Preventing UV Damage to Your Household Treasures

Though we all know that the sun's rays can harm our skin and lead to skin cancer, did you know that UV light can also harm other things we hold dear? Fabrics, artwork, wood furniture, walls, carpets and wood flooring can all suffer fading from exposure to sunlight.

The Damage

Depending on how strong the sunlight is that is coming through your window, a lot of damage can be done to many of your favorite household items in a very short period of time. Fabric used in curtains or on furniture can start to fade and yellow. Painted art can start to lose dimension or even begin to disintegrate slowly from damage. Wood furniture and floors can begin to gray and age, and carpets and walls can begin to discolor. Because the damage is occurring gradually, you may not even notice it happening until you move a piece of furniture or artwork to discover that your walls or floors have two distinctly different shades, and no amount of vacuuming or scrubbing will make those distinctions go away.

But What Can I Do?

One possible way to avoid UV damage to your belongings and home is to live your indoor life in total exclusion from the sun. Draw your shades tight, pull blackout curtains over them, and pray that the cat doesn't nudge your protective window coverings open. This is a miserable solution, because your home is now cut off from the pleasant light of the sun and the possibility of enjoying fresh air ever again. There MUST be another way!

The Solution: Window Film

If you don't want to live in the dark all the time but you still want to protect your household items from damaging sunlight, there is a simple solution. Many companies now make long lasting window films which have incredibly strong UV protection built in to their design. The best part about these films is that they come in many different styles, from frosted and nearly opaque, to decorated with fun designs or patterns, to barely tinted so that you can still see through them perfectly. The right UV blocking window film for you depends on how you want your windows to look, but your options truly are limitless.

Let a Professional Install Your Window Films

When you pick the ideal UV blocking window film for your room or rooms, don't make the rookie mistake of trying to install them yourself. Instead, bring in a professional window tinting company to make quick work of installing your new window films. Professional window tinting companies install such films daily, so they have the skill and know-how to handle it properly. If you're unable to decide which window film would be right for your unique UV blocking and design needs, your tinting company will also be able to offer you recommendations.

C. Robinson is the owner of The Tint Guy, an Atlanta tinting company, specializing in automotive, residential, and commercial Atlanta window tinting. Founded in 1986, the company now has three brick and mortar locations in the metro Atlanta area. The Tint Guy is the only full-service 3M window film dealer in Georgia, providing expert sales and installations of the complete line of 3M window films.

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