Window Tint is Endorsed by The Skin Cancer Foundation

While working at The Skin Cancer Foundation’s office one day, Ali Venosa found several workers bustling around carrying ladders and rolls of film. The workers were there to install UV-blocking film on the office windows, of which there are many.

Not that she would ever complain about the amount of sunlight our floor gets — anyone who works in an office building knows how nice it is to have a little natural light to offset the fluorescent glow. But there are a few drawbacks, including computer glare and (you guessed it!) damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays.

UV radiation is part of the natural energy produced by the sun. On the electromagnetic spectrum, UV light has shorter wavelengths than visible light, so your eyes can’t see UV, but your skin can feel it. Two types of UV light are proven to contribute to the risk for skin cancer: ultraviolet A (UVA), which has a longer wavelength, and ultraviolet B (UVB), which has a shorter wavelength.

Both UVA and UVB rays can cause sunburn and tanning, which damage the DNA in your skin cells and increase your risk for skin cancer. UVA rays also cause unwelcome signs of premature aging, including dark spots and wrinkles. Those UVA rays account for up to 95 percent of the UV radiation reaching the Earth’s surface and are quite good at finding you. They can bounce off reflective surfaces like water and, most relevant during the workday, they can penetrate window glass. If you’re sitting next to a window on a sunny day, those UVA rays hitting your skin are doing damage. (Window glass filters out most UVB rays.)

Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself without forgoing natural light in your home or office. The window film revolution began back in the 1990s and has been gaining momentum ever since. Window film first showed up in automobiles. By law, front windshields are treated to filter out most UVA, but side and rear windows generally aren’t.

Of course, the same problems drivers faced with UVA rays translate to anywhere you encounter windows, so the window film industry made the move indoors. Films are available for both residential and commercial spaces, and they come in varied tints to allow for customization. Window tint is typically effective for about a decade.

Even though its UV-blocking benefits (window film can block up to 99.9 percent of UV radiation) were the main reason for installing it, you will immediately notice a few more perks once the film is fully installed. The midafternoon glare that usually seeps through windows will diminish significantly, eliminating the need to get up and pull the shades down every day at 3 PM.  Your home or office will be more temperate thanks to the film, keeping the afternoon sun from heating up the space. When the weather is cooler, it reflects the heater’s warmth back into the space, rather than letting it escape out.

Of course, at The Skin Cancer Foundation office, sun protection is always top-of-mind. They hope it is in yours, too! There are many things you can do to create a sun-safe workspace in your home or office. If you’re interested in window film for your home or office, give NOLA Window Cleaning and Tint a call at 504-884-3179.