Natural light is a great thing, and big windows let in a lot of it. Unfortunately, all that light can heat up a room quickly. Thick, tempered glass is great for improving the insulating factor of windows, but it doesn't stop the sunlight from warming up the room. Read on to learn more about UV blocking window film. Houses and offices with several windows, large or small, often have some of the highest energy bills. With the sunlight pouring in and heating up the room, it takes a lot more energy to cool the space down to a comfortable temperature. In the winter, those windows also allow a lot of heat to escape, even tempered glass windows that insulate better. So, you have high cooling costs in the summer and higher heating costs in the winter. This is the price you pay for natural light, but it adds up. Window films can be a great way to solve this problem. These are adhesive plastic sheets that can be easily and quickly installed on your windows. Here are some ways that window films can lower your energy bills while still letting in natural light.
Blocking UV Light
UV blocking films can actually block up to 99 percent of the UV light from entering your home. This is great for your health, as UV rays can be very damaging to human skin. UV blocking window films also dramatically reduce the amount of heat that the sunlight will generate in your house. The great news is that UV rays are not part of the visible light spectrum, so you can block them without altering the amount of light passing through the windows. You get all of the benefits of natural light, without the potential skin damage and extra heat.
Block Out Infrared Light
More than 50 percent of the heat from the sun is carried by infrared light. Window films can block infrared light along with UV light, blocking up to 86 percent of the sun's heat. Window film that blocks out infrared light can make a big difference in your energy bills.
Block Out Even More Light
If you like to block out more light, you can purchase tinted window film that, in addition to blocking UV rays, will also block much of the visible light coming through. This has the added benefit of being great for privacy and home security because it makes it difficult, if not impossible, to see into your home from the outside. It also blocks much more sunlight than films designed only to filter UV rays and will lower your cooling costs even further. The downside is that your home or office will be darker, similar to the way sunglasses appear to darken the outdoors when you wear them.
Preserve Heat
UV blocking films can retain up to 40 percent more heat than windows with no film on them. That is a huge increase in heat retention, and is sure to lower your heating bill in the winter.
Glare Reduction
Normally, when the light coming through the window is causing a glare, your only option is to close the blinds, shades, or curtains. While this effectively stops the glare, it also eliminates the natural light. UV blocking film will reduce glare while still allowing natural light through.
Preserve Natural Light
You have the option of preserving heat or preventing sunlight from heating up a room with curtains, blinds, shades, and drapes. In fact, all of these are highly effective methods for doing so. The downside is that using any of these will block out the natural light you want. Depending on how you use them,they will block it out completely. Window films are almost as effective at preserving heat or preventing heat, but they do it while still allowing all the natural light you want into the room.
Easy Installation
Installing window films is fairly simple. The only challenging part is making sure to avoid unsightly air bubbles. Films are self-adhesive plastic sheets that adhere to the outside of the window. All you need to do is clean the window thoroughly, trim the film to fit, and squeeze out the air bubbles. If you can install a screen protector on your phone, you should be able to handle this just fine. Using a window film can block 86 percent of the sun's heat from your home or office, while still letting in plenty of natural light. That will not only save you money but can also help your home retain heat in the winter. If you would like more information about window film, or if you would like professional help installing UV blocking window film on your commercial or residential property, contact the experts at Atlantic Sun Control. They will be happy to answer all of your questions and offer any help they can.