Is it true that thermal film for glass can insulate windows

Recently, the so-called heat-saving film for windows has appeared in construction stores. It is a thin polymer film on which there is a deposition of gold, silver or a chromium-nickel alloy.

It is believed that the use of this new product is able to retain heat in the room with savings of up to 30% in heat consumption in the apartment or on the balcony. But many sellers are silent about what undesirable effects owners of such films can get.

The material of this film is quite plastic, and it can even increase the strength of window glass. That is, if it is accidentally broken, the fragments will not scatter to the sides, but will remain glued to the film. However, this is only an optional feature. Thanks to the metal layer mentioned above, rays of the visible spectrum do not penetrate through the glass with the film, their refraction changes. It turns out that infrared rays, which are responsible for heat transfer, are reflected inside the room, due to which a heat-saving effect is achieved. At the same time, ultraviolet light is reflected outside, that is, it does not penetrate the apartment.

At the same time, one should not forget that ultraviolet ionizes air; it is known to promote the synthesis of vitamin D the body, it is necessary for indoor plants and is even able to purify indoor air from pathogenic bacteria.

Given these features, experts recommend using such a film in an apartment or on a balcony only from October to March. So that indoor plants do not wither and die, at this time you need to provide them with a twelve-hour illumination with special phyto-lamps, which give out the desired emission spectrum, which is suitable for plants. Using simple calculations, you can make sure that the money saved on heating the room is completely spent on paying for the electricity that the phytolamps absorb. In some cases, this also leads to additional costs. To hold such a film all year round, and especially in spring and autumn, not only makes no sense, but also impractical from the point of view of insulation, because the film does not allow solar heat to get from the street to the room. At this time, usually central heating is not yet turned on. You need to be prepared for the fact that the presence of heat-saving film on the windows will lead to the deterioration of all radio signals. This refers to a signal that goes to a television antenna or to a mobile phone and the like. You also need to remember that this is a one-time film, and if desired, it will have to be installed every winter. Therefore, many owners, given the pros and cons of this material, prefer to nevertheless conduct thorough insulation of the windows of balconies and walls, rather than purchase this dubious novelty.