FAQs About Fade Protection
What Causes Fading of Fabrics, Interior Finishes, and Furnishings?

About 40% of all fading is caused by ultraviolet (UV) light, 25% by visible light, 25% by heat, and 10% by humidity, chemical vapours, age of material, dye stability, etc.

Since UV light rays bounce off solid objects; buildings, trees, pavement, etc., regardless of which direction your windows face, you may have a fading problem.

Natural fibres like silk and wool are less fade-resistant than synthetic fibres. Antiques, tapestries, rugs, etc. have relatively unstable dyes, and will fade quickly. Fluorescent dyes are less colour-stable than non-fluorescent dyes.

How Can I Reduce Fading?

Reduce the Amount of UV Light

Special absorbers in LLumar and VISTA films block up to 99% of the UV-C (light with a wavelength of between 320 and 380 nano-metres -- nm). UV-B (between 280 and 320 nm) is blocked by glass. UV-A (below 280) nm is blocked by the Earth's ozone layer.

Ordinary clear window glass blocks some of the solar heat:* single-glazed windows with 1/8-inch glass will stop 13%

single-glazed windows with 1/4-inch glass will stop 17%
double-glazed windows with 1/8-inch glass will stop 23%
double-glazed windows with 1/4-inch glass will stop 29%
virtually any type of LLumar or VISTA tint on a window will reduce the amount of heat getting through it.
A single 150 Watt incandescent spotlight produces over 500 BTUs per hour. A 75 Watt display spotlight in an elliptical reflector produces the same amount of light but just half the BTUs, and does it at half the energy cost. By choosing light bulbs carefully, you can reduce internally generated heat in your home or office.

Source: "Window Film Training Guide" published by the Association of Industrial Metallizers Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL)

Fade Protection Charts

Here are detailed charts showing the amount of fade reduction that can be achieved with various LLumar and VISTA window films. If you don't like charts, here's the conclusions that we reached, based on our calculations. Regardless of which film you choose, you will get some reduction in fading because:

• All Llumar and Vista films eliminate over 95% of the fading due to UV light
• tinted LLumar and Vista films also reduce fading due to solar heat
• reflective LLumar and Vista films offer maximum portection from fading caused by both UV and solar heat