Good value
Entry-level film
From £60 per m²
Mostly Opalux films. Dependable heat and glare control for smaller jobs.
- 10-year warranty
- Suits homes and rentals
Solar Control Window Film: Heat Reduction for Homes and Businesses in the North West
Solar control window film, also sold as heat reduction window film, is a thin layer fitted to the inside of the glass you already have. It stops a large share of the sun's heat, glare and ultraviolet light coming through the window, so the room stays cooler and easier to live in without new glazing or permanent blinds.
It is the film we fit most. We put it on conservatory roofs, extension doors, roof lanterns, offices and shopfronts across the North West, and we have been doing it for more than fifteen years. We supply and fit solar control window film across the North West: Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria, including Manchester, Salford, Liverpool, Chester, Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle.
- Up to around 80% of the sun's heat rejected by the strongest films.
- Up to 99% of UV blocked, the main cause of fading.
- From £60 per m² entry-level film, with a 10-year warranty.
- Fitted indoors on your existing glass, usually in a day.
The short answer
Yes, it works. A good solar control film can stop up to around 80% of the sun's heat at the window, and most also cut glare and block up to 99% of UV. How much you feel depends on the film, which way the glass faces and how much of it there is. A conservatory roof or a south-facing set of patio doors will notice the most.
How to read the numbers
Films are sold on a handful of figures. These are the ones that matter, and what they mean in a real room.
- TSER: total solar energy rejected
- The share of the sun's energy the film keeps out, either by reflecting it or absorbing it. This is the figure to compare when heat is the problem. Some suppliers quote the g-value instead, which is the same measure the other way round, so lower is better.
- VLT: visible light transmission
- The share of daylight that still gets through. A film at 70% looks almost clear. One at 20% is noticeably dark. It tells you how bright the room will stay.
- UV rejection
- The share of ultraviolet light blocked. Good films block up to 99%, which is what slows fading. See UV and anti-fade film.
- Glare reduction
- How much the film tames direct sun. It is related to VLT but not identical, because some films cut a lot of heat without darkening the room much. See anti-glare film.
Light, reflective or dark
Three finishes from jobs we have fitted. Each makes a different trade between heat control and how the glass looks.
Four types of heat reduction film
Most solar control films fall into one of these. We choose with you after seeing the glass and the room.
| Type | How it works | Look from outside | Best when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near-clear (ceramic or spectrally selective) | Targets infrared heat and UV, and leaves visible light largely alone | Almost no change | The glass must stay clear: period homes, shopfronts, showrooms | Costs more per m², and does less for glare |
| Light neutral | A mild tint that absorbs and reflects part of the sun's energy | Soft grey, barely noticeable | Extension doors, offices, living rooms | Rejects less heat than a reflective film |
| Reflective | A metallised layer that reflects a large share of the sun's energy | Silver mirror in daylight | Conservatory roofs, south-facing glass, daytime privacy | The mirror look is not for everyone. See one-way mirror film |
| Dark | A dyed film that absorbs more energy and cuts glare hard | Dark grey or bronze | Severe glare, strong privacy | Darkens the room, and the glass itself runs hotter |
Where heat reduction film makes the biggest difference
Film works hardest where there is a lot of glass facing the sun and the room has no other way to shed the heat.
- Conservatories and glass roofs: the roof takes the sun from above all day. See conservatory window tinting.
- Extensions and bi-fold doors: large openings built for light, with the heat that comes with it.
- Roof lanterns and skylights: overhead glass at its worst in high summer. See roof lantern film.
- Top-floor flats: floor-to-ceiling glass with nothing above it. See flat and apartment tinting.
- Offices, schools and shopfronts: west and south-facing glass. See office window tinting and school window film.
Double glazing, thermal stress and what we check first
A film that absorbs a lot of heat makes the glass behind it hotter, and glass does not like being heated unevenly. On most windows that is not a problem. On large panes, laminated glass, glass partly in shade from a porch or a tree, and some low-emissivity coatings, it can put a sealed unit under stress.
So before we recommend anything we check the glass: what type it is, how big the panes are and whether any of it sits in shade. Where there is a real risk we choose a film that reflects more and absorbs less, or we tell you not to film that pane at all.
Glazing makers sometimes put conditions on film in their warranties. If that matters to you, ask us for the film's technical data and we will send it with the quote.
Worth knowing: Reflective and dark films can look similar from the street but behave differently on the glass. Whoever surveys your windows should be choosing between them, not just selling you one.
Summer, winter and everyday life
In summer
This is where solar control film earns its place. Rooms that were too hot to use become comfortable, and the glare that sends people to the blinds is tamed.
