Window film for sliding doors and glass pavilions
The renovation that opened the back of the house to the garden also opened it to the sun. Film on the inside of each pane takes the heat, the glare and the fading down, and leaves the garden where it is.
What changes, and what stays
Glass is one of the main ways summer heat gets into a house, and a pavilion is mostly glass. Film works on that heat at the pane, before it reaches the room.
What changes
- Heat. Less of it reaches the family room, so the space near the doors is usable on a hot afternoon.
- Glare. The screen, the television and the kitchen bench stop fighting the light.
- Fading. Floorboards, rugs, curtains and art in the light fade more slowly. Nothing stops fading completely, and we will not tell you otherwise.
What stays
- The view to the garden
- Daylight in the room
- How the doors look from the garden, with a clear or lightly tinted film
- The glass itself: film can come off again
Choosing the film, pane by pane
The films below are 3M families we choose between on the measure. A pavilion rarely wants one film everywhere: the skylight over the bench usually needs more than the stacker doors, and a bathroom pane on the same wall wants privacy, not heat control.
Some glass needs the film checked against it, including some double-glazed and laminated units. We note the glass type of every pane on the schedule so the film suits the glass.
| Clear heat-control film | Stacker doors and pavilions where the view matters most. Barely visible from the garden. |
|---|---|
| Light-tint film | West glass and rooms with strong glare. A slightly deeper look to the glass. |
| Low-reflective film | Where the garden side of the house should read the same as before. |
| Frosted or privacy film | A bathroom pane or a door that faces a neighbour. |
What getting it wrong looks like
A mirror onto the garden
A reflective film on every pane turns the back of the house into a mirror at the neighbours and the garden. It is rarely what anyone wanted.
One film for the whole house
The skylight is still too hot, and the study is darker than it needed to be.
The glass not checked
Film chosen without noting the glass type. We write it down for every pane.
Edges cut short
A gap line around every pane. Our edges are trimmed clean to the frame.
A garden side on the schedule
This is the shape a pavilion job takes on the schedule: each pane on its own line, each with its reason. Mark your own on the drawing and bring it to the booking.
Example schedule
- W1Garden side, skylight over the pavilion: Heat, Glare
- W2Garden side, stacker door 1: Fade
- W3Garden side, stacker door 2: Fade
- W4Garden side, highlight window 2: Heat
- W5Garden side, bathroom, obscure glass: Privacy
Obscure glass: we look at this pane on the measure.
Questions about pavilions and sliders
Will the family room feel darker?
With a clear heat-control film the change in daylight is slight. A light-tint film is a little deeper. We talk through how each film looks before anything is chosen.
Does the film go on the outside?
No. It goes on the inside face of each pane, away from the weather.
Can you do the skylight on the same visit?
Yes, it goes on the same schedule. Overhead glass takes more setting up, and the quote says so.
We have double glazing. Can it take film?
Often, with the right film. We note the glass type of each pane on the measure and choose a film that suits it, and we tell you if a pane should be left alone.
Will film stop the rug fading?
It slows fading. Sunlight and heat fade things as well as UV, so nothing stops it entirely.
Pavilions and sliders we measure
Reference
- Your Home: Glazing, the Australian Government's guide to comfortable homes. Explains how windows let heat in and out of a house, and why glazing and shading choices matter.