General Questions

Q: I just had my windows tinted and now it's all hazy. It's been several days and it hasn't gone away.

A: You must have had a metalized film applied to your windows. Metalized film has a much slower drying time. Under normal drying conditions such as hot summer days it will take 1-2 weeks, but in the winter time the drying time usually takes 30 days. Also, drying time depends on how much sun exposure the windows receive during the day, the more sun the faster the drying.

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Q: Thanks for the great job you guys did on my windows. How do I clean my windows to ensure it lasts as long as possible?

A: We recommend a soft cloth, such as a baby diaper or T-shirt. You can any window cleaning solution you like as long as you have
waited at least 30 days after installation in your home. If you use a professional window cleaner, let them know which windows are
tinted.  We recommend that you never put tape, suction cups or stickers on your windows that have been tinted.

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Q: I have dual pane windows. Can they be tinted?

A: Dual pane windows are very common in homes these days. Dual pane or thermal pane have two pieces about 1/2" apart with gas sealed in-between. The answer is yes! Your windows can be tinted but certain guidelines need to be followed, because dual panes are more vulnerable to stress than single pane windows.

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Q:  What is seal failure?

A:  Seal failure occurs when the sealant between the two lites of glass breaks, subjecting the airspace to the surrounding environment.  Since the sealant acts as the moisture barrier, if the seal breaks, condensation can develop in the airspace of the insulating glass window.

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Q:  Why do insulating glass unit seals break?

A:  The environment inside an insulating glass unit can be affected by its external environment such as temperature and air pressure. Changes in temperature and air pressure put additional stress on the insulating glass unit's seals.   The use of resilient sealants in the construction of the insulating glass unit can also cause the seals to fail.

Most manufacturers, however, design and test their products to withstand significant changes in air pressure and temperature, thereby reducing the chance of failures.   Nevertheless, seal failure does will continue to occur simply because of the way in which insulated units are manufactured, shipped and installed.  In fact, the insulating glass manufacturers association (SIGMA) has found normal seal failure to be at a rate of 1.5% of the installed units.

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Q: Does window film cause seal failure?

A:  3M Scotchtint window films have been applied to millions of square feet of insulating glass units throughout the world for over 25 years.  Our product has never been shown to be the cause of seal failure.  During this time, 3M has continuously analyzed how window films affect temperature and pressure within the airspace of an insulating glass unit.  Results indicate that on a clear insulating unit, even our most popular residential film (RE35NEARL) only increases the summertime airspace temperature by no more than 22 degrees, a pressure increase of only .55psi (pounds per square inch).  Put into perspective, most manufacturers of insulating glass units design their products to withstand a pressure change of 3.30 psi, over six times the film's potential pressure increase!

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Q:  What can I do?

A:  We advise our customers who have seal failure concerns to contact their window manufacturer.  If your window manufacturer voids the warranty when the film is installed, you should ask for their test data supporting these warranty limitations. 

Manufacturers of insulating glass windows:

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Questions About 3M Films

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Q: How Do Scotchtint Window Films Work?

A: Scotchtint Sun Control Films are designed to reduce the amount of solar heat transmission through window glass by increasing the solar reflection (not necessarily visible reflection) and solar absorption of the glass. Typical colored or dyed films work primarily through increased absorption. The color absorbs the solar energy at the glass, thus reducing the direct transmission into the room. These films only offer marginal performance when compared to reflective films. Reflective films are films that have been precision coated with metals. These metallic films are designed to increase the solar energy reflection of the glass and some of the absorption. Scotchtint reflective films range from moderate to excellent in solar performance (heat gain reduction). All Scotchtint Sun Control Films are protected with our patented Abrasion Resistant coating for long term durability and maintained appearance.

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Q: How do Scotchtint Plus All Season (LE) Films Work?

A: Scotchtint Plus All Season Films, or Low E films, work much in the same way as the sun control films except that they offer an increased performance against cold weather heat loss. The patented constructions of these films enable the metal coating to reflect more of the interior room heat back into the room where it is needed. This improves comfort by reducing potential draft feelings near the window, and may also save on fuel costs, especially in commercial buildings. The LE Films are protected with our abrasion resistant coating for long term durability and maintained appearance.

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Q: Why Do Commercial Customers Have Scotchtint Film Applied in their buildings?

A: 

Most often, our commercial customers will purchase Scotchtint Window Films for tenant comfort and justify the purchase on Energy Cost Savings.

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Q: What is the Typical Energy Pay Back for Scotchtint Window Films?

A: Simple pay backs will vary depending upon the amount of sunlit glass exposure, the type of film, the type of glass, cost of fuel, cost of application, and other variables. However, we have seen pay backs often range in the 2-5 year period, with some reported to be even less than 6 months.

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Q: How is the Scotchtint Window Film Applied?

A: Scotchtint Films are professionally applied by skilled, well-trained Authorized 3M Dealer personnel. Almost all of our films are designed to be applied to the inside of your glass. The first step is to prepare the window area for the application; placing drop cloths on the floor, protecting and/or moving furniture where necessary. Next, the window glass is cleaned using simple cleaning solutions (often water and ammonia) and razor blade scrapers. Then, the film is sprayed with a slip solution (detergent and water) for proper positioning, and applied to the window glass. Using a professional grade squeegee and following proper techniques, the application is completed by removing excess water, trimming the edges, and a final squeegee technique to dry the edges.

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Q: How Long Does Scotchtint Window Film Last?

A: Scotchtint Window Films are made durable to last for many years; just how long may depend upon the type of film applied, type of glass it is applied to, and the particular climate in which it is applied. Most applications last upwards of 10 years and beyond, and several applications are still performing after 15 years. All applications have a minimum warranty period of five years (except exterior applications which are 2 years), and several films carry a 10 year commercial warranty, and even a lifetime residential warranty (lifetime for as long as original purchaser owns their home).

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Q: Will Scotchtint Window Film Stop My Furnishings From Fading?

A: Nothing stops fading. Scotchtint films are designed to reduce the major causes of fading (ultraviolet light, visible light, and solar heat), thus prolonging the life of your furnishings, perhaps as much as two to five times. Keep in mind the articles to be protected; if they have a typical life of 5 years then they may last 10 years to much longer depending on the performance of the film selected. However, if the typical life is only 2-3 weeks, then the expectation should be expressed in terms of months. As a general rule of thumb, ultraviolet (UV) is approximately 40% of the cause, visible light is about 25%, and heat about 25%. The remaining 10% can be attributed to humidity, pollutants, interior lights, dye anchorage, and more.
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Q: Does the Ultraviolet Protection Lose Its Effectiveness Over Time?

A: No, the ultraviolet (UV) protection that we use in our proprietary adhesive system is indefinite. It does not lose its effectiveness over time. In fact, we tested an actual glass sample from The Dumbarton House, Washington, DC. This was a ten-year old application and the ultraviolet transmission still measured < 1%!
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Q: How Do Scotchshield Ultra High Performance Safety and Security Window Films Work?

A: Scotchshield Ultra Safety and Security Window Films are designed to make glass shatter-resistant by holding the glass pieces together when broken. Different from Scotchtint, Scotchshield Ultra Window Films are made with thicker polyester and a much thicker, more aggressive adhesive system. The Ultra Films are unique in the industry; they are built using a special micro-layered polyester technology which increases the films tear resistance significantly. Pound for pound, the impact and tear-resistance of Scotchshield Ultra Films outperform all other films of similar thickness.

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