Why let light ruin your furniture, floors and artwork, when the solution could be as simple as applying high-quality window film?
It's common knowledge that all that wonderful sunlight pouring through the window
is not doing anything good for the furnishings, floors and artwork.
Fading, discoloration and fabric damage are the downsides of the sunlight — actually, any
visible light — that floods our rooms. There are three main culprits in
the spectrum of light: UVA and UVB rays cause 45 percent of the damage;
heat/infrared radiation causes 25 percent; and visible light causes 25
percent, according to industry expert Ron Best of Protection Seattle.
Dealing
with these culprits presents two tricky issues. The first is that
damaging UV rays are present whether or not the sun is shining. Even on
cloudy or rainy days, this silent destroyer is at work.
In
Seattle clients would start calling around the first of May, saying,
“My sofa has faded! How can that be? The sun hasn’t been out in 200
days!”
Second, most of us want light
to come into our rooms. After all, why else would we have windows? But
the sheer presence of visible light will, over time, cause the slow but
sure ruination of your valuables.
So
that’s what window treatments are for, right? Not so much. They have to
be closed to be effective. But treatments that cover an entire window
can be very costly. Just imagine the money required to cover these
gorgeous windows with fabric — or even blinds. Not to mention, who would
want to?
And what about skylights?
Skylights let in a great amount of natural light but are a primary cause
of damage to furnishings. They also cause rooms to heat up.
“But,” you say, “I have these really expensive new windows that are low-E and energy efficient. Won’t they protect my stuff?”
Not really. New windows are designed with insulation in mind: They are built to keep heat in, not to keep light out. “But,” you say, “the stickers on my new windows claim that they block 85 percent of UV rays.” That’s good — just not good enough. You know how a 5.5 earthquake is appreciably worse than a 5.0? It’s a logarithmic progression.
UV rays are the same way. Blocking 45 percent is desperately less than 85 percent, and 85 percent is still not nearly enough. What our stuff needs is 99.9 percent protection. This will slow the fading and damage dramatically. (Unless you live in a perpetually dark room, some damage is inevitable.)
“But,” you say, “I have these really expensive new windows that are low-E and energy efficient. Won’t they protect my stuff?”
Not really. New windows are designed with insulation in mind: They are built to keep heat in, not to keep light out. “But,” you say, “the stickers on my new windows claim that they block 85 percent of UV rays.” That’s good — just not good enough. You know how a 5.5 earthquake is appreciably worse than a 5.0? It’s a logarithmic progression.
UV rays are the same way. Blocking 45 percent is desperately less than 85 percent, and 85 percent is still not nearly enough. What our stuff needs is 99.9 percent protection. This will slow the fading and damage dramatically. (Unless you live in a perpetually dark room, some damage is inevitable.)
So what is a person to do? A two-word response: window film. You are probably visualizing a
1980s car with dark film peeling away from its windows. Banish that
image from your mind.
Modern films are among the best ways to deal with sun and light issues in your home. Good-quality solar window films, like those by Vista, 3M or Lumor, reject 99.9 percent of the sun’s harmful rays.
Modern films are among the best ways to deal with sun and light issues in your home. Good-quality solar window films, like those by Vista, 3M or Lumor, reject 99.9 percent of the sun’s harmful rays.
Solar window film (this is Night Vision 25
window tint) can reduce 50 to 87 percent of the sun’s glare, while
allowing you to enjoy the outside views. Look at the difference between
the left and right windows in this “before” and “after” photo.
Can you see how reducing glare actually enhances views while easing eye strain? In addition, window tints can significantly reduce heat and save on energy bills without changing the look of existing windows or doors.
Can you see how reducing glare actually enhances views while easing eye strain? In addition, window tints can significantly reduce heat and save on energy bills without changing the look of existing windows or doors.
Window films are installed
on the insides of your windows by a professional installer. I don’t
recommend this as a DIY project, primarily because of warranty issues.
That
leads us to a short warranty discussion. Most window manufacturers will
void their warranty if film is applied to their windows. This
is primarily because enterprising do-it-yourselfers have applied auto
film to their windows, often causing seal failure and even glass
breakage. Your professional can explain this in depth.
Reputable
companies offer an override warranty. Buy it. Film all by itself is
very reasonably priced, and the warranty is dirt cheap.
Once your film is installed, the window can still be washed like any other window — just never use a razor blade on it.
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/28288104/list/a-surefire-way-to-prevent-sun-damage-indoors 
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