Safety and Security Window Film for Commercial Buildings

Our servicesSafety and security film

Security window film holds broken glass together and, when it is attached to the frame, helps delay forced entry through doors, sidelights and storefront glass, without replacing the glass. We install it throughout the Chicago metropolitan area and Northern Illinois.

We assess the glass, the frames and the openings before recommending anything, and we install our own work.

Request a Commercial Assessment

or call 815-216-4203

We typically respond within one business day.

Armorcoat Certified Partner
School district: 1,205 panels
Free on-site assessment

A glass storefront door in a brick wall, its glass broken into small pieces that remain in the door frame. — A storefront door after an attempted break-in. The glass shattered but remained in the opening. AAA Glass Tint had installed 8 mil security film, attached to the frame with DOWSIL 995 structural silicone.

How security film works

What security film does, and what it does not do

The result depends on the glass, the framing and the attachment, not on film thickness alone.

Security film

Holds broken glass togetherWhen the glass breaks, the film helps retain the fragments and can reduce the hazard from flying glass.
Keeps the glass in the opening longerAttached to the frame, the filmed glass stays in the frame longer under attack.
Goes on the glass you already haveDoors, sidelights and storefront glass, without replacing the glass.
Keeps the view8 mil clear Armorcoat transmits 88 percent of visible light on 1/4 inch clear glass (Solar Gard).

Security film does not

Make glass impossible to break throughThe goal is to make an opening take longer to create.
Stop bulletsIt is not bullet resistant. Solar Gard states that Armorcoat does not meet UL 752 or UL 972.
Work as a security system on its ownAAA Glass Tint does not treat film without an attachment as a security system.
Strengthen the frame, the lock or the wallIf an intruder has enough time and tools, they can still get in.

What security window film can and cannot do How the film, attachment and glass work together

Building types

Where security film is used

Schools and districts

Entrance door glass and sidelights, with installation scheduled when students are not in the building.

School security film

Retail storefronts

Attached to the frame as part of a security system, film helps delay smash-and-grab entry.

Storefront systems

Illinois video gaming locations

Smash-and-grab and forced entry are the main concerns. AAA Glass Tint has installed security film at more than 30 Illinois video gaming locations.

Video gaming locations

Government and public buildings

Public-facing glass, entries and access control areas.

Government case study

Offices and financial services

Entry glass and interior partitions. With an attachment, security film helps delay forced entry and buys time for alarms and response.

Healthcare facilities

Film can reduce the hazard from broken glass and help delay forced entry through vulnerable glazing.

Hospitals and clinics

Documented projects

Security film we have installed

Neither client is named, for security reasons. The figures are copied from the published case studies.

DOWSIL 995 structural silicone bead along the bottom frame of a window, attaching clear security film to the frame. — The attachment along the bottom of one of the filmed windows.

School district · Northern Illinois · 2020 to 2025

School District Security Window Film, 9 Buildings

The district wanted the exterior glass at its schools and support buildings to hold together and stay in the frame longer if someone tried to break through it.

Buildings9, plus mobile classrooms
GlassAbout 9,000 square feet of exterior glass, 1,205 panels
FilmSolar Gard Armorcoat 8 mil clear security film
AttachmentDOWSIL 995 structural silicone on every panel, more than 13,000 linear feet
ScheduleSummer breaks only

Read the school district case study

Government agency · Northern Illinois · 2026

Government Agency 14 Mil Security Window Film

GlassAbout 2,500 square feet, 136 panels
FilmSolar Gard Armorcoat 14 mil clear security film
AttachmentDOWSIL 995 structural silicone on all four sides of every panel, about 2,400 linear feet
SiteBadging, background checks, escorts in certain areas and certificates of insurance
ResultThe agency brought AAA Glass Tint back for additional areas after the initial installation

Read the government agency case study

Video gaming locations · Illinois

Film, attachment and glass, chosen together

When the goal is forced entry delay, the attachment is part of the system from the start, not an add-on.

Close-up of the edge of a metal window frame, where a silicone bead joins the frame to the glass, seen from inside. — The attachment: a continuous bead of DOWSIL 995 structural silicone joins the filmed glass to the frame.

