Window security film?

So I live in a crappy part of town. My neighbor has been broken into at least four times. We got a dog last week, so that will help a little, but I kind of want some extra protection. Most of the breakins are smash and grab, so if I can reduce the "smash" side of things I'll be happy. I already have solid wood doors in steel frames (plus strike plates with 3" screws), so no kicking in the door.

So I'm thinking of putting security film on a few of my more vulnerable windows. Here's how it works:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/YEIUzIeVT1c?rel=0

Looks like it goes on like window tint. Anyone used this stuff before?

Never used it, but 3M stuff usually works as advertised. I think you can option the stuff with a UV/IR blocker too, save on the AC bill.

edit: It's been around a while, this is from 2010. https://www.youtube.com/embed/DXRmvtfK3-4

Seems gimmicky. Break glass, use a box cutter to slice the film.

I stuck the Gila heat control/UV blocking tint on all the windows of the west side of our house. The middle aged lady they had installing it in their how to video made it look so easy. I swore I'd never install tint myself again after that fiasco. Endless bubbles, static cling to itself, to you, to the wall, creases from it sticking to itself. Squeegee, squeegee, squeegee, and squeegee some more.

Huckleberry wrote: Seems gimmicky. Break glass, use a box cutter to slice the film.

Looks like you put it on the inside of the glass, so you'd have to get the knife inside first. Right now I just have posters covering the windows I don't want people looking into, so even if there are creases or bubbles I wouldn't care.

In reply to slefain:

Chicken-wire fastened to the inside securely with screws and furring strips? It probably wouldn't stop a cinder block, but it would probably stop a brick.

seems neat, but pretty useless unless your already in the house or the criminals are too dumb to realize they can cut the lamination.

I forgot to mention my other reason: my accident prone family. Most of the glass in my house is ancient and therefore not the tempered safety kind. When it breaks, it is nasty. My wife already put her hand through the basement door window (requiring stitches and surgery), and my son broke a front window last night. The shards are nasty and suck to clean up. The security film looks like it keeps the glass in place rather than ending up with a guillotine.

as stated above.. most break ins are "smash and grab" beating on a window a dozen times calls attention to the fact that somebody is trying to break in.

You can never deter the true professionals.. but most thieves are not professional, they are only experts at opportunity. They will run if things do not do exactly like they think it should have.

You need a gun.

I would say, watching the video, that the plastic film shown is (1) on both sides of the glass, and (2) wraps the glass, going under the frame.

number 2 there is very important, and will be missing when applied to already installed glass. Done this way, when the glass fractures extend under the window frame, the entire window should push out, leaving small shards in the frame.

In fact, doing this may be to the thief's advantage. The glass will break more quietly, and push in more neatly, reducing dangerous shards that could cut. So it looks like a possible double win for a burgler.

sesto elemento wrote: You need a gun.

Worst idea ever.

1. If the gun is home and you are not, you just gave a criminal a gun.
2. Poster may not be ready to kill another human being, criminal who would break into home while you are there is gutsy enough to take gun away from you and use it on you for pulling it and not shooting them.
3. Guns require constant training to be proficient and that costs time and money. Not just to take care of criminals but to take care in not hitting collateral targets (read family).
4. Safety issues with children and other non-trained people.

Owning a gun responsibly requires a different mindset than most have. They work great for those who have it, they are a liability for those who don't.

Plus they don't protect the home when you aren't there (dogs are great for this one).

The film seems to be a nice alternative to the old iron bars or the chicken wire embedded glass. Seems like the last step in the house being less of a target. Because honestly, home security isn't about being impossible to get into, just harder to get into than the next guy who has the same level of stuff you do. This seems to partially fill that need as the old style glass you knew you were in for a hard time, this you don't.

Flight Service wrote:

sesto elemento wrote: You need a gun.

