Window Film in Pilsen, Chicago

Storefront Security and Anti-Graffiti Film on 18th Street

Many of the businesses on 18th Street and Cermak are small and owner-operated, in brick buildings with the shop downstairs and apartments above. A broken front window means boarding up, losing business and waiting on a glass shop. Security film on the inside of the glass keeps a broken pane together in its frame, so the store stays closed up until a replacement arrives.

Etching and scratching on door glass is a separate problem. For that, we put a clear sacrificial sheet on the street side of the door. Keys and etching acid ruin the sheet instead of the tempered glass, and a fresh sheet costs much less than a new door lite. Door glass on busy corners is where it pays off first.

We want to be clear about one thing: our film goes on glass only. Pilsen's murals are on walls, and nothing we install touches them. If a business has painted lettering on the inside of a window, we work around it or discuss options with the owner first. Window lettering on 18th Street is part of the street's character.

UV and Solar Window Film for Pilsen Restaurants and Bakeries

18th Street runs east and west, so storefronts on the north side face south and get direct sun most of the day. Bakeries and restaurants with display cases near the front window feel it most: the cases warm up, the room gets hot, and colorful packaging and signs fade. Shops on the south side of the street get much less direct sun.

A light solar control film reduces heat and glare while keeping the display visible from the sidewalk. Clear UV film is a lighter option for shops that mostly worry about fading. Both are applied inside, so they do not interfere with signage or lettering on the glass. Installation can happen before opening so the bakery does not lose its morning rush.

• Solar film for south-facing 18th Street storefronts
• Security film for front windows and doors
• Anti-graffiti film for door glass and lower panes
• Frosted film for garden apartment windows

Window Film for Artist Studios and Galleries in Pilsen

On the east side of Pilsen, along Halsted and in the old industrial buildings near the river, studios and galleries use big north and east windows for working light. Artists want that light even, without hot spots or glare across a canvas or work table. Some of these spaces open to the public during the neighborhood's art walks, so the front windows double as display space.

For studios, a light glare film or a clear UV film keeps the light usable while protecting finished work. For galleries, clear UV film on display windows helps slow fading of prints and paintings in the front room. Studios with skylights can have those filmed too, which keeps hot spots off the work table in summer.

Privacy Film for Pilsen Garden Apartments and Two-Flats

Pilsen's brick two- and three-flats often have garden apartments that sit partly below the sidewalk. Their front windows are at ankle or knee height for people walking past, and on busy blocks that means constant views into living rooms and bedrooms. Many of these buildings also sit very close together, with side windows facing a neighbor's wall a few feet away.

Frosted film on garden-unit windows keeps the unit private and still lets in the daylight these apartments badly need. For upper units, clear UV film and low-e film help with sun in summer and cold glass in winter on older windows. Landlords often treat every garden unit in a building at once, which keeps the look consistent from the sidewalk.