Frequently Asked Questions

A transparent film made of premium advanced plastic, metallic or glass laminate applied to the inside of residential or commercial buildings that does more than just provide tinting to block out the sun. Easier to install and less costly then specialty glass installations.

There can be many reasons to choose window film for your home or office. Benefits of window film include Heat Reduction, Glare Reduction, Increased Privacy, UV Fade Protection, Security, Protection, Maintaining View & Lower Bills.

Window film can enhance all types of windows’ performance and style including single pane clear glass, dual pane low-e glass or anything in between in residential homes, office buildings and more.

When properly installed, Window Film should not take away from the quality of your current view. For some official Industry Standard Viewing Conditions, please see the document found here.

Todays advanced window film technologies actually enhance your view and based on the type of film you select it may be almost impossible to tell that a film was even installed. Window films come in a wide variety of designs, colors and tints ranging from virtually clear to completely non transparent for privacy.

There are many types of window film available including Solar Control, Glare Control, Decorative, Privacy, Low-e & Security. General Solar professionals will help you decide which will work best for your home or office.

The options are virtually unlimited based on each situation. From virtually clear to complete privacy. These advanced window films are designed to control heat, reduce glare & fading without obscuring sunshine & natural light. Our professional window film installers will help you decide what film is right for your home or office.

Yes, many films offer tremendous heat reduction properties. You can still enjoy both a beautiful view and rooms that are cooler and more comfortable, which also saves energy & money.

Yes! Window film is designed to filter out the UV (bad) rays that cause fading and only allow the good light to pass through your windows to prevent damage to your furnishings and flooring.

Yes Window film doesn’t have to be dark to provide benefits like heat reduction, energy savings and ultraviolet (UV) protection. General Solar offers a wide range of window film shades for architectural applications, giving you options that best suit your needs.

Window film has an adhesive on one side that is protected by a clear liner. The liner is removed at the time of installation. General Solar professional window film technicians thoroughly clean and prepare the glass before installation. Using a special mounting solution, squeegee and trimming blades the film is then applied to the glass.

Yes! Window film can be custom cut to fit any size or shape of window, patio door, skylight and other glass. Each sheet of window film is custom cut to match exact sizing of your windows. This technique means there are no visible seams and the process works on single & double hung, dual pane, tempered glass windows, sliding patio doors, french doors, casement windows, storm windows and more.

Energy payback will vary depending upon the amount of sunlit glass exposure, the type of window film used, cost of application, type of glass, cost of utilities, and other variables. However, we have seen energy paybacks often range in the 2-5 year period, with some reported to be even less than 6 months.

Nothing completely stops fading but properly installed window films will reduce the major causes of fading (ultra violet light, visible light, and solar heat), thus prolonging the life of your furnishings, perhaps as much as two to five times.

No, 3M Window Films do not cause seal failure. We’ve been applying 3M Window Films to insulated windows for many years with several millions of square feet of film applied to date.

With properly selected window film that is professionally installed the likelihood of breakage is minimal.

Safety and Security Window Films are designed to make glass shatter-resistant by holding the glass pieces together when broken.

General Solar has the experience to assist in picking the correct window film for your situation and can provide samples showing the different shades available. Call or email for a Free Quote today.

Residential & Commercial window film installations vary depending on how many windows are involved in the project but in many cases the film can be installed in one day. Call or email for a Free Quote today.

To obtain maximum service life from your window film product, note the following instructions for proper care and maintenance. DO NOT CLEAN THE FILM FOR 30 DAYS AFTER INSTALLATION. This will help to secure proper curing of the adhesive system to the glass. Do not use ammonia solutions to clean any window film product. A good economical cleaning solution for window film is ½ ounce of liquid dish soap added to one quart of fresh water. A soft cloth or a clean synthetic sponge is recommended for washing the window film followed by another clean soft cloth or soft rubber squeegee for drying. Do not use bristle brushes, abrasive scrubbing sponges, or any other cleaning materials that could scratch the film or that may have been contaminated with dirt particles, as is commonly the case when washing interior and exterior windows with the same cleaning materials. Some brands of paper towels are coarse enough to put fine scratches in the film, even films with a protective hard coat finish. While these scratches may be too thin to be seen at the beginning, they can damage the polished look of the film over time. Always use fresh clean soft materials to wash and dry your window film surfaces.

If you have a specific door that a pet paws on over and over we would recommend a tougher pet guard type of film for that door.

3M Window Films are warranted to maintain their solar properties without bubbling, peeling, cracking, or crazing. Many of our films are warranted against discoloration too. Contact General Solar for details.

15 Year Commercial Coverage: Coverage for up to 15 years against manufacturer defects with the purchase of select commercial Window Film.

Lifetime Residential: Coverage for life against manufacturer’s defects with your purchase of select residential window films.

3M™ Thinsulate™ Brand is a well-known 3M brand that stands for comfort, warmth, and quality. The Thinsulate™ brand has been in existence for almost 50 years. Many of the products under the Thinsulate™ brand are key warming/insulation components in jackets, hats, gloves, shoes, and bedding. And now Thinsulate™ Window Film products include low-e window films.

Low E is short for Low Emissivity. Products that have Low E properties, such as Thinsulate™ Window Film, are designed to help reflect radiant heat, rather than allowing the glass to absorb it.

Solar control films focus on the solar energy spectrum and are primarily designed to help keep the sun’s energy from entering a building. In order to be effective, the glass needs to be exposed to sunlight. The effectiveness of a film in helping to prevent solar energy from entering a building is measured by its Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). While Thinsulate™ Window Film has properties that allow it to reduce the solar energy entering a building, the film is also designed to help prevent the transfer of radiant heat from one side of the glass to the other. Radiant heat is based solely on the temperature difference between the outside of the glass and the inside of the glass. Therefore, the Low E properties of Thinsulate™ Window Film helps keep warm air inside during the winter months, and keep the warm air outside during summer months. Thinsulate™ Window Film helps reduce the amount of solar energy entering the building (SHGC) AND it helps provide additional insulation to reduce the transfer of radiant energy from one side of the glass to the other (U Value).

A home or building is only insulated as well as its windows. A single pane window loses 20 times as much heat as the same area in an adjacent well insulated wall. This leads to nearly 30% of all energy used to heat and cool homes going out the window. Thinsulate™ Window Film helps improve the insulation value of a typical single-pane window close to that of a double-pane, and of a double pane close to that of a triple-pane.

The Thinsulate™ Window Film should be cared for in accordance with the warranty document you received from your installing dealer. In general, you should wait a minimum of 30 days after installation before you clean your windows. At that time, you can clean your windows using commercially available window cleaning products with a clean window cleaning squeegee, or by gently wiping with a clean, soft cotton cloth, or non-abrasive paper towel. Never use abrasive cleaners or brushes to clean any window film.

Thinsulate™ Window Films can be applied to your existing windows, increasing the performance of a single pane window nearly to that of a double pane and a double pane nearly to a triple pane. They achieve this at a fraction of the cost, disruption and time required to replace your existing windows. In addition, there is no need to discard your existing windows into a landfill!