Americans are generally aware that sun exposure cause skin damage unless they use sunscreens for protection. So, most of us are in the habit of using sunscreen to protect our skin along with sunglasses and wide brimmed hats to protect our eyes for a day outside with lots of potentially dangerous exposure. Besides the health risks – some are also aware that the sun’s UV rays accelerate aging by contributing to wrinkles. And who wants to give up their youthful look faster than nature intended!
But What About Time Spent Inside?
Your home or your vehicle should be both a comfortable and safe haven from damaging UV rays in hot summer weather – or any time of year for that matter. But if you have clear glass in your windows they offer little protection from some of the sun’s UV rays. Even newer windows may not provide the full protection that one might think. Professionally installed window film blocks 99 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays. If you spend a few hours in your car, or even your home, near a window it is like spending a day on the beach without any sunscreen at all. You won’t burn, as the sun’s ‘burning rays’ are prevented by glass, but it’s other spectrum, the one that goes deep into the skin and causes wrinkles and even cancer, does pass through unprotected glass – this is the UVa spectrum from the sun.
In the immediate sense – without window film, homes often have hot spots where the sun shines in and solar heat gain makes a room uncomfortable to be in, fast. This isn’t just a comfort issue – but an economic one too, as cooling costs can increase in situations like this.
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