The Truth About Smart Glass and Film
Switchable glass is the biggest innovation to come to glass technology in over a century. Both smart glass and film go from clear to frosted when powered on and off. Now, glass can be installed with built-in privacy or you can apply smart film to the surface of existing glass, transforming it into smart glass. While switchable glass technology may seem like magic and the ideal solution, there are a few things you should know before purchasing smart glass or film.Get more news about smart film manufacturers,you can vist our website!
HAZE
When privacy glass is switched to clear, there can be a slight milkiness that we refer to as haze. This cannot be avoided because of the PDLC crystals that give the glass it’s switchable properties. These crystals act as tiny droplets that reflect the light and create some haze. Under normal lighting conditions, smart glass will look perfectly clear when powered on. Any haze will be most obvious under uneven lighting conditions and artificial light.
Fortunately, there are ways to minimize this haze. With a high quality product, this haze will barely be noticeable. Smart Glass Country’s products have a haze rating below 4 percent, which is the best on the market. Lower quality PDLC films may be hazier due to an uneven distribution of PDLC crystals throughout the film and cheap plastics. Any haze can be made less visible by optimizing lighting conditions.
PRICE
Smart glass and film are not as cheap as buying a standard set of curtains. Smart glass costs $80-100 dollars per square foot and smart film costs $25-40 per square foot. While you may come across some PDLC films being sold at cheap prices overseas, this is usually for a reason. Many of these films are thinner, more prone to damage and difficult to install.
If you are considering privacy glass as an option for your windows, walls or doors it is helpful to consider it’s overall value, as smart glass offers many other benefits in addition to providing privacy. Our smart glass is laminated and tempered, comes with built-in soundproofing and minimizes heat gain.
SMART FILM IS MORE PRONE TO DAMAGE
Smart film is not recommended for outdoor use, moisture prone areas and public spaces where vandalism is common. While our smart film is made with the best materials available, it still is an electric device and may become damaged if exposed to excessive moisture and should not be used outdoors. Privacy film can be used indoors in moisture prone areas and cleaned with liquids so long as the edges are covered with silicon to prevent damage.
The busbar area is the most delicate part of the film, as this is where the wires connect. If it is damaged the film will no longer switch from clear to frosted. So you should pay extra attention to this area and handle it with care.
Like any plastic, smart film can be scratched by dogs, cats or small children. If you are installing privacy film on a window or door that your pets or young children will constantly be in contact with, you will want to place a protective liner over top of the film to protect it from scratches.
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