Category Archives: Compare Home Depot 3M tinting

Huper Optik Ceramic Film Wins Comparison Vs. 3M Prestige Florida

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Advanced Film Solutions is Florida’s leading window film installation company.

Our team of technicians has earned Angie’s List Super Service Award for the last 8 consecutive years.

We have earned an A Plus rating with the Better Business Bureau and the Best Of Home Advisor Award for 2015.

Our experience is unmatched and no other company has completed more residential and commercial projects since 2007 as has Advanced Film Solutions.

Our team has completed the City of Altamonte Springs City Hall, NC State University Hill Library, The City of Oveido, The City Of largo, The VA Hospital and hundreds of commercial buildings and retail stores throughout the state.

The question we are addressing is a film to film comparison between the Eastman Chemical Huper Optik Films versus the 3M Prestige series sold by 3M dealers and home depot agents.

Why Huper Optik is the superior choice?

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  • We stipulate that both Huper Optik and 3M Prestige filter 99.9% of the UV
  • We stipulate that both Huper Optik and Prestige are available in 3, 4, 5 and 6 ft. widths.
  • Huper Optik has a lifetime warranty as does 3M
  • Huper Optik offers a glass breakage protection and seal failure coverage up to $2500 per window.

Where Huper out distances 3M:

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  • Huper Optik has a clear adhesive that presents superior clarity particularly at an angle.

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  • Huper Optik is available in darker light transmissions than 3M prestige which max’s out at a 40% VLTHO
  • 3M has reflective films that meet TECO rebates like Night Vision. Unfortunately the NV films will not meet many HOA rules or deed restrictions that prohibit reflective exterior appearance. Fundamentally the major consideration for this comparison is predicated on a non reflective non metallic appearance.hu
  • Both 3M and Huper Optik block IR wavelengths. 3M dealers and home depot agents may tend to confuse potential clients by stating that prestige blocks 97% of the IR or worse 97% of the heat. This is entirely untrue. Both 3M and Huper block nearly 90% of the entire IR wavelengths but the fact that Huper is available in darker VLT’s is the reason Huper can obtain the TECO rebate where 3M does not.
  • Price: The cost estimate is typically based on the scope of work involved. In our experience the 3M dealers tend to charge a higher rate for installation based on the perception that 3M blocks more heat (it does not of course!) They may also have a higher consumer awareness compared to the Eastman name (Once Eastman Kodak) Whatever their rationale they typically charge more than 2-30% higher for a solution that delivers less heat rejection!

Advanced Film Solutions is based on Tampa Bay and has offices in Orlando and Sarasota.

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We were founded by the former National Sales Manager of 3M Window Film.  He is a columnist for Window Film Magazine, Dr. Of Tintology.

Call for a free estimate toll free at 877-575-3456

ADVANCED FILM SOLUTIONS

Tampa Home Show, Compare Advanced Window Film Solutions

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We are looking forward to the excitement that home shows generates.

 

That’s why our sales team will be hosting our booth at the Tampa Convention Center, today!

Advanced Film Solutions offers the widest range of energy conserving , solar and solar security window films in Florida.

Our dynamic solutions:

  • Reduce your monthly electric bill by as much as 30%
  • Reduce glare and eliminate damaging UV rays.

  • Provide protection for home security and shatter control.
  • Provide privacy.

  • Meet all Deed Restrictions for Gated Communities.
  • NFRC rated for documented performance.

Compare our cost effective, lifetime warranted thin film technology and find out why VISTA , LLumar and Huper Optik  are the world leaders in the Window Film Industry.

 
(It’s not even close. . .!)
 

Advanced Film Solutions
Tampa-Orlando-Lakeland
877-575-3456
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Compare 3M Vs. Eastman Chemical Advanced Window Film

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Thanks to exciting technological innovations from Eastman Chemical, the world leader in window film,  Advanced Film Solutions can provide Tampa Bay residents the very best heat and UV blocking films.

