Fade control
and UV filters
Privacy and decorative film
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Fade control and UV filters
What causes fading?
Whilst the furniture, carpets and curtains that turn a house into a home are designed to remain durable, the sun's energy can rapidly deteriorate such furnishings, causing them to fade, split, crack, and their appearance generally to suffer.
There are three major causes of solar damage to your home and furnishings:
- Ultra-violet light (approx. 40%)
- Infra-red light (approx. 25%)
- Visible light (approx. 25%)
The remaining 10% of damage is caused not by the sun, but by other environmental factors such as the fastness or quality of the dye, the age of the fabric, chemical vapours and cleaning products. While many of these environmental factors are out of your control, you can ensure your possessions remain in the best possible condition by shielding them from the sun.
Ultra-violet damage
Ultra-violet damage has two main effects:
- Short term it bleaches most natural materials such as cotton, wool, leather and wood. This is what causes your photos or prints to fade to blue/green when they are left in direct sunlight for too long,
- Long term it damages the fibres making them brittle and susceptible to tearing and crushing which you can commonly see in net curtains, drape backing and carpet around ranch sliders. In wood and leather this damage is difficult to repair as the materials can dry out, crack and bleach.
All the window films we work with have filters that stop over 99% of ultra violet light. However, because ultra violet light is not the only cause of solar damage, to get truly effective fade protection it is necessary to also filter infrared and visible light. By filtering all three of these factors, it is possible to reduce fading by close to 70%.
Many of the rooms we see which have a problem with fading also have a problem with heat and glare due to the amount of direct sunlight the room receives during the day. With the large range of films available heat and/or glare problems can be addressed at no additional cost.
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Privacy and decorative film
Privacy is an increasingly important issue, particularly with more New Zealanders living in townhouse type properties and apartments. Unfortunately this means that houses and their windows are all the more visible and accessible.
Privacy can be increased in three ways:
- Make the glass appear mirrored
- Make the glass appear darker
- Use a frosted or patterned film.
Which option is best for you will depend on your individual circumstances as the level of privacy
with both darkening and ‘mirroring’ the glass will depend on the existing light levels in your home.
An onsite consultation with one of our staff is recommended.
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