Historical homes and buildings are preserved and restored for dozens of reasons. Often, these buildings represent the culture and history of a city or neighborhood by providing a link to the past. To maintain a building’s character and original facade while increasing energy efficiency during a preservation or restoration project, a building’s windows are often entirely replaced. While sometimes necessary, the task of replacing windows is time-consuming, expensive, and can cause damage to the structure or surrounding architecture (reducing its historic integrity).
Window Films: The Better Solution
The more cost-effective solution to properly upgrading historic windows (without causing any structural damage and retaining elements of the past) is to apply window film. Fast and easy to apply, window film can preserve the authenticity of a building and protect interior furnishings while preventing future glass damage. It will also significantly lower energy costs–even lower than with brand new windows. High performance window films created in the last 2 decades allow for high heat rejection levels and low visible light reflection, meaning you get increased energy efficiency without altering the appearance of your historic building. Professionally installed window films can reduce the amount of heat that escapes through windows (up to 25%) during the winter months and reduce cooling costs (up to 30%) in the summer months by preventing hot spots in the home where solar energy enters the building. Window film also reject UV rays, protecting inhabitants from skin damage and valuable property from fading and deterioration. The U.S. Department of the Interior even includes window film suggestions and guidelines in their “Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings“:
- Retrofitting historic windows with high-performance glazing or clear film, when possible, and only if the historic character can be maintained.
- Retrofitting historic steel windows and curtain-wall systems to improve thermal performance without compromising their character.
- Installing clear, low-emissivity (low-e) glass or film without noticeable color in historically clear windows to reduce solar heat gain.
- Installing film in a slightly lighter shade of the same color tint when replacing glazing panels on historically-dark-tinted windows to improve daylighting.
Trust the Tint Guy for All Your Window Film Needs
We offer a large selection of 3M window films as well as some of the industry’s most specified products, meaning we are sure to always have just the right product for your project. Plus, our manufacturer certified installers follow stringent installation techniques to ensure the finished product always exceeds your expectations. We have been installing window tinting in north Atlanta since 1986, and can handle any window film project you may have—from a single unit office to a multi-story building. Contact us to discuss your residential, commercial, and automotive window tinting needs today!