inc. 303-862-6376 today for a free estimate, and learn how you can cool off your home, protect your furniture, and reduce glare.

3M Prestige 50 window film application in Morrison, CO.

Solar Vision's TV Debut

Solar Vision's TV Debut will occur on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at 10:00 A.M.  A video in the home of a Steve and Lisa Strother was made to appear on Colorado and Company. Heath, Ben, and Lucinda are on the video along with the home owner Lisa Strother.  Shelley will appear live on the show and be interviewed by the host.