Worst idea ever. 1. If the gun is home and you are not, you just gave a criminal a gun. 2. Poster may not be ready to kill another human being, criminal who would break into home while you are there is gutsy enough to take gun away from you and use it on you for pulling it and not shooting them. 3. Guns require constant training to be proficient and that costs time and money. Not just to take care of criminals but to take care in not hitting collateral targets (read family). 4. Safety issues with children and other non-trained people. Owning a gun responsibly requires a different mindset than most have. They work great for those who have it, they are a liability for those who don't. Plus they don't protect the home when you aren't there (dogs are great for this one). The film seems to be a nice alternative to the old iron bars or the chicken wire embedded glass. Seems like the last step in the house being less of a target. Because honestly, home security isn't about being impossible to get into, just harder to get into than the next guy who has the same level of stuff you do. This seems to partially fill that need as the old style glass you knew you were in for a hard time, this you don't.

I own a gun, but I'm not sure how it is going to stop someone from breaking into my house while I'm not home and it is locked in the safe. I was asking about window security film. Don't flounder my thread.

The break-ins around here are almost always local high school kids looking for something fast to grab. They smash a window, grab something small & pricey, and go.

After a bit more research last night it seems that the weak point is where the glass attaches to the frame. If the combination glass & film are not firmly anchored to the window frame, then the glass itself will just pop out with enough force.

No way to use a permanent adhesive and lock the film to the frame or mechanical attach it to the inside of the house?

I've not had the opportunity to use the window film but it seems like a good idea. My current home had bars on most of the ground level windows when I bought it and one of my first projects was to take them off.

At the facility where I work the windows are laminated (like a windshield, glass/plastic sheet/glass sandwich) and thus are virtually indestructible (former asylum ). Drawback to going this sturdy of a window is that you are trapped inside in the event of a fire same as bars over the opening.

Depending on your budget and style of windows it might be worth calling your local glass company and asking them what your various options are.

One potential advantage that iron bars have over the film is that they're visible. An opportunistic thief won't realize you're protected until he breaks a window. OTOH, they can see the bars and be prepared for them if they really want YOUR stuff instead of the neighbor's.

WE use it on commercial buildings. It works. They guy who does our did the key bank building downtown, people were taking a sledge hammer to it during one of the protests and didn't break it.

It absorbs a lot of the energy, and because it allows the glass to flex more without cracking seems to make it harder to break, something like that. Was not installed around the entire glass, and was on the outside, keeps people from scratching the glass that way.

Id do it in a heartbeat if I was in your situation, I dont know what product was used, but it was very thick, like 6-10 mil thick. And I would hire someone else to install....

KyAllroad wrote: I've not had the opportunity to use the window film but it seems like a good idea. My current home had bars on most of the ground level windows when I bought it and one of my first projects was to take them off. At the facility where I work the windows are laminated (like a windshield, glass/plastic sheet/glass sandwich) and thus are virtually indestructible (former asylum ). Drawback to going this sturdy of a window is that you are trapped inside in the event of a fire same as bars over the opening. Depending on your budget and style of windows it might be worth calling your local glass company and asking them what your various options are.

When I pick up the new window I'm going to ask the glass shop what they can do. The cool thing is I can remove the windows and take them to their shop, so that should give me lots of options.

I dug around my garage and found some large 1/4" plexiglass sheets I forgot about. I may cut those to size and put them on the inside of the basement door windows.

in many ways it is like the laminated windshield on your car. Not impossible to break, just a lot harder to break through

Concertina wire?

Update:

Picked up the repaired window today. Apparently it was a PITA for the guy because of how the frame is made. The glass is VERY well retained. No glazing, it is all wood molding. Just some window cement to lock it in place.

Unfortunately the channel that the glass sits in will not accommodate thicker glass, nor will it allow for the security film to be tucked into the channel. The upside is that the channel is quite deep, so knocking the glass out will be quite laborious. I'm going to order some of the safety film and apply it myself. I'm also going to put the metal screen in behind it again for a little "bump protection" from the kids.