Commercial security film
Security window film for commercial buildings
Security film that adds genuine entry delay, handled through a long-standing installer and backed by a licensed C-8 glazier, from schools and storefronts to institutional buildings across Las Vegas.
- Since 1953
- 4.9★ across 400+ Google reviews
- Licensed Nevada C-8 glazier
- Entry delay, not just a film
How it works
What security film does, and what it doesn’t
Security film holds glass together after impact. Hit a filmed window and it cracks but stays in the frame, which buys time against a break-in, a storm, or a forced entry. That delay is the whole point.
What it does not do: make glass bulletproof. Anyone who tells you a film stops bullets is selling you something. Security film is about holding the glass together and slowing an intruder, not stopping a round. We’ll tell you exactly what a given film is rated to do before you buy it.
Ratings and standards
Film ratings and standards
A facilities manager compares specifications, not adjectives, so here are the ones that matter.
- Thickness in mil. Heavier film, more resistance.
- ASTM impact ratings. The impact and safety standards a film is tested to.
- Forced-entry and blast ratings. Where the product carries them.
We handle security film in 4, 8 and 14 mil. The rating a job needs depends on the threat and the standard you have to meet. Tell us the standard and we spec the film to it, rather than claim a blanket rating that may not fit your building.
Schools and institutions
Schools and institutional buildings
We have handled security film for Clark County School District facilities. CCSD is the fifth-largest school district in the country, and a licensed C-8 glazier who has worked in those buildings is a different proposition from a film reseller.
For a school, the question is entry delay: how long the film and the door hardware together hold an intruder out while a building locks down. Film works with the door hardware and access control, not instead of it. See ADA Door Compliance for the hardware side.
Installation
Attachment systems
This is the detail that separates a glazier from a film installer. A security film is only as strong as its attachment to the frame. Film laid inside the glass edge peels at the edge under load. The stronger builds anchor the film to the frame:
- Wet-glaze. A structural silicone bead bonding the film edge to the frame.
- Mechanical attachment. A batten or profile screwed through the film into the frame.
- Framing. Where the whole glazing system is upgraded to carry the load.
Which build a job needs comes down to the threat and the frame. Anchoring the film to the frame is what turns it from a cosmetic film into genuine entry delay.
Retail
Retail and storefront security
For retail, security film buys delay against smash-and-grab: the glass holds long enough that most thieves give up or get caught. It can also change what your insurer expects of a storefront. See Storefronts, and for a break-in that already happened, Emergency Board-Up.
Code compliance
Safety glazing and code
In some locations code requires safety glazing, glass that breaks safely near doors, low windows, and wet areas. Laminated glass or a rated safety film can satisfy that requirement. We’ll tell you where your building needs it and which option fits.
Compare options
Security film vs laminated glass vs bullet-resistant
Three different things, often confused. An honest comparison, cheapest to most expensive.
| Option | What it does | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Security film | Holds existing glass together, adds entry delay | Lowest |
| Laminated glass | Glass built with a bonded interlayer, stronger than filmed glass | Middle |
| Bullet-resistant | Rated to stop rounds, thick multi-layer assemblies | Highest |
Film upgrades the glass you already have. Laminated and bullet-resistant mean replacing the glass. We do all three and we’ll tell you which the threat actually calls for. Bullet-resistant assemblies are built and rated to UL 752; we spec the level to the threat.
Questions
Security film FAQ
Does security film make glass bulletproof?
How long does it take to break through security film?
Do you install security film in schools?
What thickness of security film do we need?
Does security film need to be attached to the frame?
Talk to a glazier, not a film reseller
We spec the film and the frame attachment to the actual threat, tell you what it is rated to do, and stand behind the job as the licensed glazier of record.