One way mirror film, also known as two way mirror film, or privacy film, can be applied to glass to turn it into a one way mirror. One way mirror film provides both daytime, and nighttime privacy.
Typical mirror films that are commonly sold are too transparent to provide a person with around the clock privacy and they do not have the level reflectivity needed to achieve that goal. One way mirror film is the perfect option to achieve total privacy, around the clock, due to it’s high levels of reflectivity and it’s transparency.
Benefits
To enhance window privacy, the most effective and affordable solution is the application of reflective film. Once applied, the film will turn the exterior side of the glass or window, into a mirror.
By applying this film, you will be preventing vision through the glass, while maintaining the view from inside. While many window films deliver a bit of daytime privacy, if you’re looking for full daytime and nighttime privacy you’ll need a highly reflective film.
What is one way mirror film?
One way mirror film is a thin poly material that incorporates several layers to control several different properties, such as UV light, heat, glare, and privacy. Enhancing your privacy is not the only thing achieved with this film, it also makes windows more energy efficient by reflecting the sun’s rays. One way film also protects your eyes from the harsh, blinding UV rays, and prevents bothersome glare on televisions and computer screens.
Enhancing Privacy At Night
A question that is often asked when considering the one way mirror film is “How can it work at night?” and this is a great question. The answer is simple–for many homes, there’s already a lot of street light outside, which creates glare on the mirror side of the film. The glare reflects off of the mirror film and provides you with the same level of privacy that would be received in daylight.
If you’re located in a more secluded area, where there may not be sufficient streetlight glare to create the same effect, then that’s okay! Additional glare is easy to add with a solar powered light, which is available at any hardware store or wal-mart. By using window film combined with simple lighting techniques, you can create complete privacy!
How Else Can I Create Window Privacy?
There are several ways to accomplish window privacy. The most common is frosted film, which works great if you don’t need to see through it. One way mirror film is preferred by most, because you can see out from inside, keeping an eye on deliveries, strangers, and potential bad guys.
Applications
One way mirror film is for more than just everyday, home security, it is also used in a multitude of creative applications.
In-between offices This is perfect for when someone inside of an office, such as a manager, wants to be able to see out, but they don’t want the entire facility to be able to see what they’re doing. We offer special film on our website that’s directional–meaning, it’s transparent from one side and reflective from the other. While the directional film doesn’t offer as high privacy as our maximum security film, directional film works great when both sides have equal lighting and full privacy isn’t required.
Schools Schools also use this for security and privacy purposes. Two different common uses of it are : In a daycare, the supervisors like to be able to keep discreet observation of staff, and also allow visiting parents to observe their kids without distracting them. In high schools, the film is often turned around so teachers can see out but intruders can’t see in. Sometimes combined with ballistic glass or plastic, it can add an additional layer of security in case of a school shooting.
Dance Studios Dance studios benefit from directional two way mirror film: parents can sit in the lobby and watch their kids while they can still see their own reflection.
Store Security Two way mirror film works great for store security, providing managers with discrete observation of employees and thieves. The thieves never know if they’re being watched or recorded.
Smart Mirrors & Infinity Mirrors We offer directional two way mirror film which is great for smart mirrors and infinity mirrors to create a reflection that goes on to infinity!
Police Stations & Jails And of course the most classic portrayal of the two-way mirror film is for jails and interrogation rooms.
Candid Camera Shows One way mirror film is commonly used in comedy shows and candid camera shows. Shows such as Big Brother and Couples Therapy have a camera crew behind two way mirrors filming the contestants from multiple angles. They typically use one of our beamsplitter or smart mirrors to ensure flawless recording clarity through the mirror.
How Two Way Mirror Film Works
The classic example of two way mirrors is in the movies where there’s a police lineup. What a lot of people don’t realize is that in the movies and on TV, the producers will literally swap in and out a regular mirror with a completely clear piece of glass. This is done to give the illusion that it’s a two-way mirror.
The primary reason for having to switch a regular mirror with a clear piece of glass is because the clear glass allows a camera to film through it with absolutely clear crystal clear picture quality. Another reason for this is that a lot of productions are done last moment and no one realizes that they can just get this film and add it to their window at any time. However, achieving that is totally possible to do and it’s super simple to install!
In the police lineup scenario, you have suspects in a bright room, with a light above them to illuminate the suspect and create a lot of glare on the surface of the two-way mirror. Meanwhile, the investigators are standing in a dimly illuminated observation area.
What if the two way mirror is too transparent? You just have to dim the lights! You’ll need to dim the lights on the suspects side and brighten the lights on the observation side. If it is reversed, then the suspects can see into the observation side and this is simply the laws of physics coming into play.
The way that you can kind of get around that and offer a high level of privacy is simply by increasing the reflectivity as well as how dark the film is.