In winter
Solar films also reduce the free warmth from low winter sun, though most people do not notice. If winter heat loss is your concern, see thermal insulation film, or ask about a film that does both.
All year
The view stays, daylight stays and nobody has to remember to close a blind. Blinds are still useful for the lowest sun, and for the evening.
What heat reduction film costs
Price depends on the film and how much glass there is. These three starting points show how our range works, and we fix the price after a survey.
Our regular
Solar Gard
From £95 per m²
The brand we have fitted since we started, made by a Saint-Gobain company.
- 10 years or more on most films
- Wide range of solar finishes
Premium
3M
From £300 per m²
Very high performance, including near-clear films for glass that must stay clear.
- Most heat rejection for the least tint
- Period homes and showrooms
Prices are per square metre of glass. A 2 m² pane starts from about £120 in entry-level film, £190 in Solar Gard and £600 in 3M. See Solar Gard and 3M.
Solar control case studies
Six jobs where heat and glare were the reason we were called, from patio doors to a church hall.
Solar Window Tinting on Patio and Bi-Fold Doors in Timperley
Taking the heat and glare out of a mostly glass extension without darkening it.
Conservatory Roof Tinting in Sale
Reflective solar control film on the glass roof panels of the conservatory.
Solar Film on the French Doors of a New-Build in Westhoughton
Cutting glare and heat from the back of a new-build and softening the view in.
Dark Window Tinting for a Dormer Bungalow in Penwortham
A dormer bungalow in Penwortham with a dark tint on the front windows and glazed porch, patterned top lights still showing through.
Frosted Stairwell Window and Solar Film in Wilmslow
Privacy on the staircase and less sun and glare through the big front windows.
Solar Film for Church Hall Windows in Whitefield
Controlling glare and heat from high windows in a worship hall.More on our work page.
Heat reduction across the North West
Heat is not only a southern problem. A glass roof on a hot afternoon in Cheshire, or a west-facing office in the middle of Manchester, gets just as uncomfortable. We fit solar control film from city-centre offices to village conservatories.
Most of our solar work is in Greater Manchester and Cheshire, and we travel across Lancashire, Merseyside and Cumbria as routine.
Heat is not only a southern problem. A west-facing office in Manchester or Salford, a glass roof in Cheshire on a hot afternoon or a seafront flat in Liverpool or Southport all get just as uncomfortable. We fit solar control film from city-centre offices in Manchester to village conservatories near Chester, and across Lancashire from Preston and Lancaster to the coast, with Carlisle and the Lakes in Cumbria covered too.
Most of our solar work is in Greater Manchester and Cheshire, and we travel across Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria as a matter of routine. The film is chosen for the glass and the orientation in every case: a high-rise in Manchester needs a different film from a conservatory in Chester or a bungalow sunroom in Preston. See the areas we cover across the North West.
Greater Manchester
Manchester, Trafford, Stockport, Bolton, Salford
Merseyside
Liverpool, Southport, Birkenhead, Crosby
Cheshire
Altrincham, Knutsford, Wilmslow, Chester
Lancashire
Preston, Chorley, Lancaster, Blackpool
Cumbria
Carlisle, Kendal, Penrith, Windermere
Solar control window film questions
Is heat reduction window film the same as solar control film?
Yes. Heat reduction film, solar control film, solar film and sun control film are different names for the same thing: a film that reduces the heat, glare and UV coming through glass.
Does it really make a room cooler?
Yes, noticeably, particularly on conservatory roofs and large south or west-facing windows. The size of the difference depends on the film and the glass, which is why we show samples against your own windows.
Will it make my room dark?
Only if you choose a dark film. Light and near-clear films keep most of the daylight. We show samples so you can judge the brightness yourself.
Does it work on north-facing glass?
The benefit is smaller, because north-facing windows get little direct sun. There, film is more likely to be about privacy or UV than heat.
Is it better than blinds?
They do different things. Film works all day without anyone touching it and keeps the view. Blinds block the light completely when closed. Many people use both.
How long does it last, and will it affect my window warranty?
Fitted inside the glass, good film commonly lasts ten years or more, and the films we fit carry a manufacturer's warranty, usually 10 years or more. Some glazing makers put conditions on film, so ask us for the technical data to check with them.
Do you fit solar control film across the North West?
Yes. We fit solar control window film in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria, including in and around Manchester, Salford, Liverpool, Chester, Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle. Samples are held against your own glass at the survey, so you can see what each film does before you decide.
A room that is too hot to use?
Tell us what the glass is and which way it faces. We will say what film we would try and what it would cost, and we bring samples to the survey.
