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DefenseLite® & BulletShield® Retrofit Glazing

When film isn't enough, you armor the opening. As an authorized dealer-installer, we retrofit engineered polycarbonate security glazing — including UL 752-rated ballistic protection — over the windows and doors you already own. Not sure whether your openings call for film, an overglaze shield, or replacement? Here is how we decide, opening by opening.

▶Official Impact Security footage

DefenseLite® vs. an 8 lb splitting maul

▶Official Impact Security footage

BulletShield® live-fire demo — UL 752 rated

Real manufacturer test footage — we are authorized & certified for both systems

DefenseLite®

A clear polycarbonate shield over your existing glass.

DefenseLite® is a ventilated polycarbonate glazing system mounted on its own aluminum framing over your existing windows, storefronts, and doors. Intruders have to get through the shield before they reach your glass. The manufacturer had a DefenseLite PRO specimen independently tested by Intertek to the ASTM F1233 forced-entry standard, an attack sequence with hand tools such as hammers and a pry bar.

Because it's a retrofit, there's no demolition, no glass replacement, and no waiting on custom IGUs. It installs over what you have, keeps your building's look, and each system is custom-made for its opening.

  • Polycarbonate the manufacturer describes as 200 to 250 times more impact-resistant than ordinary glass
  • Ventilated, thermally managed standoff design
  • Independently tested to ASTM F1233 for forced-entry resistance
  • Storefronts, entries, sidelites, transoms, curtain wall
  • UV-stable, optically clear, graffiti-resistant surface options
DefenseLite® retrofit glazing over a repeat-target storefront — Orange County Retrofit glazing panel and framing over existing storefront glass

BulletShield®

UL 752 ballistic protection — retrofit, not replacement.

BulletShield® brings rated ballistic resistance to your existing openings. An engineered shield — polycarbonate, or glass-clad polycarbonate where the threat level calls for it — is anchored over your current storefront or entry system and specified to UL 752 threat levels, so the rating matches the risk — from handgun to higher-level threats.

It's the practical path to ballistic protection for buildings that can't rip out their glazing: dispensaries (see what California's cannabis rules actually say about glass), pharmacies (see what DEA and Board of Pharmacy rules say about glass), bank branches and credit unions (see what federal bank-security rules say about teller-line glass), government counters, schools, houses of worship, and other public-facing counters.

  • Specified to UL 752 ballistic threat levels
  • Installs over existing glazing — minimal disruption
  • Discreet: protection that doesn't look like a fortress
  • Pairs with access control and entry hardening

Which System?

Film vs. DefenseLite® vs. BulletShield®

 Security FilmDefenseLite®BulletShield®
ThreatSmash-and-grab, fragment retentionDetermined forced entry, riot, repeat break-insBallistic threats (UL 752 rated)
How it worksBonded film holds broken glass togetherPolycarbonate barrier mounted in front of the glass on its own framingRated polycarbonate glazing engineered to stop rounds
DisruptionHours, after-hours installCustom-built per opening; mounts on the exterior or interior sideDays, engineered per opening
Relative cost$$$$$$
Best first stepA free threat assessment — we'll tell you honestly which tier your risk justifies, and quote alternatives side by side.

Questions

Retrofit glazing FAQ.

Why buy DefenseLite® through an authorized dealer-installer?

DefenseLite® and BulletShield® are engineered systems, not off-the-shelf panels — measurement, framing, anchoring, and ventilation details determine whether the system performs as tested. Authorized dealer-installers are trained on those details, and warranty terms come from the manufacturer for the specific system installed.

Will it change how my storefront looks?

The glazing is optically clear and the low-profile framing follows your existing mullions. The manufacturer describes it as nearly invisible once installed. Custom powder-coated frame finishes are available.

What UL 752 level do I need?

UL 752 defines ballistic ratings by threat (the 11th edition uses numbered Levels 1-10; the current 12th edition uses threat designations such as UL-HG for handguns, UL-RF for rifles and UL-SG for shotguns). The right level depends on your risk profile and budget — we'll walk it with you during the assessment and spec the system to match.

Can I combine systems?

Yes — many buildings mix solutions: security film on upper glazing, DefenseLite® on ground-floor entries, BulletShield® at transaction points. One assessment covers all of it.

Keep Reading

Film, laminated glass, or replacement?

The honest comparison — including when replacement is genuinely the right call.

Read the post →

The FEMA nonprofit security grant, in plain English

How NSGP funding covers security glazing, and the code line that pays for it.

Read the guide →

Overglaze polycarbonate retrofit, explained

How the shield attaches, what the one independent forced-entry report shows, and how to read UL 752 and ASTM F3561 ratings.

Read the post →

Armor your openings without replacing them.

Free threat assessment across LA & Orange County from an authorized DefenseLite® & BulletShield® installer.

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