The standard film features just a touch of reflectivity, which is fine if you just want daytime privacy. But, if you’re aiming for full privacy, day and night, you’ll want a very reflective, dark film like our one way mirror film!
The films with less reflectivity are perfect for areas within the home where you still want to have a ton of natural daylight coming in, while still giving you that extra touch of security. While they’re not as good at night, they still offer a bit of security, especially when combined with exterior lighting. Alternatively, shades or blinds can be used at night with a high transparency film.
Adding Outside Lighting
Adding additional outside lighting to your home is very simple! You can make this happen without rewiring your house, or hiring an electrician. Solar and battery powered security lights are easily available from walmart, amazon, home depot, and other stores for extremely low prices. Most additional outside lighting can be easily installed just above the window or out in the yard.
Outside lights will create sufficient glare to provide privacy at night.If you’re looking for extra privacy, adding in motion detecting lights along with applying a darker film will solve this dilemma for you. You can find both motion detecting lights, as well as security lights for a low cost Amazon.
Other Options To Increase Window Privacy
Another popular option for rooms where you don’t need to be able to see out of the windows, such as a closet, is the frosted film or pattern film! The frosted film or pattern film adds a lot of style, while simultaneously allowing a lot of diffused light to get through and giving you 100% privacy.
What if you want no light passing through your window?
We have an answer for that as well! Opaque films! These will block out 100% of the light, making sure that your room stays dark! This is great for people who work night shift and have no choice but to sleep during the day! It’s also great for other scenarios where you’re trying to reduce light within a room.
For example, the light coming from the windows could be creating too much illumination on one side, and you’re trying to balance lighting in the room for photography. This is another perfect example of when you would want to use a completely opaque black film to get rid of the glare! Alternatively, opaque mirror films can be used to create a double sided mirror.
Did you know that UV rays can fade your carpet and furniture? Not to mention the bad health effects from UV radiation.
Another great benefit of any Two Way Mirror film is it protects you and your belongings from harmful UV rays!Adding reflective mirror film on your windows reduces the amount of absorbed solar heat by reflecting it back outside! This is a great money saver, especially in parts of the world with a lot of sun!
Questions
Here are some of the top questions we get from clients:
Can it be cut as needed to fit windows?
Yes, it’s easily cut with scissors or utility blade.
Typically, film is cut slightly larger than the glass so you can trim it during installation for a perfect fit.
Is it applied to the inside or the outside?
It’s applied to the inside of the window
Can it create privacy between two rooms?
Yes, and typically you’ll want to order a directional one way mirror film, which is similar to maximum privacy film, but one side isn’t reflective.
Is it the same as auto tint?
Tint for cars is a lot more transparent to comply with tint laws, which aren’t allowed to be too dark or reflective for safety reasons.
As a result, car window tint isn’t nearly as effective for creating complete privacy.
Can it be applied to acrylic or polycarbonate?
It works best on glass, but if you don’t mind some bubbling it can be applied to plastic as well.
Can I hide a TV or monitor with it to create a Smart Mirror?
Yes, but you’ll want to use one of our lighter films, not our maximum privacy film. I’ll leave you links below to those options.
One Way Mirror Film vs. One Way Window Glass
One-Way Window Glass or One-Way Mirror Film?
Hello Solar Art blog readers! Today’s blog is on a very popular topic: one-way window glass or one-way mirror film? Maybe you’re familiar with the two products or maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about. Either way, we get asked this question A LOT by customers that are in all different fields. We have seen that people don’t know the difference between the two or which option they should go with.
Being as we are in the window film industry and we do come across this question all the time, we like to think we are pretty knowledgeable on the topic 😉 Our main goal is to help our customers find the information they need to solve their problem. With that being said, we made this blog to empower you and help you make the best decision for you and your project!
Both products are great for different reasons and will ultimately help you increase privacy and result in windows you can’t see in from outside, which is probably what you’re looking to do. We will start by breaking down what one-way mirror glass and one-way mirror film are, followed by the pros and cons of both, so you can easily see everything laid out to help you gain clarity on the different directions you can go!
Want to discuss One Way Window film options?
Reflective From The Exterior — From the exterior, it looks like a mirror
Transparent From The Interior — You will still have full visibility out of the glass
Affordable — Affordable & hassle free solution
What is a one-way window glass?
You have probably heard of one-way mirror glass, one-way window glass, or one-way privacy glass, especially in terms of police stations or interrogation rooms, or one-way window for homes. But do you know how it works? What makes it one way? Let me tell ya! What makes it «one-way» is the fact that it’s reflective on one side and transparent on the other side, whereas standard glass is transparent on both sides. A common question Solar Art gets is can you see through one-way glass? Depending on what side of the glass you are on, you will either be able to see through the one-way glass window, or it will seem like you’re looking into a mirror.
