There are very good reasons that glass is used as an architectural element in so many buildings. Big windows let in lots of light, which can be a great help when it comes to heating a building during Fort Collins winters. Humans also crave a certain amount of sunlight per day, and the sunlight can help our bodies produce Vitamin D. And from an aesthetic point of view, lots of glass — both at the exterior of the building and used as room dividers on the interior — can help a building feel more opening and inviting.
But as nice as all that glass can be, it causes problems. Let’s take a look at why you might want to look into commercial window tinting with solar film.
The Heat Is Nice, But…
There’s no doubt that large, south facing windows can help to heat up a building during our Front Range winters. That can help save some money on heating, but there are a couple of problems.
First, it can actually make it difficult to keep the temperature in the building constant. While the people on the south side are burning up, those on the north side are freezing because the thermostat is having such a difficult time accommodating for the hot spots.
Second, what about the summer? As nice as it can be to get that free heat in the winter, what do you do when the Colorado sun is shining in all summer? If you use Xcel Energy, you know that our heating in Colorado is surprisingly cheap compared to states that have to have their natural gas piped in. Heating with natural gas in winter tends to be cheaper than cooling with electricity in summer.
The best thing to do is to reduce the light coming in a bit with solar window film. While it might slightly reduce the benefits your windows provide in the winter, it will significantly reduce the amount of heat you’ll get in the summer.
Too Much Light Can Damage Your Employees
For decades, science has known about the dangers of UV radiation to human skin cells. While it’s important for us to get a certain amount of sunlight every day (the UV-B radiation helps our bodies produce Vitamin D), too much can damage skin cells and lead to cancer.
Of course, that balance is tricky. Too little sun and you’re low on Vitamin D. Too much and you have to start wearing sunblock just to work in the office! UV window film is what you’re looking for if you’re concerned about the amount of UV radiation coming in through the windows. Solar window film can reduce the amount of UV-A and UV-B coming in by 75%, making the sunlight significantly safer.
Too Much Light Damages Your Office
While your employees’ health should be your primary concern, it’s also important to realize that both UV radiation and the visible light spectrum can damage your office. Light that’s coming in day after day can destroy furniture, carpet, paint, and wall art. The lightwaves are interacting with each textile and surface, breaking down the molecules and causing them to lose color. The more colorful or organic an item is — anything with ink is a good example — the faster it will show obvious signs of fading.
UV window film will take care of a good deal of the problems associated with fading, but it might be a good idea to use a solar film to reflect some light back outside. Like we said, it’s not just the UV radiation that’s causing everything to fade, but most of the light spectrum (including visible light). Talk to the experts at Action Signs to see which commercial window tinting might be right for your office.
Glare Can Really Bug Employees
As nice as large windows can seem the first time an employee walks in, all that sunlight can actually be a huge distraction throughout the day. First of all, most employees are already staring at bright devices all day, namely their computer screens. As the sunlight comes in, they have to squint just to see their screens, or turn up the brightness in order to compensate.
Too much light coming in can make anyone’s eyes tired, and the added glare off surrounding objects can cause employees to get headaches. If there’s so much sunlight that employees are tempted to wear sunglass, it’s probably time to investigate commercial window films.
What Can Commercial Window Films Do For You?
If your initial thoughts of “yay, look at all the windows” has turned into “these things are more problem than they’re worth,” you don’t have to mess with blinds that the employees will have to keep adjusting and re-adjusting throughout the day. Instead, give the experts at Action Signs a call and we can help you pick the perfect solar window film that can knock down the light and prevent harmful UV radiation from coming into your office. Want to learn more about commercial window films? Click here!
