What is fading? 

Fading is the gradual change in color. Fading can happen to upholstery, hardwoods, carpeting, artwork, wall paint, and more. Navy blue, dark green, dark red, brown, and black will appear to fade faster because of being deeper in the color spectrum than white, tan, or other lighter colors. Darker hardwood floors and furniture will fade much more quickly and drastically than lighter options.

What causes fading?

The three major contributors to fading are UV, Visible Light, and Solar Heat. These factors damage and break down the colors of your floors, furniture, and paints- causing irreparable damage.  The contribution of fading for UV is 50%, visible light contributes about 25% to fading, and solar heat contributes the remaining 25%. The sun is the ultimate fading source, but we can’t necessarily get rid of it. However, certain window films minimize the suns effects of fading and still enjoy natural light and views.

What reduces fading?

In regards to UV, a film that blocks 99.99% is key when it comes to fade reduction. When blocking nearly all of the UV, the fading slows by 50%. Visible light is the next key component in preventing fading. We offer window films that block as much as 95% of visible light, though the darkest that we recommend for a home is 85% light block. Huper Optik is the most optically clear window film on the market; even at our darkest architectural film, there is no obstruction to your view. We always recommend at least a 50% visible light transmittance when trying to reduce fade because it slows the fading by at least 12.5%. Solar heat is the final component. Other films cannot compete with the heat rejection of Huper Optik. We can block more solar heat at lighter options than any other product on the market. Your home will not only be more protected against fading, but it will also be a more comfortable temperature.  

Stay Tuned!

Stay tuned for our next post! We will take on “Skin Protection” in the home and how our window films can help reduce the chance of anyone in your family from getting skin cancer later in life from the sun damage unknowingly received through your windows.

How is Heat Rejection measured?

Total Solar Energy Rejection (TSER) measures the heat rejected by window films. The heat entering through the window is comprised of several different components- 44% visible light, 53% infrared radiation, and 3% ultraviolet energy. The TSER takes into account each part to create a total percentage of heat rejection. The higher the rate, the higher solar energy deflected. 

Most window tint shops use Infra-Red Rejection (IRR) as a guide to the level of heat rejection. However, IRR only covers a fraction of TSER, slightly over 50%. Internationally, TSER is used as a guide for window film standards because it is a more accurate way of measuring heat rejection. The IRR is not an accurate representation of how the window film will perform. For example, if a technician tells you a film blocks 60% of infrared, it only blocks roughly 30% of heat.

Why do some films have higher stats than others?

The majority of window film brands claim that their product is the best. Brands attempt to skew numbers and statistics to mislead the consumer. Often, when a brand of window film only has information about the IR rejection, it is most likely performing subpar. IRR is a number that can be manipulated to read 97-99%, which is very rare for a film to do unless it’s Huper Optik. 

The IR Spectrum for window film covers a wide range (780nm-3000nm). Window Film Manufacturers will pick one small section in that spectrum to measure IRR, usually 900nm-1000nm. They claim that they block 97% of that IR between the two numbers on their selected range. Seems wrong, right? Well, it is. Installers will also use that number alone as their “Heat Rejection.” At autobahn, our top-performing film, Huper Optik Select Drei, blocks 98% of the IR on the full IR spectrum and has a 72% TSER. 

If a company tells you their film blocks 97% of the heat, It will benefit you to call someone else for a quote.

Why is it important for energy savings

The Total Solar Energy Rejection impacts home energy savings. The higher the TSER percentage means that more heat is kept out of your home. Therefore, your AC will use less energy when cooling your home- saving you money. We have seen temperatures reduce by up to 15 – 20 degrees Farenheight with our window films. That results in massive savings for our customers. 

Stay tuned for our next post! We will take on fade control in the home and explain how our window film can help to minimize it as well as keep your furniture and flooring in great shape!

Don’t forget to check out our Residential or Commercial pages for more information on our products!