Have you ever picked up a pillow and realized that the fabric under it was a different color than the pillow? Or maybe you have moved a rug on a wood floor and found that the wood was darker under the rug. I know several of our clients have had issues with carpet fading at sliding glass doors. They thought they were safe by having blinds or draperies covering the door. The fact is that blinds and draperies only work when they are closed and even then you have a gap between the door and the window covering that is subjected to the full brunt of the sun. Here in sunny southern California we love the sun, but the damage it is capable of we could do without.
Good things to know:
- UV radiation is responsible for roughly 40% of the fading
- Heat is approximately 25% of the fading
- Visible light is also about 25% of the fading
- The remaining 10% of the fading is caused by numerous things such as humidity, pollution, dye anchorage etc.
- Clear 1/8” single pane glass (typical residential use in homes before 1984) blocks 23% of the UV and 13% of the heat
- Clear 1/8” dual pane glass (typical residential use after 1984) blocks 36% of the UV and 23% of the heat
- Clear 1/4” single pane glass (typical commercial use) blocks 28% of UV and 17% of the heat
- Window Film applied to any glass blocks 95 – 99.9% of the UV and heat block ranges from 29 – 84% depending on the film choices.
UV rays bounce off of solid objects such as floors, walls, patios, decks, sidewalks, water etc. Because of this you can have substantial UV fading occurring even in areas that do not receive direct sun light. It is important to filter all sunlight or natural light that enters a room if you are trying to achieve the best protection.
Window films are used by museums, curators, private art collectors and others all over the world for their ability to virtually eliminate the UV and cut visible light and heat levels. No other type of window treatment can provide this high level of protection while allowing visibility through the window. In fact the Declaration of Independence in Washington, DC is protected by window film!