Resolution of the window film saga

[lizzie]

Some of you may recall the problems I have with overheating (currently 32 degrees in living room on a late September day with outside temp at 19!).

 

Having been all set to go for an external film an alarm was sounded by some companies I asked to quote - they said no to film on my 3g Internorm windows, the fact they were laminated not toughened was what caused the issue.  I also have a low e coating.

 

Meantime I have explored all sorts of avenues for shading and had not settled on anything.

 

One of the window film supply companies decided that if I had this issue others would so they would find the answer.  They have been absolute terriers in keeping going until they got there.

 

They talked to Internorm, they talked to film manufacturers , they talked to the glass and glazing federation and St Gobain who manufacture the glass.

All these clever heads got together and spent a while ruminating and finally pronounced I could have a film but only one type was suitable and it was not the one everyone had been quoting on it is a much less common film.

 

I have accepted the quote for the film - how could I say no after all the effort that went in to find the solution - and am hoping for a fit date in the next few weeks before they stop installing external films for the winter.  Fingers crossed it will do the job.  It will be just a little darker than our current clear glass but if we have a useable room again its a small price to pay.

 

I am attaching the guidance sheet for films on laminated windows in case anyone else has this issue. Plus the spec sheet for the film I am having which is manufactured by St Gobain. It is the Sentinel Plus SX 50 OSW.  Good news is they also do an extra wide at 1823 (usual width is 1535) so no joins on my biggest window pane which is 1640, joins would have been a deal breaker.

 

I will let you how it looks when its in. My suppliers are www.solartekfilms.com  Ben is the man, he and his number 2 David deserve credit for going that extra mile for me on what is not that big a job really its just  3 sliders and one fixed window. Great customer service I hope it carries through on the install.

Glass Breakage Risk Triple Pane PDF02343PINT_1016.pdf

sentinel plus sx 50 film.pdf

[ProDave]

Interesting story though it is, some of us would kill for that much solar gain. I have discussed before how little solar gain I get from out Rationel 3G windows.

[jack]

5 minutes ago, lizzie said:

I will let you how it looks when its in. My suppliers are www.solartekfilms.com  Ben is the man, he and his number 2 David deserve credit for going that extra mile for me on what is not that big a job really its just  3 sliders and one fixed window. Great customer service I hope it carries through on the install.

 

Exactly the kind of supplier testimonial that's not only allowed but encouraged!

 

Please do report back your experiences, both with the install and (in due course) the film's effectiveness.

[Gone West]

That's good to hear. I hope it solves your problem. They certainly sound like a good company. I guess you'll have to wait until next year to find out if it works.

[worldwidewebs]

Sorry to hear you've had so many problems getting this sorted but please you've got there in the end!

 

We've been thinking of getting some films fitted, primarily to keep the heat in during winter, but also to keep the sun out of a couple of the front rooms. I'm guessing it's not a cheap option though?

[lizzie]

7 minutes ago, worldwidewebs said:

Sorry to hear you've had so many problems getting this sorted but please you've got there in the end!

 

We've been thinking of getting some films fitted, primarily to keep the heat in during winter, but also to keep the sun out of a couple of the front rooms. I'm guessing it's not a cheap option though?

Thanks.

 

For the film I have to have it is £1200 odd plus vat (to late for vat reclaim now), thats only for 7 panes of glass in living room....biggish panes though.  The other film which was the default option that I couldn't have was about £1800 plus vat from memory same number of windows.

 

I dont need to keep heat in I need to stop sun overheating the place.

[vivienz]

FWIW, my solar gain mitigation is going to cost just over £7.5k (ex. VAT).  This is for two fairly large external motorised roller blinds and a whopper of a brise soleil running up the floor to roof window in front of the stairwell window. 

[NSS]

6 hours ago, vivienz said:

FWIW, my solar gain mitigation is going to cost just over £7.5k (ex. VAT).  This is for two fairly large external motorised roller blinds and a whopper of a brise soleil running up the floor to roof window in front of the stairwell window. 

Appreciate it's too late for your build, but those kind of costs make the SageGlass solution we used a viable option for anyone facing similar issues and for whom it's early enough to factor in.

[lizzie]

15 hours ago, vivienz said:

FWIW, my solar gain mitigation is going to cost just over £7.5k (ex. VAT).  This is for two fairly large external motorised roller blinds and a whopper of a brise soleil running up the floor to roof window in front of the stairwell window. 

If I add in the blinds on 2 worst windows,, which I may well do if we can overcome the technical difficulties then I will not be far off that price.  I would have gone for blinds all round the S &W but its proved too difficult to get sorted with cabling now house is finished.  Too late for vat reclaim as well.  Bet we have a rotten summer next year after we have all spent fortunes on solar gain mitigation.

[vivienz]

9 hours ago, NSS said:

Appreciate it's too late for your build, but those kind of costs make the SageGlass solution we used a viable option for anyone facing similar issues and for whom it's early enough to factor in.

 

I did think about the sage glass but 4.8k of that cost is the suplly and install of the brise soleil that's been a design feature from the outset and that we would have had anyway, so the addition of the blinds isn't quite so painful. I agree, though, that any of these things need to be thought about as early as possible.