For one-way window glass to work, it requires that the light on one side of the glass is twice as bright as the other side. This is why one-way windows so commonly used in police stations. It gives the policemen the ability to see into a room, without being seen. They can listen to the conversation and see what’s going on, without anyone knowing they are watching.
What is a one-way mirror film?
Now, you might be wondering what one-way mirror film is and how it’s different than one-way mirror glass. Fair question. First and foremost, a one-way mirror film or one-way glass film is a type of window film. It’s a reflective window film that is applied directly onto a glass surface. One-way mirror film is similar to one-way mirror glass, in the sense that it’s reflective on one side and transparent on the other. Depending on which side of the glass you are on, you won’t be able to see through it. Just like one-way mirror glass, one-way mirror film still requires one side to be brighter than the other. One-way mirror film is a window film that lets light in, but you can’t see through it from the exterior. An easy way to think about one-way window film is that it’s the see out but not see in window film.
Solar Art gets requests for increased privacy every single day, multiple times a day. With that being said, a lot of our customers ask us for window film where you can see out and not in because they still want to be able to see out of the glass. Installing a frosted window film or a decorative window film will significantly increase privacy, but it will also prevent anyone from seeing in or out. Not being able to see out of the windows might be an issue for employees, which is why we recommend a privacy one-way window film for these customers.
Business owners and homeowners both are interested in one-way window film for their space. Some business owners like it for their storefront so people walking by can’t see straight into their store, which increases privacy as well as increases safety. This still allows their employees and customers the ability to see out of the building.
Homeowners are interested in a one-way mirror film for similar reasons as business owners. Some homeowners aren’t interested in a reflective window film for their home because it does change the aesthetics, so they choose to go a different route. However, if privacy is a real concern, and having a reflective window film isn’t an issue, a one-way mirror film is a great option for any persona in any field.
Pros and cons of one-way mirror glass
Probably the biggest benefit of one-way mirror glass is its durability. It’s specially-manufactured to not fade, peel, or scratch. Not to mention, it’s designed to have a long lifespan, so you shouldn’t have to replace it very often. It’s efficient, good for your wallet in the long run, and works great in highly trafficked areas because of its durability.
While one-way mirror glass is efficient, it’s also limited. It’s a specialized glass product and it’s only provided by select retailers who specialize in that glass. Since it’s a special product. you guessed it. it’s expensive, which is something to keep in mind. But, like I just said, it does have a long lifespan, so it’s a good investment. If you think one way mirror glass might be a good fit for your space, be sure you have the appropriate amount of light contrast for it to be effective and worth your money to work properly!
Pros and cons of one-way mirror film
A huge benefit of a one-way mirror film is the affordability. Installing window film is a fraction of the cost of installing glass. Not to mention, the installation process is simple and requires little work on your end. Window film is installed the same way as any other window film. It has an adhesive side that is installed directly onto the glass.
One-way mirror film is a convenient way to add privacy to your home or office. If you move offices or homes or simply decide you don’t want the one-way mirror film anymore, no problem! Our installation crew can go onsite and easily remove it with no damage to your glass whatsoever!
Another benefit of a one-way mirror film is the fact that it rejects heat, glare, and ultraviolet rays. One-way mirror film is one of the highest performing window films on the market in regards to heat and glare rejection. Depending on what window film you go with, it can reject up to 82% of heat and 93% of glare. That’s huge!
Not only are you increasing privacy, but you’re also increasing comfort. This means you won’t have to turn to your air conditioning to help cool your space, which will potentially reduce your electricity bill. Win-win situation right there.
Fun fact. all window film is going to block 99% of ultraviolet rays. These UVA and UVB rays are the leading cause of sun fading. So, not only are you increasing privacy, reducing heat, and reducing glare, you are also protecting your valuable belongings from sun fading. I mean come on. one-way window film is pretty cool!
One thing to keep in mind is that one-way mirror film isn’t as durable as one-way mirror glass, but if it does get damaged or scratched, our installation crew can go onsite and replace it with a fresh new layer. Again, not a lot of work on your part and you get so many benefits with a one-way window film!
Solar Art Window Film
So there you have it! The main differences between one-way mirror glass and one-way mirror film. These are two different products that ultimately result in the same goal, increased privacy. Hopefully, we provided you with the information you need to make the best decision and to solve the problem you are having!
If you are interested in learning more about a one-way privacy film for windows or think it might be a good fit for your home or office, give Solar Art a call today! We can have an estimator meet with you on-site and provide you with a free quote for any of our window film services, including: solar film, decorative window film , custom graphics , anti-graffiti film , window security film , and exterior building wraps .