 
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No other company has as many NFRC rated films or the experience and capabilities of Advanced Film Solutions.

Our Vista, LLumar, Huper Optik, FormulaOne are award winning effective solutions that offer the best ROI and performance of any energy savings aftermarket solution.

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Crystal clear performance thanks to distortion free adhesives and high heat rejecting ceramic technology.


Thanks to dye free IR heat rejection technology combined with visible light energy blockers no other company can keep your home or car cooler.

Let’s compare our local competitor 3M.
 
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Their most frequently promoted solution for homes and cars is their Prestige Series (sold as Crystalline for cars)

These are average films that are currently available in light transmissions of 40% or lighter.

Residential Comparison:


Advanced Film Solutions offers several choices of non reflective IR heat blocking films that out-perform our 3M friends.

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Huper Optik and Vista films qualify for TECO rebates whereas their Prestige film can not meet the heat rejecting requirements of TECO.

That should pretty much tell you all that you need to know!

Automotive comparison:


Here again 3M Crystaline film is limited to a very light 40% transmission or lighter.  (There are reasons that they don’t produce a car tint that will block more glare, but I’ll leave that for the 3M dealers to explain.)

Our Florida tint laws permit a 15% light transmission for rear glass and a 28% light transmission for the front driver and passenger window.

Our Pinnacle ceramic films meet the tint laws exactly while driving around with a 3M crystalline film will mean that your passengers have nearly 3X more glare and less heat rejection than our Eastman Chemical selections.

Does that make any sense at all for a tropical environment like Florida?


The lightness of their  films not only increases glare but it also hinders the ability to control interior fading.  More unwanted light increases the fading of your leather seats, etc.

Furthermore your family’s  privacy and security is limited by their inability to make a darker film. You are entirely visible to potential “bad guys!”

Does That Make Any Sense?
 
 
Total Solar Heat Rejection (SHGC)


Given the typically high cost for 3M prestige and the crystalline films, many 3M dealers tend to exaggerate the  heat rejecting capability of their film. 

This is certainly understandable given their severe limitations and outrageous sticker price.

 

For example we have anecdotal information that local 3M dealers claim their film blocks 97% of the heat! 

(SERIOUSLY?)


They humorously add that their film performs better at angles in some inexplicable fashion.

They may actually resort to a heat lamp gimmick that is rigged to provide a sucker illusion that these claims are accurate.

 
Of course they are not!
 
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For the best heat rejecting films in Tampa Bay call Advanced Film Solutions.

No gimmicks, rather NFRC rated films and facts!

Crystal Clear Heat Solutions by Advanced Film Solutions
 
 

Toll Free: 877-575-3456

Performance Vs. Product Spec. For Prestige Window Film Bids

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 Food For Thought

 

Let’s conduct a “thought experiment” by assuming that a university was seeking a clear window film that could reject heat without altering the appearance of their glass.

Let’s further assume that a representative of one brand of film got word of this interest and was the first vendor to consult with the key decision makers.

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How might that representative set a specification that would win the project?

 
You would set a specification that would beat all comers because they couldn’t possibly out heat reject your stuff. . right?

 

Not so fast Bunky!
 
 
What would you do if you were 3M and rejecting more heat isn’t in your bag of tricks?
 

There are many competitive films that block more heat than Prestige 70.

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This isn’t guess-work,  but rather a factually based on the NFRC performance ratings.

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There are competitive films that are optically clearer and won’t shift the light to blue.
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There are films that offer better glass coverage for much higher recompense should something happen to the seals.

There are films that block as much heat in the summer as Prestige 70 while insulating glass in the winter and throughout the entire year!

What they did instead  was to create a product specification that focuses on implied attributes that have nothing to do with on glass performance, appearance or functionality.

Let’s take a look at a 3M Prestige 70 specification.

