
If you’ve seen the decorative film used to spruce up windows and doors you know what a wonderful product and this is. For a very reasonable cost you can transform any glass in your home to look like stained glass, frosted or etched glass, or any other number of designs. As inexpensive and versatile as a decorative film is, the only real question beyond choosing your pattern is whether to use adhesive film or a non-adhesive film.
Adhesive Film
Decorative film with adhesive is a product with specially formulated glue that helps it remains securely attached to the glass. It is very attractive in situations where it might be exposed to excessive wind or drastic temperature changes. Advantages to using this type of film include its relative permanence, no worries of it falling off, a “one and done” installation, and ease of cleaning.
There are several disadvantages to adhesive film, not the least of which is the difficult installation. With adhesive film you have only one shot at getting it correct. If you’re not careful the film has a tendency to curl over and stick to itself like packing tape, and once that’s done, there’s no getting it apart. When you do succeed in applying it to the class, you won’t be able to adjust it once it’s affixed. So if you don’t get it into the corner squarely, or you allow even the slightest air bubble, you won’t be able to peel it and do it again.
Adhesive decorative film is also not reusable. Where non-adhesive films allow you to peel them off and change them with frequency, with adhesive-based film you must dispose of it if you ever remove it. And removing it isn’t easy, either. It takes significant elbow grease and some annoying chemicals in order to get it off completely.
Non-Adhesive Film
Non-adhesive film has the advantage of being easily removed and reused if you so desire. In fact, many people purchase multiple patterns and change them out with the seasons. You can’t do that with adhesive-based films. Non-adhesive films also offers several other advantages including easier installation, the ability to correct mistakes, and the option of mixing and matching patterns.
On the other hand, non-adhesive films are prone to falling off if windows are not perfectly clean. You may also notice some issues during extremely cold weather when the film does not cling as well. Finally, non-adhesive films tend to be as thin and light as possible which will result in shorter overall live and colors that fade more quickly. When it comes time to clean you must be careful not to dislodge the film while you’re doing it.
Deciding whether to use adhesive or non-adhesive film depends on your specific needs and preferences. A trained sales person or installation expert is in the right person to ask if you need help in making the decision.