How Does One Way Window Film Work?

How Does One Way Window Film Work?

Using one-way window film is an effective way to add privacy and control the view from your windows. It’s a popular choice for all kinds of buildings, especially in offices, surgeries, security huts and reception areas.

However, it’s also becoming a popular option for homes, especially when you want to hide an ugly view and local suppliers supply one-way window film Sydney wide. But how exactly does it work?

The Effect is Dictated by the Lighting Conditions The coating applied to one-way mirror film gives the glass the ability to act as a one-way mirror, but it is the lighting conditions, both inside and outside, that dictate whether the mirror effect will work and which also dictate the strength of the effect.

Light has an effect on all standard glass. The side of the glass with the most light will have a mirror effect while the other side will be transparent. This means that during the day you can easily see out of your windows, while people outside will find it difficult to see in.

As the light conditions change, the mirror effect changes too. At night, if you have the lights on inside, you’ll be easily seen from outside, but you’ll see your own reflection when you look out.

One-way film works by enhancing this property. The darker and more reflective the film, the greater the effect would be, which means that the difference will be more apparent, even in low lighting conditions.

Controlling the Mirror Effect When choosing to apply one-way window film in Sydney properties, you need to be aware that light levels will have an impact on the mirror effect. In general, the greater the difference in the level of light between the outside and inside, the more pronounced the mirror effect would be. However, this effect can be controlled by artificially adjusting the lighting levels on either side of the glass.

If fitted to an external window, this adjustment is more difficult to achieve as it’s at the mercy of the sun; however, it is possible to control the effect on internal glass.

For example, you can add spotlights on the side where you want to increase light levels and use dimmer switches to reduce the amount of light on the other. The side with the most light will have the mirror effect and you’ll be able to see through the side with less light.

The Bottom Line The effectiveness of one-way film is largely dictated by the lighting conditions and it is not possible to completely control the effect on external windows.

However, during the day it will offer the privacy you need, especially if you want to keep prying eyes away from the interior of your office or home.