Glare Can Be A Major Problem In Today’s ‘Walls Of Glass’ Offices - Stockfilms

When we use the term “walls of glass”, you probably immediately know what we mean; the extensive use of glass in 21st-century office developments can produce a pleasingly sleek aesthetic, from the outside as well as inside. It can also have some practical benefit, in terms of the amount of natural daylight it allows to flood into the building. 

However, the wholesale use of glass around an office premises can also present a high risk of the hated “glare”. This visual sensation arises due to excessive brightness and light in an individual’s visual field, that their eyes aren’t able to manage correctly. 

If, then, glare occurs in a largely glass-fronted office space, a lot of workers – as well as any other visitors or users of the given building – may be affected by it. 

What are the adverse impacts of glare in an office setting? 

The problems with glare in an office become apparent as soon as someone experiences it. Many of us have felt uncomfortable and distracted due to glare preventing us from viewing a laptop screen properly. It can anger workers when they are unable to get on with work they need to get done, and there can be a real negative impact on productivity. 

With glare hampering visibility, it can also present a heightened risk of accidents and injuries occurring in an office environment. Furthermore, glare can cause eye strain and headaches, and perhaps even longer-term issues such as head, neck, and shoulder aches among workers. 

Not only all this, but glare from direct sunlight can drive up the temperature inside the office space, perhaps even causing it to overheat. This helps draw attention to the benefits that anti-glare window films can have for making offices pleasanter places to work, beyond tackling the most obvious and immediate effects that glare produces. 

Is a window film the best way to tackle glare – and if so, which one is best? 

Where glare has been a problem in office spaces, blinds have sometimes been installed to help address it. However, these might spoil the sophisticated visual appearance that makes “walls of glass” offices so aesthetically pleasing to so many people. Plus, workers might feel the need to be constantly adjusting the blinds during the day as light conditions change. 

That’s before we even mention how blinds can interfere with the natural daylight coming into the space. The chances are that you will want a good amount of sunlight to continue shining into your offices – you just won’t want it to compromise workers’ ability to do their jobs. 

The installation of dedicated anti-glare window films can be an excellent way to cater to such a combination of needs. Here at Stockfilms, we recommend that you select a 20% or darker film, if the reduction of glare is your overriding priority from a window film. 

The reality, though, is that you might have various competing needs when you are considering your options for window films. For example, you might wish your chosen film to deliver a certain level of privacy, or to be suitable for application to the outside surface of a window. 

This helps to explain why we stock such a broad assortment of anti-glare window films. So, why not browse these options on our website today? 

If you would appreciate further advice and guidance as you attempt to select the right window film for your requirements, please feel free to call our technical support team on 020 8441 0449.