Protecting Your Home: Standing up to the Elements
One of the benefits of living in Florida is the year-round sunshine. We’ve all heard about the damage the UV rays can do to your skin but have you thought about the damage the sun can do to your home? If you’ve remodeled, redecorated, or otherwise updated your home, you’ve taken great care in selecting the colors—but UV rays passing through windows can cause colors of nearby surfaces to fade. One tell-tale sign of fading is the discoloration of your hardwood floors and carpets. Window film can help control fading while providing increased comfort and lower overall energy costs.
Left to its own devices, the sun will find a way to put its imprint on home décor, damaging not only hardwood floors & carpets, but curtains, furniture, art, antiques and other expensive items. While light-filled rooms are the ideal of homebuyers everywhere, ordinary windows offer no protection from destructive UV rays. Curtains, blinds, shutters, and other window coverings will limit UV rays but they will also block light and desirable views. Window film, however, allows light to pass through windows while screening out heat and dangerous ultraviolet rays. By blocking more than 99% of all UV rays, window film offers UV protection for your home. Think of it as the residential equivalent to SPF 30.
According to LLumar, one of the nation’s leading window film manufacturers, there is no 100% fix for fading. All material will fade from sunlight in time, whether it’s caused by exposure to intensive sunlight for a short period or a long exposure to weaker sunlight. Yet severe fading can be minimized with the use of solar control film, enabling most fabrics and furnishings to look fresh and vibrant for years to come.
Protecting your home with window film starts with a free in-home evaluation to talk about your concerns and needs. There are a variety of shades to choose from depending on your preference. Window film can also reduce up to 95% of the glare, making it easier for you to watch television or work on a computer. Not only will the window film be protecting your furnishings from fading but it will also offer a specific heat rejection, which over time will lower your cooling costs.
Excessive energy use is costly and who doesn’t want to save money? Windows play an important role in regulating the temperature and energy in your home. According to the EPA Energy Star Buildings Manual in the United States, approximately 50% of an average home’s utility bills are wasted by loss of heat and heat gain through untreated windows. Window films can lower cooling expenses by as much as 40% by rejecting solar heat from the outside.
Other benefits of window film include aesthetic upgrades and privacy—window film can change the look of the glass through attractive colors and subtle patterns. Safety and security—glass can be a real hazard in the home when broken from accidents, storms, or break-ins. Window film helps you defend against the unexpected.
No matter what the goal, adding a film to existing windows is much easier and far less expensive than replacing windows. What’s more, the installation process is quick with little disruption. Installing films for an entire home typically takes no more than a day or two. There aren’t many tools involved except for a ladder, squeegee and spray bottle, and the work is neither noisy nor messy and completely unobtrusive. Once installation is complete, window film is easy to clean, virtually maintenance-free, and comes with a factory-backed warranty against fading, bubbling or peeling.
When it comes to window films, it doesn’t pay to go the DIY route. While some films are available at big box stores, there is a definite art and science to proper installation, particularly in avoiding bubbles and creases. The store-bought films are generally cheaper but they don’t come with a warranty and you’re not going to have as many choices. Window film is an energy-efficient, affordable alternative to new windows, and is a transparent upgrade to your existing windows that allows you to see nature’s beauty instead of higher cooling bills. Your home is your largest investment. Window film can help you protect that investment by giving you control over the things that matter most.
For more information visit www.distinctivetint.com