“Total Solar energy rejected at not less than 50%”:

Sounds impressive but I can readily think of several competitive films with equal or superior TSER and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient.

 
After all it is important to note that the percentage of solar energy rejected and the percentage of near-infrared radiation rejected are different measurements.
 

A measurement of near-infrared rejection only takes into account radiation in the near-infrared range, while solar energy rejection measures both near-infrared and visible light rejection.

Visible light, when transmitted through glass and absorbed by furniture or carpet, also contributes to heat gain.

 
 
Oh Yeah?!
 
 
The 3M Prestige 70 specification includes another line that states:
 
 

Total Solar Energy Rejected (TSER) at 60 Degrees (ASTM E903): Not less than 59%.

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This sounds pretty significant doesn’t it? 
 

They even reference an ASTM test and now somehow the Prestige 70 Film miraculously improved its total solar energy rejected by nearly 20%!!

Let’s see if there is anyone else can possibly invent a film that works better during the hottest time of day?

 
That 3M innovation must have been working all night for this amazing, magical improvement!!
 
Until you discover that glass itself works this way; and that every window film performs better at a 60 degree angle?
 
Still impressed?


The 3M representative will proudly state that their Prestige film blocks 97% of the infrared heat (now, that sounds impressive!)

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Until you realize that the 3M film does not block 97% of the entire near and far IR wavelengths; but rather (read the fine print!) the narrow wavelengths between 900-1000 nm.

“97% of the IR” and blocks 59% of the total solar energy at 2:00 PM, and somehow..

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The only relevant number is the documented NFRC tested “shall not block less than 50% of the TSER.”

 

But wait there’s more. .
The 3M specification further stipulates:

Because they are manufactured without metals, these films are not susceptible to corrosion in coastal environments and do not interfere with mobile phone reception.

D’ya think every other 70% window film corrodes or interferes with cell phones?
 
 
Hello? Hello?
 
Nope.


Non 3M window films like Huper Optik use a variety of stable elements that will never corrode or interfere with EM or radio waves. 

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The 3M rep may add that Prestige is composed of optically clear polyester.
 
They contain at least 220 layers and may add something irrelevant about how many layers that would be in Post It Notes!
 

That’s a nice touch isn’t it?

16779293482_c8f04b1f5a_oWhen I worked for 3M I wondered aloud why we couldn’t create a film that would actually block more heat than competitive films?

Why couldn’t we add a few more multi-layers to get the documented TSER up to 60%? (sans gimmicks!)

 

The lab guy just looked at me and rolled his eyes.

9 years later and they still haven’t figured out how to really improve their on glass heat rejection; so these silly games are still being played.

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Figure out how to actually and factually improve your heat rejection in the afternoon instead of pretending Prestige is unique at angles. (Heck Saran Wrap works better at an angle!)builfing

Taking On Home Depot & 3M Window Tinting, Florida

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 Florida consumers ask us to compare Huper Optik to the 3M prestige films being sold through Home Depot.

Can we compete and win with a clearly superior window film based on documented performance characteristics of the window film as opposed to the “perception” of the 3M film’s performance?

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We have earned installations with installed pricing that will astonish folks who have received quotes through a 3M Home Depot program.

Let’s compare.

 
  1. Advanced Film Solutions ceramic films meet the shading coefficient requirements for TECO of $2.00 per square foot.3M prestige films do not!Why?Because they can’t block enough hat to make the grade! 
  2. Our 20 and 30% plus Drei blocks more heat and glare than any prestige film.
  3. This means your fade protection with our ceramic films is better than any prestige filmHO_5412 copy-L
  4. We work great at angles and our IR rejection is across the IR spectrum every bit as strong as their film.
  5. Our films do NOT CORRODE and go ahead- -use Windex!
     
  6. Our warranty is lifetime and transferable.
  7. EnerLogic All Season Window Film. Winter energy cost savings.3M and their home depot friends don’t have anything in their bag to compare!
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877-575-3456