There are many reasons why businesses need to secure their windows. Whether it’s to protect a building and its occupants against a terrorist attack, to mitigate against smash and grab attacks, protect a building and its occupants from easily shattered glass during natural disasters, or just to provide peace of mind, window security is important.

Security window film is an excellent and cost-effective solution that can protect windows against many of these threats. However, not all exterior security window films have the same benefits. And just because security window film can mitigate terrorist attacks or prevent glass from shattering during foul weather events, it doesn’t mean it can fully protect your business or your employees.

Before deciding which option is right for you, it’s important to understand both the benefits and limitations of security window film and what other options are available to you that can provide the additional security you need to fully protect your business.

The Benefit of Security Films for Windows

Security window film enhances the safety of regular glass by strengthening it. By themselves, glass windows are the weakest point of a building, making them vulnerable to forced entry with minimal effort or explosions. When there’s an issue of safety, security window film can be a viable option with multiple benefits.

Tempered glass, which is used in most doors, sliding doors, and windows due to building construction codes, is even easier to break and push aside using a tool that can easily be purchase at your local hardware store.

Security window films are a cost-effective solution used to strengthen and enhance the safety of regular glass. This helps protect windows against smash and grab attacks, break-ins, vandalism, natural disasters, and even high-powered impacts such as bombings.

Why DefenseLite is a Superior Window Protection Product

By comparison, DefenseLite isn’t a window film but is a clear polycarbonate security glazing system that is retrofit to existing glass openings. Similar to window film, DefenseLite is installed on your standard or tempered glass window. However, unlike security film, DefenseLite goes beyond strengthening glass by making it almost impenetrable. With enough force and effort, security window film can still be breached, whereas DefenseLite creates near unbreachable glass.

Unlike DefenseLite, security window film will not prevent a window from being broken – it will delay entry and make breaching the window much more difficult for an intruder.

When an intruder is determined to gain entry, window security film makes it safer for them by preventing the glass from shattering by holding it together and not allowing shards to fall out of the frame.

DefenseLite Also Offers Protection Against Solar Rays

Some security window films offer additional benefits including solar protection and UV blocking technology. However, not every window film marketed specifically for security has these benefits. So, it’s important to look for a tinted, transitional, or daylight redirecting security film if you’d like to take advantage of solar protection in addition to window security.

As a built-in benefit, DefenseLite shields are high-optic UV coated during manufacturing. This means that not only is DefenseLite a stronger, impenetrable shield for glass doors and windows, but it also has added UV and solar protection benefits that come standard with every panel.

How DefenseLite is Installed

Similar to security film, DefenseLite is installed over your existing window and door glazing by a certified dealer or installer. However, DefenseLite is not a window film that sticks to your existing glass. Rather, it’s a polycarbonate panel that attaches directly over it.

DefenseLite attaches to your door or window frames, which creates an airspace between the polycarbonate shield and the existing glass. To prevent condensation – or pillowing –  upon impact, DefenseLite includes a vented, weather-sealed system. With no long-term servicing required, DefenseLite is truly a custom, long-term solution that provides the ultimate protection to your existing doors and windows.

Security Film vs DefenseLite

When you’re looking for a quick and easy solution to help secure your windows, then security window film is a good choice. But unlike DefenseLite, security film provides less protection from smash and grab attacks. Also, it will eventually need to be touched up or replaced due to weathering and bubbling or if the needs or aesthetics of your building change over time.

DefenseLite is a longer-lasting, more secure option than security window film. Each panel is customized to the exact size and shape of your window or door glass, ensuring a perfect fit every time.

When you need the ultimate in protection that is easily maintained, covered under warranty, and can be easily replaced in the event of an attempted attack, DefenseLite is your best choice for aesthetics and glass security with the additional benefits of UV protection, clarity, insulation, anti-vandalism and sound transfer reduction.

 

DefenseLite Advantages

There are a number of things that make DefenseLite a superior retrofit polycarbonate product. For one, better quality components and superior mechanical and thermal engineering separates DefenseLite from less expensive competitor systems.

DefenseLite is a patented, flexible and vented overglaze security glass system that provides for unmatched resilience under robust attack.  Its patent-pending venting system protects customers from longer-term condensation and moisture-related issues typically inherent in hermetically sealed, non-vented, field installed overglaze systems.

In field conditions, it is not advisable to hermetically seal the air space  between over-glazing and the prime window. Why? It won’t work. The only time ‘sealed airspaces’ work is in factory sealed, dehydrated, insulated glass units. These ‘sealed IG units’ are built in controlled, factory conditions. To address this properly, DefenseLite overglaze systems utilize a patent-pending ‘engineered ventilation’ behind the field installed overglaze.

This passive design is tuned for local climate conditions and usage. The DefenseLite’s ‘engineered venting’ system dries out the air behind the overglaze on an ongoing, dynamic basis leading to a low likelihood of longer-term condensation or moisture issues.  This is where less expensive, non-vented overglaze systems will experience moisture and condensation issues. It happens once the desiccant entombed in the framing system becomes saturated leading to an expensive fix for the owner down the road.

DefenseLite system is engineered for the local climate and usage by ventilating the area between the overglaze system to the adjacent space that is predicted to be drier at the most critical times of the year. Then, a precisely calibrated array of passive vents, based upon the premise of Boyle’s Law, are deployed to make the magic happen, keeping your overglaze system condensation free for the long-term.

Meanwhile, each component in a DefenseLite system is designed to ‘flex’ under significant force from robust attack. As the DefenseLite system ‘flexes’ while absorbing impact, energy is dissipated evenly throughout the overglaze providing for increased performance over competitor’s less expensive, rigid and fixed designs.

DefenseLite’s overglazing is like a Zen Master. It doesn’t attempt to ward off intruders like a brick wall. Instead, it flexes and absorbs the impact, dissipating the forces harmlessly out to the edges of the panel. All of this happens without breaking, tearing or detachment.  The would-be intruders get frustrated with our security glazing system and soon move on to a more vulnerable victim.

Another benefit of the DefenseLite retrofit polycarbonate system is its resistance to ‘Pillowing’ or ‘bowing.’ In many security glazing systems using polycarbonate, there is unsightly distortion and ‘fun house’ mirror-type effects. This pillowing occurs when thermal (solar heat) buildup creates a condition where the plastic glazing expands, or ‘pillows out’ – due to increased barometric air pressure and thermal expansion. The patent-pending “Moore” venting system engineered into DefenseLite allows for dynamic airflow from the newly created airspace to an open space alleviating the increased air pressure caused by solar heat gain. The DefenseLite overglaze is flexible and super strong. Like all polycarbonate, the sheet tends to grow when it gets warmer.  When plastic over-glaze “pillows” within a fixed rigid frame, it is because it is trying to grow – but it can’t – so it bulges out instead. DefenseLite’s engineered ventilation keeps the panel ‘cooler’ so it grows less, eliminates the pressure and allows the panel to float at all edges. The result: No unsightly bulge.

Another plus for the DefenseLite security glass system: Its polycarbonate sheets are “UV capped” and warranted against yellowing for a minimum of seven years. Many DefenseLite systems also incorporate a secondary layer of UV protection with the application of a thin film laminate primarily designed as sacrificial surface protection.