What Can Window Film Do for Churches and Houses of Worship?

Window film works well on the ordinary glass in a church: entry doors, sidelights, offices, classrooms, nurseries and fellowship spaces, where it can add privacy, cut heat and glare, block ultraviolet light or, with the right attachment, improve how the glass holds together. It is not for stained or leaded glass. We do not apply film to stained or leaded glass, and the National Park Service’s guidance on historic stained glass says work on it belongs with stained glass professionals.

Key points

• Most church window film goes on clear or tinted glass in doors, sidelights and rooms used during the week, not on sanctuary art glass.
• We do not film stained or leaded glass. The National Park Service’s Preservation Brief 33 says nearly all repair or restoration work on stained and leaded glass must be done by professionals in that field.
• Solar Gard’s film to glass guidance excludes textured glass and glass with paint or ornamentation from its glass breakage coverage, one reason decorative glass is treated differently.
• The common jobs are privacy film for nurseries, classrooms, offices and prayer rooms; solar and glare film for sunny main rooms and lobbies; and security film at entrances.
• Security film helps hold broken glass together; when the goal is delaying forced entry, an appropriate attachment system is an important part of the installation. Eligible houses of worship may be able to fund security improvements through programs such as the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
• We have installed window film for churches, synagogues and other houses of worship throughout Chicagoland; examples below are privacy and solar projects.

Can window film go on church windows?

On most of the glass in a church building, yes. The windows that get film are usually the everyday ones: glass entry doors and sidelights, office and classroom windows, nursery and youth room glass, fellowship halls, lobbies and large windows in newer worship spaces. Like any glass, each has to be checked for the right film first. We follow the manufacturer’s film to glass checklist for every window, the same way we do on any building; we explain why in Will Window Film Crack Your Glass?

Why not stained or leaded glass?

Because it is a different craft with different risks. We do not apply film to stained or leaded glass, and we refer those windows to stained glass specialists.

The National Park Service’s Preservation Brief 33, on the preservation and repair of historic stained and leaded glass, says virtually all repair or restoration work on that glass must be done by professionals. Where stained glass needs protection from breakage or weather, the brief discusses protective glazing: a separate clear pane installed outside the art glass, properly ventilated so that heat and condensation do not build up between the two. The Park Service cautions that protective glazing installed incorrectly can hasten deterioration, and that it is not a substitute for maintenance.

Manufacturer guidance points the same way for film generally. Solar Gard’s film to glass guide excludes textured glass, and glass with paint, lettering or other ornamentation, from its glass breakage and seal coverage.

What do churches use window film for?

The same things other buildings do, in rooms with their own needs:

• Privacy: frosted or opaque film for nurseries, classrooms, offices, counseling and prayer rooms, keeping daylight while blocking the view.
• Heat and glare: solar control film for sunny main rooms, lobbies, youth rooms and offices.
• Ultraviolet protection: virtually all architectural window films block ultraviolet light, which helps slow fading of carpets, pews, fabrics and artwork. Visible light fades colors too; we explain the limits in How Do You Protect Museum Collections and Historic Interiors From Sunlight?
• Security: security film at entrances and ground floor glass, covered below.

What should a church know about security film?

Three things. First, security film holds broken glass together and can delay entry; it does not make glass bulletproof or stop a determined attacker. We explain what it can and cannot do in What Security Window Film Can and Cannot Do.

Second, when the goal is delaying forced entry, the attachment matters. Film anchored to the frame with a structural attachment behaves very differently from film alone. See Security Film Attachment Systems Explained.

Third, funding may be available. Eligible houses of worship may be able to obtain funding for security improvements through programs such as the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Eligibility, funding availability and application requirements vary. We cover the programs and paperwork in Security Window Film Grants for Schools, Churches and Nonprofits.

We do not publish which churches have security film or where it is installed.

Who decides, and how do we work around services?

It varies. In our experience it is a mix: clergy, a facilities committee or board, or the volunteer who looks after the building, and often more than one of them. What helps every group decide is seeing the film on the actual glass. We bring samples on a free assessment, so the people deciding can see how much privacy, darkness and reflection each film gives before anything is ordered.

Installation is scheduled around services, programs and preschool hours. After-hours and weekend work is available at additional cost. We do not subcontract installation; our own crews do the work.

What kind of church work have we done?

We have completed window film installations for churches, synagogues and other houses of worship throughout Chicagoland. A few of the privacy and solar projects:

• Grace Bible Church
• West Chicago Bible Church
• St. Joseph Church
• Emmanuel Baptist Church
• St. Peter Lutheran Church
• New Faith Baptist Church
• St. Rita of Cascia
• Kollel Ateres Ami

What is the next step?

Walk the building and note which rooms have the problem: a nursery that needs privacy, a sunny main room, an entrance you are worried about. Leave the stained and leaded glass to a stained glass specialist. Then have the rest of the glass looked at in place, with samples. Assessments are free. See our privacy window film and solar control window film services, or request a free assessment.