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Dustin and I made a video discussing window film, hazardous locations for glass, and options for making a home safer.

If the video doesn't appear above, please click this link to see it: https://youtu.be/Igkq7bQoZkY

Conclusions:

  • If you have standard glass in a hazardous location, do something to make it safer. Either replace the glass with tempered glass or have a safety film applied.
  • If a safety film is going to be applied, the best option would be to have 3M™ Safety & Security Window Film professionally installed. I contacted Columbia Window Film and Graphics, and they had a minimum fee of $250 to install this film. Also, they said this fee might cover roughly five windows, but of course, prices vary depending on a lot of things. If they can make the film look good for this price, I call this a bargain.
  • If you're going to apply a safety film yourself, make sure that you have a lot of patience. The film that I used in the video was BDF S8MC Security and Safety Film.

For detailed information on safety glass, please check out Douglas Hansen's excellent article on the topic: http://www.codecheck.com/cc/ccimages/PDFs/SafetyGlazingHansenOctober2011.pdf.

Author: Reuben Saltzman, Structure Tech Home Inspections