Smash-and-Grab Protection for Storefronts and Video Gaming Locations

Security window film will not stop someone from breaking storefront glass, but an attached system can stop the broken glass from becoming a quick opening. A smash-and-grab depends on speed: break the glass, clear it, get in and get out. Film holds the broken glass together, and a structural silicone attachment to the frame keeps that filmed glass in the opening, so the intruder has to keep working instead of stepping through.

That is the whole value of the product at a storefront or a video gaming location: delay. Everything below is about how much delay a particular opening can be given, and what film cannot do.

Key points

• IWFA describes smash-and-grab burglaries as crimes that depend on stealth and speed.
• IWFA says film applied without an attachment resists attempted forced entry in most cases unless the attack is more than smash-and-grab, and that tempered glass needs a more robust method to keep the glass from falling out.
• Our standard storefront system is 8 mil clear Armorcoat with a four-sided DOWSIL 995 wet glaze attachment; higher-risk openings can call for 14 mil.
• Solar Gard publishes puncture strength of 140 pounds force for 8 mil Armorcoat and 230 for 14 mil.
• Illinois Gaming Board rules require licensed video gaming locations to provide a secure premises and to promptly report unlawful entry that affects terminals.
• AAA Glass Tint has installed security film at more than 30 Illinois video gaming locations.

What is the difference between a smash-and-grab and a sustained break-in?

A smash-and-grab is fast. The International Window Film Association describes these burglaries as crimes that depend on stealth and speed, and the target is usually whatever sits close to the glass. A sustained break-in is different: the intruder has time, tools and a reason to keep going.

The difference matters because it decides how much film system an opening needs. IWFA says a daylight application, where film is applied to the glass with a small gap at the edge and no attachment to the frame, provides sufficient resistance to attempted forced entry in most cases unless the attack is more than smash-and-grab in nature. In the same guide, IWFA says methods of film attachment, mechanical or otherwise, provide better protection than daylight applications.

At storefronts and gaming locations we plan for more than a quick smash. AAA Glass Tint does not present film without an attachment as security, which is why our standard storefront system includes the attachment.

Why does the type of storefront glass change the answer?

Because annealed glass and tempered glass fail differently. 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.

IWFA says that with tempered glass a more robust method is necessary to keep the glass from falling out, and that safety film performed better on heat-treated or tempered systems than on annealed glass, especially with an attachment. In practice, film on a tempered door without an attachment can hold together as a single flexible sheet and still be pushed out of the frame. The attachment is what keeps it there.

Laminated and insulated glass behave differently again, and existing storefronts often mix glass types between the doors, the sidelights and the larger fixed lites. We identify the glass in each opening before recommending a system. We explain the attachment options in Security Film Attachment Systems Explained.

Which security film system works on a storefront or gaming location?

Most often 8 mil clear Armorcoat with a continuous bead of DOWSIL 995 structural silicone on all four sides, connecting the filmed glass to the frame. Higher-risk openings can call for 14 mil film with the same attachment. As an Armorcoat Certified Partner, AAA Glass Tint can sell and install Armorcoat security film thicker than 8 mil. Our storefront security film page describes the system.

Thicker film carries more load. Solar Gard’s published data for its clear Armorcoat constructions shows the difference:

Those are properties of the film and of the configurations Solar Gard tested, not a prediction for a particular storefront. The finished result depends on the glass, the frame, the size of the opening, the attachment and how the attack is carried out. The visible light figures matter at a storefront for a practical reason: clear security film keeps the view through the glass, so displays stay visible from the street and staff can still see out.

Our government agency project used 14 mil Armorcoat with a four-sided DOWSIL 995 attachment; it is described in our government security film case study.

What should Illinois video gaming locations know?

Video gaming locations combine terminals, cash and street-level glass, and many are open late. Illinois Gaming Board rules put specific duties on the location.

