Security Window Film for Illinois Public and Private Schools

Our servicesSafety and security filmSchool safety

Security film holds broken glass together. Attached to the frame with structural silicone, it keeps the glass in the opening longer and helps delay forced entry. We install it for K-12 public school districts, private schools, both independent and church-affiliated, and colleges and universities throughout the Chicago metropolitan area and Northern Illinois.

For a Northern Illinois public school district, we treated nine buildings and its mobile classrooms, phased over summer breaks from 2020 to 2025.

Request a Commercial Assessment

or call 815-216-4203

Have drawings and specifications? We can prepare an itemized estimate from them. We typically respond within one business day.

PDFOne-page overview for your school board

  • Commercial window film since 1984
  • School district program: 9 buildings, 1,205 panels
  • Armorcoat Certified Partner
  • Our own crews, no subcontracting
Inside an entrance vestibule: two pairs of glass doors with sidelights and transom windows, with daylight coming through the glass.
Entrance doors and sidelights inside a vestibule.

What it does

What security film does, and what it does not do

We do not promise a number of minutes: the glass, the frame, the attachment and the attack decide it.

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.

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, which helps delay forced entry.
  • Goes on the glass you already haveEntrance doors, sidelights and ground-floor windows, without replacing the glass. A typical entrance is generally a one day installation for our crew.
  • 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 throughIt makes an opening take longer to create. With enough time and tools, an intruder can still get in.
  • Stop bulletsIt is not bullet resistant. Solar Gard states that Armorcoat does not meet UL 752 or UL 972.
  • Work without an attachmentAAA Glass Tint does not treat film without an attachment as a security system.
  • Replace locks, access control or a secure vestibuleIt is one layer of an entrance’s security.

What security window film can and cannot do

Documented project

Nine school buildings, phased over six years

The district is not named, for security reasons.

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

  • 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

One-page overview to share with your board (PDF)

The goal

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: entry doors, classroom doors and windows, ground-floor elevations facing parking lots, and office windows. It needed a plan that fit its budget one year at a time, and work that never overlapped with students in the buildings.

The plan

We surveyed every building and built the project as separate phases, so the district could fund one group of buildings at a time and still end up with one consistent system across the district.

The work

All work was done during summer breaks, which also gave the silicone time to cure before students returned. We do not subcontract installation; our own crews do the work.

The result

By the end of 2025 the district had one consistent security film system, 8 mil clear film with a structural silicone attachment, on the exterior glass of nine buildings and its mobile classrooms.

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
  • SiteBadging, background checks, escorts in certain areas and certificates of insurance

Read the government agency case study

Schools, colleges and universities

Who we work with

AAA Glass Tint has worked in schools since 1984, serving K-12 public school districts, private schools, both independent and church-affiliated, community colleges and universities. Today, our crews install security film in schools every summer and during winter and spring breaks, and we coordinate with facility teams from the first assessment through the final walkthrough.

Armorcoat Certified Partner

Solar Gard authorized dealer for more than 20 years

Member of the International Window Film Association (IWFA)

The system

Glass, film and attachment, checked together

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

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.
  1. 01

    The glass

    We inspect each opening, look for glass identification markings and use our Glass-Chek meter to assess glass thickness, air spaces, Low-E coatings and laminated construction. We then check film suitability against the manufacturer’s film-to-glass guidance. Tempered glass, common in entrance doors, breaks into small pieces all at once and can fall away from the opening; the attachment is what keeps it there.

  2. 02

    The film

    There is no separate school film. Schools get the same Armorcoat security film and DOWSIL 995 attachment we install on other commercial buildings; what changes is how the work is planned, scheduled and documented. Our typical entrance system is 8 mil clear Armorcoat with a four sided structural silicone wet glaze. Higher-risk openings can call for 14 mil film with the same attachment.

  3. 03

    The attachment

    DOWSIL 995 structural silicone joins the filmed glass to the frame on all four sides. Dow lists typical curing at 7 to 14 days and full adhesion at 14 to 21 days, at 77 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 percent relative humidity. Cold, dry conditions and larger joints can take longer, and we schedule school entrances with that in mind.

“I have recommended laminated security glazing or polycarbonate instead of film, and I will again. Film with no attachment is not security.”

David Johnson

Owner, AAA Glass Tint

Emergency access. Security film and attachment can also delay emergency access through treated glass. Districts should account for these openings in their emergency plans and coordinate with local police and fire departments.

For architects and specifiers. Clear Armorcoat, 8 mil on 1/4 and 3/16 inch glass, meets ANSI Z97.1 Class A and CPSC Category II as tested (Solar Gard). It does not meet UL 972 or UL 752, and ASTM F3561 does not apply to film retrofitted to existing glass (IWFA). We provide the manufacturer’s data sheets and test documentation for the system specified. The standards are compared side by side in ASTM F3561 and Security Window Film.

Planning

Where districts start, and how the work is phased

We do not design access control, door hardware or vestibules. If we see a problem with them during an assessment, we say so and coordinate with whoever handles them for the school.

  1. 01

    Controlled entrances

    Controlled entrances are usually the first priority in a school glass assessment because they are the most accessible and the most visible.

  2. 02

    Other exterior doors

    Exterior doors with glass, and their sidelights.

