As you enjoy the warmth of natural sunlight streaming in through your windows, it’s easy to overlook the potential dangers of UV exposure. While sunlight is essential for your well-being, boosting your mood and supporting overall health, prolonged UV exposure can pose significant risks to both your health and the interior of your home. 

Keep reading to explore the hidden dangers of UV exposure and learn why investing in UV-blocking windows is essential for safeguarding your home and your family.

Health Risks of UV Exposure

Ultraviolet rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun. There are three types of UV radiation: UVA, UVB, and UVC. The earth’s atmosphere blocks most UVC radiation — the most harmful type — but not UVA and UVB radiation. These are the rays responsible for various health and environmental concerns.

There’s a reason why wearing sunscreen is so important. Excessive UV exposure can damage DNA in skin cells and have significant consequences for human health, especially for individuals with fair skin. Prolonged exposure to UVB radiation is the primary cause of sunburn and premature aging, and it significantly increases the risk of skin cancer. 

In fact, most skin cancers, including basal cell and squamous cell, develop as a result of excessive UV radiation. Melanoma, a more serious type of skin cancer, is also related to sun exposure.

Due to their longer wavelength, UVA rays contain less energy than UVB rays; however, they can penetrate deeper into the skin. UVA radiation is known for causing long-term damage like age spots, wrinkles, and a weakened immune system.

The dangers of UV exposure go beyond the skin. These damaging rays can also affect the eyes, leading to serious conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and photokeratitis, which is a painful condition similar to a sunburn on the eye. 

Protecting Your Home

You may think you’re safe from UV exposure indoors and out of direct sunlight, but this isn’t necessarily true. UV radiation can also penetrate through windows, exposing you to its harmful effects within the walls of your home. Plus, UV rays can wreak havoc on your belongings over time, causing flooring, furniture, and decor to fade and deteriorate. 

This is where UV-blocking windows come in. Thanks to modern technology, you can enjoy the warmth of natural light while being protected from excessive UV exposure. These innovative windows are equipped with films or coatings that block harmful UV rays from entering your home while still allowing light to pass through. By opting for UV-blocking windows in your home, you can safeguard both your family and your belongings.

Benefits of UV-Blocking Windows

The benefits of UV-blocking windows are wide and varied, including:

• Health protection: UV-blocking windows help reduce you and your family’s risk of developing skin cancer, premature aging, and other UV-related health issues by minimizing the amount of harmful UV rays that are allowed to infiltrate your home.
• Preservation of interiors: Thanks to their UV-blocking properties, these windows help preserve your treasured furniture, flooring, and decor, prolonging their lifespan and reducing the need for premature replacement or refurbishment.
• Energy efficiency: Many UV-blocking windows also offer additional insulation benefits, which help regulate indoor temperatures and reduce energy consumption by minimizing the amount of heat transferred through your windows. This translates to cost savings in the long run.
• Enhanced comfort: By reducing glare and blocking heat, UV-filtering windows create a more comfortable environment within your home, allowing you to bask in natural sunlight without the annoyance of excessive heat or brightness.
• UV protection without sacrificing views: Traditional tinted windows can obstruct your views and darken your interior spaces, making your home feel smaller and more cramped. UV-blocking windows, on the other hand, maintain visibility and clarity, allowing you to enjoy unobstructed views while still experiencing the advantages of UV protection.

Innovative Windows From Moyes Glass

As you strive to create a safer and healthier home environment for yourself and your family, it’s crucial to recognize the dangers posed by excessive UV exposure and take proactive steps to lessen its impact. Investing in UV-blocking windows is a highly effective way to protect your home and your loved ones from the harmful effects of UV radiation.

At Moyes Glass, we are proud to offer the latest and greatest in window technology, with a wide range of high-quality windows designed to enhance your home’s safety, comfort, and longevity. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a healthier and more sustainable living space.

Winter has officially arrived in Utah and we are seeing a rise in energy costs as homeowners switch on their furnaces instead of their air conditioners. Windows with the right insulating values can help to trap the heat inside the home, making it more comfortable, and reduces the strain on the heater. The inside surface of a well-insulated window will be warmer and you won’t find yourself feeling cold when you sit next to the window. Approximately 35% of the heat in your home will escape through the walls and through gaps found around the doors and windows. Failure to have windows with proper installation can lead to air gaps, which will drastically increase your energy costs.

High insulating value windows will improve comfort while also reducing the amount of condensation you see on or around the windows. Condensation will occur when the warm indoor air comes into contact with a cold surface, thereby leaving condensation on and around the window. With the ever-changing weather of Utah, we recommend better insulating value windows to reduce your energy costs.

Most homeowners notice almost immediately when a window has been replaced in the home as you can stand next to the new window and won’t feel the “breeze” effect that often occurs when heat escapes your body and is drawn outside. A standard double-pane glass window holds a temperature of approximately 44°F when it is 0°F outside. High-performance windows will be able to keep your windows around 56°F.

How Much Heat Does a Window Allow Through?

The summers in Utah can change rapidly and can climb up over 100°F for several weeks. High-efficiency windows are designed to prevent the cool air from escaping the home and allowing the hot air to enter. A lower U-factor will mean you have a better-insulating window. When deciding on new windows for your home, we will discuss the U-factor and how it will have a direct result on your energy bill.

The U-factor of a window pertains to different parts of the window from the frame and edge of the glass along with the center of the glass. Each window we sell and install will come with an information sticker to show you the official U-factor rating of the whole window.

Different Types of Windows

There are multiple options available for homeowners and business owners when replacing windows. The windows we use will depend on your needs. Commonly we can work with the following window options:

• Wood
• Vinyl
• Aluminum

We do recommend double-paned windows as they can trap a layer of still air, and allows for adequate insulation between the window panes. The double-paned windows are capable of insulating twice as much as a single-paned window.

Some other things we can do to help reduce your heating and cooling costs is to use a gas fill insulator between the panes. The panes can be filled with argon or krypton gas will insulate better than air and tends to be more effective, but can be more expensive due to the benefits it provides.

Adding Low-Emittance Coatings

One of the ways to keep your heating and cooling costs under control is by adding a low-emittance coating to the window. Low-emittance coatings are designed to trap the heat inside the home and allow heat from the sun inside, but not the cold air.

Better Frames and Spacers

Window frames are one area of the window that need special attention. A small gap between the windows can make a massive difference in your energy costs. The frame of a window can account for approximately 15% of the energy loss in a home. Wood, vinyl, and fiberglass are better insulators and recommended over the standard aluminum frames if you want to keep your energy costs under control. Urethane foam insulation is also used to keep the gaps of windows from allowing outside air to come inside.

To learn more about window temperatures and if your home needs window replacement in Northern Utah, contact Moyes Glass today.