01
The film
Security film is typically applied to the interior surface of the glass, and its thickness is selected for the glass, the opening and the level of protection required. Most often we install 8 mil clear Armorcoat; higher-risk openings can call for 14 mil film with the same attachment.
02
The attachment
The edge of the film is attached to the frame, typically with a four-sided wet glaze of DOWSIL 995 structural silicone. That connection keeps the filmed glass in the frame longer under attack. We explain the options in Security Film Attachment Systems Explained.
03
The glass
Annealed glass breaks into larger pieces, and film alone generally holds those pieces together in the frame. Tempered glass, which is common in commercial entrance doors, breaks into small pieces all at once and can fall away from the opening.
We identify the glass in each opening before recommending a system.

Clear Armorcoat, as published by Solar Gard

Properties of the film and of the configurations Solar Gard tested, not a prediction for a particular opening. Source: Solar Gard published data, listed in Smash-and-Grab Protection for Storefronts and Video Gaming Locations.
Property	8 mil	14 mil
Puncture strength, lbs force	140	230
Break strength, lbs per inch	240	420
Tear strength, lbs force	13.2	23.1
DIN EN 356 classification	P1A	P2A
Visible light transmitted, 1/4 inch clear glass	88 percent	87 percent

What the security glazing standards say about film

From the comparison in ASTM F3561 and Security Window Film: What the Standard Tests, which also covers UL 752 and ASTM F1233.
Standard	What it evaluates	Clear Armorcoat
ANSI Z97.1 and CPSC 16 CFR 1201	Human impact safety glazing	8 mil film on 1/4 and 3/16 inch glass: ANSI Z97.1 Class A and CPSC Category II, as tested (Solar Gard)
GSA TS01 blast testing	Window performance under a blast load, reported as a Performance Condition	Reported for specific tested configurations, not for the film alone (Solar Gard)
UL 972	Burglary resistant glazing, repeated impact with a steel ball	Does not meet (Solar Gard)
ASTM F3561	Forced entry resistance of a complete window or door system after simulated gunfire	Not applicable to retrofit film (IWFA)

In a 2000 test series by Applied Research Associates with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, 8 mil two ply film on quarter inch annealed glass performed to GSA Performance Condition 3a with a four-sided wet glaze attachment, compared with 3b as a daylight installation. A 2010 test of 8 mil wet glazed film on similar glass reached Condition 3b. Those results apply to the tested configuration, not automatically to every building.

How a project runs

Every project starts with your glass

01
Glass check
For an existing building, we evaluate the glass, the framing and the exposure on site. For a project still in design, we can start from the drawings and the glazing specification.
02
The right system
We identify the glass in each opening before recommending a system. If a frame cannot support a proper attachment, we explain the limits plainly.
03
Scheduled around your building
We coordinate the installation around your building’s operating hours, tenants, access requirements and occupied areas. After-hours and weekend work is available at additional cost.
04
Walkthrough and warranty
We review the completed work with you and provide the manufacturer’s warranty information for the film installed.

What affects the price. Each quote considers the glass area and number of panels, film type and thickness, attachment method and linear footage, access equipment, existing-film removal and scheduling. We do not add a distance surcharge for projects we accept in Illinois.

We do not subcontract installation; our own crews do the work. AAA Glass Tint is a commercial window film contractor serving commercial buildings throughout Northern Illinois since 1984. A family-owned company headquartered in Elgin, Illinois, with field crews based in Chicago, Northbrook, Wheaton and Orland Park.

Insurance, submittals, certified payroll and scheduling

Security film credentials

Armorcoat Certified Partner

Solar Gard authorized dealer for more than 20 years

Member of the International Window Film Association (IWFA)

Planning resources

Before you write the scope

Questions

Security window film questions

Does security window film prevent forced entry for schools and retail buildings?

No film makes glass impossible to break through, but the right system can delay forced entry. Security film holds broken glass together. When the goal is to delay an intruder, the film is attached to the frame, typically with a wet glaze structural silicone, so the glass and film stay in the opening longer under attack. We explain the difference in What Security Window Film Can and Cannot Do.

Why attach the film to the frame?

Film alone holds broken glass together, but the whole sheet can still be pushed out of the frame. A four-sided DOWSIL 995 wet glaze bonds the filmed glass to the frame.

How do I choose a commercial window film contractor?

Look at what each contractor is actually proposing, not just the price. A good bid names the exact film, confirms it is approved for your glass, says who will install it, explains the warranty and, for security film, how the film is attached to the frame.

Security window film installation in the Chicago metropolitan area and Northern Illinois

Request a free assessment

David Johnson, the owner, or one of our field technicians will visit your building to evaluate the glass and discuss your project. For a building still in design, we can start from the drawings and specifications. We typically respond within one business day.