How healthy are your windows?
This is not a question posed to Facilities Managers very often but the affect that windows have on the working environment is not to be under estimated. More than any other building aspect, windows have an impact on everything we do. It is not human nature to be sealed away in a box and so it is the windows in our surrounding environment that broaden our working and living experience. The period we have been through, when architectural glazing dominated design, has highlighted both the pros and cons of the use of glass. In general, does...
read moreEuropean Schools Use Window Film
We have had more than a decade in which there has been a design preoccupation with large expanses of glass combined with air conditioning to cool things down, because, not surprisingly, glass facia create heat gain situations. So it is good to see that those involved in school design are focusing much more on a balance between daylight and ventilation, using nature to create a better study environment. This makes sense as a research study undertaken by Heshong Mahone Group found that a group of people learning under most natural daylight...
read moreUV, Cancer, and Window Film
I recently read an article by the Skin Cancer Foundation regarding their recommendations to help prevent skin damage in children. I am happy to see that in one passage, the foundation explicitly recommends window film as a way to help protect our children: Infants 0-6 months: Infants under 6 months of age should be kept out of the sun. Their skin is too sensitive for sunscreen. An infant’s skin possesses little melanin, the pigment that gives color to skin, hair and eyes and provides some sun protection. Therefore, babies are especially...
read moreWinter Energy Saving Window Films
“Japan’s leading diversified materials manufacturer Nitto Denko Corporation developed a novel transparent window film featuring the industry’s highest-level thermal insulation along with solar heat rejection, which allows users to achieve energy savings year-round, the company announced today. When applied to glass windows, this film product rejects approximately 40% of solar heat as well as 99% of UV, so that cooling load would be greatly reduced in summer. Moreover, the product’s unique feature is that it can reduce heat flow...
read moreAOL Autos Recommends Window Tint
AOL Autos recently wrote up an article about ways to keep your car cool. “Window tinting is very effective in lowering interior temperatures. However, there are different rules regulating window tinting for every state. Some states prohibit tinting of the front windows so police officers can see into a vehicle during a traffic stop. Other states allow tinting, but the degree of tinting is defined, which varies from state to state. So before having your vehicle’s windows tinted, check with your state DMV to make sure you don’t break...
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