Many people have been making investments in their homes in these past months. With the invest
ment in home improvement, it only makes sense that you would want to protect against sun damaged floors and furniture. This article is designed to explain the true causes of sun damage and why window films retrofitted to your existing windows can be a good solution. If you don’t want your new floors or furniture to end up looking like the floor above or to the right, check out the information below.
WHAT CAUSES SUN DAMAGED FLOORS AND FURNITURE
First, let’s discuss what causes this type of fading and sun damage. A common misconception is that the sun’s UV rays are what cause sun damaged floors, furniture and furnishings. While UV rays are certainly the largest component that causes fading, as the chart below illustrates, they actually only account for 40% of the total. Solar heat, or the heat you feel passing through your windows and the visible light streaming through are also major contributors. These factors account for an additional 25% each of the causes of fading. The last factor accounts for the remaining 10% and is listed as “other”. It is comprised of a variety of things that are harder to control like interior lighting, humidity, etc.
One thing this chart might help you realize is that you cannot “stop” fading completely. The facts are that unless the items you want to protect are placed in a dark, climate controlled room, they will typically fade over time. However, most of us plan to have the flooring and furniture in a place that will be exposed to UV, heat and light. This being the case, the most you can do is attack these major contributors of fading. By significantly attacking these contributors, you can slow down this fading process and extend the life of floors and furnishings. With that in mind, one of the best ways to attack these primary causes of sun damage and fading is with window films.
WHY ARE WINDOW FILMS A GOOD SOLUTION?
As mentioned above, you cannot completely stop fading and most people do not want to “close-up” their home in an effort to stop the damage from occurring. So, assuming windows will not be covered, you need to attack these fading factors before they enter the home. Window films are a great option because they attack all 3 major contributors of fading before they pass through the glass and enter your home.
Most professionally installed window films will block 99%+ of the UV rays, so that is nearly 40% of the factors removed. In addition, many window films can significantly reduce heat coming through the window, so that eliminates part of that 25% piece. Finally, it is possible to block up to 60% of the visible light coming through a window without noticeably darkening the window. When you combine the overall reduction in these 3 fade factors, you can take a significant portion of the fading pie shown above. The best part is that this protection can be accomplished while continuing to retain the open feel of your home through the use of window film.
We hope this article has served to shed some light the factors of sun damaged floors, furniture and furnishings and how utilizing window film can be one of your best options to address this issue. If you would like more information, click HERE and contact Shaded Glass today by calling 801-810-8468 or email us at info@shadedglass.com. We can provide you with a free, no obligation assessment and estimate on the work you are considering. We are based in Orem, Utah and proudly service the surrounding area.
Increased Home Comfort – Window films work to block excessive heat and glare from entering your home through the glass. Most homes have some windows that get a lot of sun throughout the day. In these areas of the home, there can be hot spots from the heat entering which is often accompanied by irritating glare. Often, in an effort to keep these areas of the home comfortable, your need to adjust your air conditioning. The problem then becomes that the home is often too cool in other areas where the sun is not shining in. By using window films on these specific windows, you can reduce the heat and glare specifically where the problem lies without covering the window with a blind, shade or drapery.
Preserve Floors, Furniture. and Furnishings – Our guess if that other things on your home improvement list may be things like new flooring, furniture, artwork, etc. If that is true, you want to be sure to protect those things from premature fading and sun damage. The primary sources of sun damage and fading are UV, Heat and Visible Light. 
Many schools have already utilized state and federal funding for security window films, but this latest round of funding enables them to enhance the work that may have already been done. We know that windows and glass door are often a main security vulnerability in school facilities. In another article entitled “
Make sure your ceiling and walls are reflective enough – You want the light coming in to be able to be reflected. The article states that you should “target a relatively high reflectivity on the ceiling—85% or greater” and “On the walls, we’re looking for a mid-level reflectivity of about 60%.”
Improved Comfort: As mentioned above, a properly specified window film can help reduce both hot and cold spots in a building. Rather than have areas of a building that are too hot or too cold, you can strategically use window films to even out the temperature and increase comfort. In addition, window films can be used to reduce glare and eye strain while allowing pleasant light to stream into the space. This makes a space more pleasant by maintaining views while eliminating the irritating elements of natural lighting.
Less Glare and Lower Energy Bills – Window film can be applied to existing glass surfaces to reduce glare and help block heat from entering a space. Less heat means less work for the HVAC system which can result in lower energy bills.
Wont Change Appearance of Your Glass – While this may not have been the case in the past, modern window films can offer all the tremendous benefits listed below without impacting the looks of your home.