Aug 7 2006
There’s a dangerous intruder we may not have even thought about, and it can reach us while we’re at home, in our cars and at work. It’s the sun, and its UVA and UVB rays can cause skin cancer and vision problems, fade expensive furniture and fabrics, and raise our energy bills.
That’s why more and more individuals and businesses are turning to a window film called LLumar® for help:
- After the film was installed at Washington Dulles International Airport, solar heat was reduced by 49 percent, and millions of passengers benefited from a 63 percent glare reduction.
- When the Kahala Mandarin Oriental luxury hotel in Honolulu totally renovated its interiors, it wanted to protect their new furnishings and wood floors from the sun’s ravages, so they turned to LLumar® film.
- Exxon USA’s Houston headquarters retrofitted its 43-story glass and steel structure with LLumar® and not only saw significant energy savings, but the appearance of the 30-year-old building was also improved by the modern gun-metal gray film that was chosen.
A Necessity in “Sun Belt” Countries
In warmer climates, window film has become a necessary option for automobiles as well. “In the ‘sun belt’ countries around the world, sales of LLumar® window film have increased significantly since the brand launched globally in 2001,” says Pam Feese, marketing manager, CPFilms International Division.
“While many consumers buy films to make their cars look cool, LLumar’s solar control safety films make the cars and their passengers be cool, while doing the vital jobs of shielding skin and eyes from the insidious damage of UVA radiation and thwarting forceful break-in attempts by smash-and-grab thieves,” says Joe Richard, CPFilms Technical Marketing Engineer. In addition to providing sun protection, LLumar® delivers a safety element by helping to hold shattered glass in place in the event of accidents or attempted break-ins.
Protecting People from Solar Radiation
Studies have shown that the deep UVA rays, which are not blocked by traditional vehicle windows, promote photoaging and skin cancers. With car travel at an all-time high, and with babies and children at especially high risk, special precautions should be taken, according to published reports by the Skin Cancer Foundation.
“Auto glass can be dangerous to your health,” says world-renowned dermatologist and author Albert M. Kligman, M.D., Ph.D. Kligman calls Llumar® “revolutionary” and says it is a “step forward in the fight against sun damage.”
The first ever in vitro study showing that window film on glass protects against UVA and UVB rays was presented by Eric R. Bernstein, M.D. at the annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. It showed that glass fitted with LLumar® film (reducing UVA and UVB transmission by 99.6 percent) resulted in a 93 percent reduction in live cell death compared with a 29 percent reduction in cell death with untreated clear glass, under conditions of simulated solar radiation, confirming growing concerns about the damage caused by UVA radiation. Complete details of the study are available from CPFilms.