HITTING THE HEIGHTS TO HELP WITH GLARE

The Window Film Company recently completed a two-day project applying external anti-glare film to a large distribution centre in Basingstoke. Glare can be an issue all year round, but can be a particularly acute issue during the summer. Read on for details on how we helped out, despite some challenging issues.

The Sainsbury’s distribution centre in Basingstoke is a large, busy and extremely important part of the supermarket’s logistical operation. It is consistently in use, with staff working round the clock to ensure the smooth delivery of products throughout the country. The large facility benefits from a large number of sizeable windows and while these ensure excellent levels of natural light, they also mean that there was a constant issue with glare.

Glare can be an incredibly disruptive issue making it hard to comfortably focus on machinery, screens or colleagues and in this case, with staff often using machinery such as forklift trucks, a comfortable and clear internal environment was of paramount importance.

After discussions with the client, it was agreed that High Reflective Silver was the best possible solution. Once applied, the film reduces over 80% of glare, cutting out the harshest of the light without blocking the view or sacrificing natural light. It also has the added benefit of helping maintain a moderate temperature while also slowing down the fading process by blocking harmful UV rays.

The nature of the building meant that an internal application of the film wasn’t possible – large storage racks prevented the necessary access to the glass. In addition, many of the affected panes were at a height that necessitated powered access equipment to reach them. Using this sort of equipment inside the premises would have created too much disruption to daily operations, so an external installation was agreed.

This was made possible by using an external grade of the chosen window film an equally effective product that has been specially developed to cope with the extra demands of being on the exposed side of the glass.

Each of the panes was over 1.1m in width and just under a metre in height, with the majority of the glazing well above ground level. The installation was undertaken by a team of The Window Film Company’s experienced and fully qualified fitting crews, utilising a powered scissor lift to complete the work.

Once installed, the film was effective immediately, cutting out the majority of the glare and delivering a consistently comfortable working environment.

For more information on the range of anti-glare window films as well as solar control and fade reduction products, please contact a member of the team on 01494 794477 or email info@windowfilm.co.uk.