Security Film

Sometimes. Film alone rarely triggers a credit, but film paired with existing laminated or impact glazing, or film installed with frame-anchoring hardware, can change the picture. We document the install and hand you everything your broker and carrier need. The final call is your insurer's, but we've seen meaningful premium reductions after film-plus-anchoring retrofits.

Yes. The films and attachment systems we install are tested to internationally recognized standards: ASTM F3561 for forced entry, EN 356 for manual attack resistance, CPSC 16 CFR 1201 for safety glazing, and UL 972 for burglary resistance. We'll provide the relevant test data in writing during specification if your architect, GC, or inspector asks for it.

No. Security film turns a single pane of glass into a laminated barrier that holds the shards together during impact, blast, or forced entry. It buys you a lot of time, but it's not a ballistic solution. For actual ballistic protection we'd spec glass-clad polycarbonate, not film.

From your first call to a firm quote is typically within one week. Once the quote is approved we can usually schedule the install within two weeks. Most jobs run one to two days on site with a crew of one or two, depending on pane count and complexity. After installation there is a ninety-day glazing period during which the film fully cures.

That's the moisture cure and it's completely normal. A small amount of installation water remains trapped in the adhesive layer and has to evaporate out through the film. You may see haze or small optical pockets for the first few weeks. Typical cure is thirty to forty-five days and can run up to ninety days depending on temperature, humidity, and how much sun the glass gets. If anything persists past ninety days, call us and we'll come look.

In nearly every case, no. The films we install are engineered to be compatible with most residential and commercial glazing, including laminated and low-e units. If your glazing is under an active manufacturer warranty, we'll confirm compatibility in writing with them before we start.

The 14-mil is our interior standard. 325 lb/in break strength — our heaviest spec, specified for the highest forced-entry, impact, and blast performance. The 8-mil is Madico's exterior-rated film — the only thickness with the weatherable acrylate adhesive and abrasion-resistant hardcoat required to survive outdoor application. We spec the 8-mil when the interior of a pane is obstructed and only an exterior install is possible, or as the outer layer in a paired install (14-mil interior + 8-mil exterior) for the strongest combined barrier. For interior-only work, 14-mil is the default.