Not the commenter above but can answer this. Film is nearly always applied to the inside of the glass. Most film types, if placed outside, are quickly destroyed by the sun and elements; i.e., will eventually peel or flake up and fall off. Exterior films are a specialized and generally more expensive product, and likely not necessary for the application described here.
How much will it reduce the film’s effectiveness if I can’t put on the outside of the window? It’s above the first floor, and I can’t really expect my building’s handyman to do extra work for me, as he’s already swamped.
Septimaeus@infosec.pub 21 hours ago
Redditmodstouchgrass@lemmy.zip 21 hours ago
I figured, but when i looked it up a couple people were saying to put it outside, but one of those said double paneled windows would crack if it got too hot, so it might just be those cases.
Septimaeus@infosec.pub 20 hours ago
There is a combination of full mirrored rejection film (often not allowed in urban apartments) + prolonged intense sun exposure + certain types of sealed double pane windows which can lead to overpressurization of the interior chamber by both doubling the intrapane greenhouse effect while thermally insulating one side with film. Though IIRC this usually results in the glass perimeter seals failing (like a “blowout” which defeats some of the thermal barrier function of the double pane glass) rather than glass cracking (usually associated more with rapid thermal changes, such as from certain styles of compact vertical ejection window ACs).
But the type of thermal rejection film described above is not so aggressive as that. If the window is double pane and has a lot of direct sun exposure, you could ask an installer or consult with a store that sells these window treatments in your area to get an idea of the risk given local climate and specifics of your window for peace of mind. They might be able to recommend some film specifications as well.
Redditmodstouchgrass@lemmy.zip 19 hours ago
So before I go to my smart-ass landlord about this, are these films easily removable if necessary?
NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net 3 hours ago
A lot of them you static cling them to the inside of the windows.
Or you can buy the ones with sticky mirrored side and a squeegee to push the film flat against the window while you peel the nonstick backing off