• A licensed video gaming location must provide a secure premises and must not allow anyone to tamper with or interfere with the terminals (11 Ill. Adm. Code 1800.270).
• The location must promptly report any unlawful or unwarranted entry that affects the play, mechanisms or contents of the terminals or connected equipment, both to the Board’s Administrator and to the terminal operator (Section 1800.270).
• During operating hours, an owner, manager or employee over 21 must be present, and the terminals or the entrance to the terminal area must be within that person’s view (Section 1800.810).
• Terminal operators must provide cameras that record the gaming area and voucher redemption whenever the terminals are operating, and keep the recordings for at least 30 days (Section 1800.250).

None of these rules names window film, and film is not a substitute for any of them. Where film fits is the glass itself: it can make the storefront slower to break through, and clear film does not block the employee’s view or the camera’s. We have installed security film at more than 30 Illinois video gaming locations, and our video gaming security film page covers that work.

What does security film not do at a storefront?

It does not make glass unbreakable, and it is not burglary-resistant glazing in the rated sense. The National Glass Association notes that burglary-resistant laminated glazing can be tested under UL 972, and Solar Gard states that Armorcoat does not meet UL 972. If a specification calls for UL 972 rated glazing, film is not that product, and the answer is replacement glazing.

It also does not strengthen the frame, the lock, the door hardware or the wall. If an intruder has enough time and tools, they can still get in.

Film is not a vehicle barrier. If a car or truck can reach your storefront, that is a separate problem from the glass.

Security window film should be one part of a broader security plan. Depending on the property, other measures may include alarms, surveillance cameras, lighting, access controls and procedures for securing cash or valuable merchandise. AAA Glass Tint specializes in window film systems and does not design or install those other security systems, but we will tell you if something we see affects how the film system should be planned.

The manufacturer’s warranty is also limited in a way storefront owners should know. The Armorcoat PremierPlus commercial warranty covers the film against defects and excludes theft or break in. It is a product warranty, not a promise about what the film will stop. We explain the rest in What Security Window Film Can and Cannot Do.

How long does installation take, and can you stay open?

A small storefront is usually done in one shift, and a typical entrance with a pair of doors and sidelights can often be done in one working day, depending on the glass, the framing and the site. Much of this work is done after hours so the business can stay open; after-hours and weekend installation is available at additional cost.

The structural silicone keeps curing after we leave. Dow lists DOWSIL 995 curing time at 7 to 14 days and full adhesion at 14 to 21 days, measured at 77 degrees Fahrenheit and 50 percent relative humidity, and temperature and humidity change the rate. The bead is visible at the edge of the glass, in black or white to suit the frame, so we talk through the appearance before we start. For project ranges and what moves the price, see what commercial window film costs.

What happens after a break-in attempt?

If the glass was broken, it has to be replaced, and the film and attachment come out with it. New film and a new attachment then go on the replacement glass. Plan for that in any board-up and glass repair, so the opening is not left with plain glass after the repair.

Video gaming locations should also remember the Gaming Board reporting duty above if the entry affected the terminals.

What else do storefront owners ask about security film?

Can security film go on glass doors?

Usually, after we check the door. Doors move, so the hardware, the glazing stops and the clearances all have to allow a continuous attachment. Fixed sidelights are generally more straightforward.

Should I choose 8 mil or 14 mil?

8 mil with a four-sided attachment is our standard storefront system. Higher-risk openings can call for 14 mil. We recommend one or the other for each opening after we have seen the glass and the frame.

Is film without an attachment worth anything?

It holds broken glass together and reduces loose fragments. AAA Glass Tint does not present film without an attachment as a forced-entry delay system.

Will security film change how my storefront looks?

Clear film keeps daylight and the view through the glass. The visible change is the silicone bead at the edges.

What should you ask before hiring a contractor?

Ask which film and thickness are being quoted, how the film will be attached to the frame and on how many sides, whether the contractor looked at each opening, and who will do the installation. Two quotes that both say security film can describe very different scopes of work. We cover the rest in How to Compare Commercial Window Film Bids.

We do not subcontract installation; our own crews do the work. To have your storefront glass and frames looked at, request a free assessment.