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Window Film Installation Instructions

SOLYX® Installation Instructions for Adhesive and Static Cling Films

Window Film Installation Tools

SOLYX-installation-tools

Tools: Scissors, Tape Measure, Razor Knife, Ruler, Plastic Card Squeegee, Spray Bottle, and Paper Towel.

Window Film Installation Video

  1. Clean the areas to which the film is to be applied, removing all traces of dirt, grime, grease, etc.
  2. Carefully measure the height and width of the glass surface. Oversize the film up to 1″ extra material on each side of the film and cut the film to this size.
  3. Create wetting solution by adding 8 drops (a one second short squeeze) of our SOLYX Wetting Solution or a very mild detergent (baby shampoo or dish detergent like “Joy” or “Dawn”(DO NOT USE HAND SOAP!) into spray bottle filled with water. Dish detergents with moisturizers will cloud the adhesive.

  1. Lay the cut-to-size decorative film on a clean, flat surface with the release liner up, or have someone hold the piece to be applied for you.
  2. Remove the release liner and spray the now exposed adhesive surface thoroughly with the wetting solution. (Tip: Place piece of scotch tape on both sides of window film, use tape to peel down release liner)
  3. Spray Hands with Wetting Solution before touching exposed portions of film to prevent damaging adhesive

  1. Apply a generous amount of the wetting solution to the glass. The wetting solution prevents the film from sticking to the surface immediately, thereby allowing you more time in which to properly position the film.
  2. Pick up Film by two top corners, Hold straight to avoid crinkling film.
  3. Place the now wet film onto the clean glass surface.
  4. Keep top edge level with outer edges overlapping frame.
  5. Film should flow smoothly over glass.

  1. Wet the face of the film to be squeegeed. Use squeegee and squeegee from the center out towards the edges pulling out any remaining air bubbles and wetting solution.
  2. Check that the film is flat and smooth.
  3. If any bubbles remain after Step 4, then use hard card wrapped in paper towel to push them out towards the closest edge.
  4. Trim the excess film from the edges of the surface. It is ideal to cut in one continuous movement, using the ruler and razor knife.
  5. Use the paper towels for cleaning the glass surface and for the absorption of excess wetting solution around the edges.
  6. The film may take a few days to dry in order for it to completely adhere to the glass surface.
Additional Installation Tips:
  • Check the glass to make sure the surface is smooth. Spray the glass with soapy water and use a single edge razor blade to shave the surface. There should be no “clicking” sounds from the glass as the blade passes across the surface.
  • Make sure the water is clean and use a new spray bottle. Do not use well water. Do not use hand soap.
  • The glass must be sprayed and squeegeed clean and not wiped.
  • Rinse/dip fingers in water before handling the film once the liner is removed. This will assist in keeping the adhesive from imprinting fingerprints.
  • Before applying the window film, ensure the surrounding area is clean and that no fans or wind is blowing.
  • A good squeegee is needed to squeegee all the water from behind the film.
Precautions:
  • The surface to which the film will be applied should be very clean, free of dirt, dust particles, and silicone. Make sure there are no dry spots on the film prior to placing it onto the glass.
  • Take care that when removing the release liner from adhesive backed films that the film does not roll over onto itself. It will stick together and is difficult to pull apart. Wet the film as the liner is removed!

Tip to remove liner: To separate the liner from the film, take two pieces of scotch tape and stick them opposite each other at one corner, then pull these two pieces of tape apart and the liner will separate from the film. The adhesive surface will now be exposed. Wet this adhesive surface. Do not let the film fall upon itself as it will stick if not wet and it will be hard to separate!

Seaming Films: For windows that are wider than the available width of SOLYX® films, Industry standards allow for seaming. Standard installation for seaming is a butt-join type seam. The films are overlapped and cut through with a sharp blade using a straight edge. The excess films are removed. A slight light line may appear. This is normally the width of the blade point. This is acceptable.

Under reasonable weather conditions, film will dry flat with no blisters within 30 days, when viewed under normal viewing conditions. Normal viewing conditions are viewing treated windows from a distance of ten feet from the room side, at angles of up to 45 degrees, looking at a clear or uniformly overcast sky. Since a particle-free application is possible only under sterile conditions, there may be small amounts of dust or grit caught between the film and glass.

There may be a small amount of water left behind the film, particularly with the thicker films. Please be patient. Within approximately 60-90 days, this water will evaporate through the film.

Maintenance – Cleaning and Care

We recommend only SimGlas® Window Film Cleaner and microfiber cloth.

Simglas Window Film Cleaner

The frequency of cleaning will not affect the film in any way.

DO NOT USE BRISTLE BRUSHES OR ANY OTHER MATERIAL THAT MIGHT SCRATCH THE SURFACE!

Some paper towels are coarse enough to scratch the film. Repeated use of improper cleaning implements and/or solutions will damage the appearance of the film.

CAUTION! DO NOT USE AMMONIA OR VINEGAR OR ANY PRODUCTS CONTAINING AMMONIA OR VINEGAR TO CLEAN THE WINDOW. DO NOT USE ANY ADHESIVE TAPES, LABELS, OR SIGNAGE ON THE SURFACE OF THE FILM.

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