  3. 03

    Ground-floor windows

    Windows within reach from outside, especially at single-story buildings, portable classrooms and facilities with little natural surveillance.

  4. 04

    Classroom doors and interior glass

    Classroom door glass and corridor windows, where the district’s safety plan calls for them.

Phased over budget years. A district can start with its controlled entrances and add buildings as budgets allow, with the same film and the same attachment in every phase. Scheduled around the school calendar. We schedule entrance work when students are not present: summer, winter and spring breaks, evenings or weekends. After-hours and weekend work is available at additional cost.

Buying it

Estimates, specifications and documentation

Itemized estimates

We assess the existing glass and frames, then itemize the estimate the way your district needs it: by building, by opening or by phase. For larger programs, we plan the work in phases that fit annual budgets and the school calendar.

When a specification names another brand

We can propose Solar Gard Armorcoat as an alternative and provide the product data and test documentation for review by the architect, consultant or owner. Acceptance depends on the project’s requirements and approval process.

Documentation

We provide site assessments, product data, quotes and installation documentation for district review, budgeting and project approval, along with certificates of insurance and project submittals. We file certified payroll on prevailing wage public work, and every member of our installation team has passed a background check. When a funding program requires additional product or scope documentation, we can provide the information related to our work.

Cost and funding

As of October 2026, a typical entrance with 8 mil clear Armorcoat and a four sided wet glaze attachment generally falls in the low thousands of dollars. What drives the price. Grant programs can help pay for security film; see Security Window Film Grants for Schools, Churches and Nonprofits.

Planning resources

For districts, architects and business offices

Questions

Questions schools ask about security film

Can security window film stop a bullet?

No. Security film is not bullet resistant, and Solar Gard states that Armorcoat does not meet UL 752. Bullet resistance comes from glazing tested as a complete assembly. We explain when an entrance needs laminated glass or polycarbonate instead in Security Film, Laminated Glass or Polycarbonate for School Entrances.

How much time does security film add at an entrance?

We do not promise a number of minutes. The glass, the frame, the attachment and the attack decide how long an opening holds. Ask for the manufacturer’s test report on glass like yours, with the same attachment, and read what was tested.

Will security film work on our glass?

We inspect each opening, look for glass identification markings and measure the glass with our Glass-Chek meter before recommending anything, and every film is checked against the manufacturer’s film-to-glass guidance. Tempered glass, common in entrance doors, needs the attachment to stay in the opening once it breaks.

Can you install while school is in session?

We schedule entrance work when students are not present: summer, winter and spring breaks, evenings or weekends. A typical entrance, a pair of doors with sidelights, is generally a one day installation for our crew, and the silicone needs time to cure. After-hours and weekend work is available at additional cost.

Can we phase the work over several years?

Yes. One Northern Illinois district added buildings in phases over six years as its budget allowed, and none of the work took place while students were in the buildings. Every phase used the same film and attachment. See the school district case study.

Our architect specified another brand. Can you propose an alternative?

We can propose Solar Gard Armorcoat as an alternative and provide the product data and test documentation for review by the architect, consultant or owner. Acceptance depends on the project’s requirements and approval process.

Do your installers have background checks?

Yes. Every member of our installation team has passed a background check. We address additional district-specific screening requirements before installation. We do not subcontract installation; our own crews do the work.

Can grants help pay for security film?

Window film is a named allowable item in FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, for private schools and other nonprofits, and in the Department of Justice School Violence Prevention Program, for public school districts. Our grants article explains what an application needs. When a funding program requires additional product or scope documentation, we can provide the information related to our work.

What does the free assessment include?

David Johnson, the owner, or one of our field technicians looks at each opening in scope: the glass, the frame and how the door or window is used. We inspect and measure the glass and recommend a system for each opening, or say plainly when film is the wrong answer.

Do you work with private and church-affiliated schools?

Yes. Along with public school districts, we install security film for independent and church-affiliated schools. Private schools and churches have paid for our security film work with grant funding. We prepare itemized quotes, manufacturer data sheets and scope letters for grant applications. Eligibility depends on the funding program; see Security Window Film Grants for Schools, Churches and Nonprofits. For church buildings, see What Can Window Film Do for Churches and Houses of Worship?

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

Addison
Algonquin
Aurora
Barrington
Berwyn
Bolingbrook
Calumet City
Cary
Cicero
Chicago
Crystal Lake
Des Plaines
Downers Grove
Elgin
Elk Grove Village
Franklin Park
Glen Ellyn
Glenview
Hoffman Estates
Huntley
Joliet
Lake in the Hills
Lisle
Lombard
McHenry County
Morton Grove
Mount Prospect
Naperville
Northbrook
Oak Brook
Orland Park
Rosemont
Schaumburg
Tinley Park
Waukegan
Wheaton
Woodridge

Two ways to start

Start with your glass, or with your drawings

Exploring your options

Request a free on-site assessment. David Johnson, the owner, or one of our field technicians reviews the glass and frames at your entrances and recommends a system for each opening.

Request a Commercial Assessment

A project with drawings and specifications

We can begin with available drawings and specifications and prepare an itemized estimate, with product options for the architect’s review. Tell us about the project in the request form, and we will ask for the documents.

Request an estimate from drawings

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.

Or call 815-216-4203, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. We typically respond within one business day.

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