If you’re like most parents, you slather your kids with sun block the moment they set foot on the beach. After all, one out of five Americans will develop skin cancer from accumulated sun damage, and you want to protect your kids’ future health. You’re doing the right thing, but if you don’t protect your kids’ skin while they’re riding in the car, you may not be doing enough. Unfortunately, the sun dishes out more than one type of ray. UVB rays are the culprits that cause sunburn and blistering, but UVA rays are more insidious. They produce cumulative, long-term cell damage that’s not immediately noticeable. While car windshields may block UVB rays, they don’t prevent UVA rays from causing slow, almost imperceptible damage throughout life. They increase the risk of skin cancer and accelerate aging. Is There Any Proof? If the idea of sun [...]
Avoid Common Efficiency Mistakes in Your Home Boosting efficiency is a top priority for many homeowners in the greater Austin area. After all, greater home efficiency generally translates into increased comfort and lower utility bills. Unfortunately, too many homeowners make simple efficiency mistakes that defeat their energy saving efforts. The Top Five Home Efficiency Mistakes It’s easy to make mistakes when it comes to home efficiency. You might do things that seem logical only to find that they don’t really translate into savings in the long run. You might also be overlooking some simple efficiency errors because they don’t seem like a big deal. These five are among the most common efficiency mistakes that homeowners make. Even the most conscientious of homeowners can be guilty of making these errors, so don’t be hard on yourself if you find that you’re doing something wrong. Knowing which mistakes [...]
If you’re like most parents, you slather your kids with sun block the moment they set foot on the beach. After all, one out of five Americans will develop skin cancer from accumulated sun damage, and you want to protect your kids’ future health. You’re doing the right thing, but if you don’t protect your kids’ skin while they’re riding in the car, you may not be doing enough. Unfortunately, the sun dishes out more than one type of ray. UVB rays are the culprits that cause sunburn and blistering, but UVA rays are more insidious. They produce cumulative, long-term cell damage that’s not immediately noticeable. While car windshields may block UVB rays, they don’t prevent UVA rays from causing slow, almost imperceptible damage throughout life. They increase the risk of skin cancer and accelerate aging. Is There Any Proof? If the idea of sun damage [...]
How to Get Greater Efficiency from Your Windows The weather in Texas can prove a challenge for some property owners, especially in the summer. With the hot sun beating down on your house or business all day, you may find that it’s increasingly hard to stay cool inside. Compensating for energy lost to older windows can drive up your utility bills and undermine the efficiency of your whole home. When it comes to remedying this problem, you’ll need to decide if you want to tint, insulate or replace your windows. Know Your Efficiency Options Today’s homeowner has many choices when it comes to energy-efficient upgrades. If you’re looking to boost the efficiency of your home, you may be considering options for your windows. Insulating or weatherproofing, tinting and replacing windows are all viable choices that can provide for increased efficiency. Window films or tints provide both [...]
Preserve the appearance of your vehicle with protective window tint You wouldn’t spend all day out in the summer sun without some kind of protection, so why do you leave your car vulnerable to its potentially damaging rays? Sunlight can heat the interior of your car to 145 degrees and make the temperature of the outside surface soar to as much as 195 degrees. These extreme conditions combined with the sun’s UV radiation can result in all kinds of unsightly damage. Faded Interior Parking in the sun directly exposes the inside of your car to an unrelenting stream of light. Over time, this can cause fading of upholstery or premature aging of leather. The dashboard and other fixtures are also prone to fading. Window shades, seat covers and leather conditioners can all help to mitigate the problem. Stuck-On Dirt Sunlight beating down on the dash can [...]
Windows allow you to see the world outside in all its glory, but sometimes you may not want the world to see all of yours, especially when you’re in your bathroom or bedroom. Making a window translucent can solve privacy problems and much more. If you want to limit an outsider’s view without losing your access to natural light, you have several aesthetically pleasing options. Sandblasted and Etched Window Designs Various types of glass etching including shading and sandblasting can produce translucent surface imagery in virtually any pattern or artistic style conceivable. To etch glass, a powerful air compressor is used to blast abrasives at high pressure against the pane. The particles cause tiny chips in the surface of the glass; this creates a frosted look that distorts the image seen from outdoors. Intricate graphics and three-dimensional etchings are possible. Although it’s a beautiful and [...]
Tint Your Windows to Keep it Cool in Austin There’s no doubt that Austin’s warm, sunny climate is one of its top attractions. During the fall and winter months, temperatures are moderate and residents enjoy plenty of sunshine. During the spring and summer, though, temperatures can become uncomfortably hot. It’s a challenging climate, and many homeowners choose window tinting to boost comfort and household efficiency. Why Tint Your Windows? The average high temperature in Austin in July and August is right around 95 degrees. There’s no doubt that summers here are simply hot. You likely rely on your home’s cooling system to keep you comfortable, but could you be doing more to increase your comfort? The answer is probably yes. After all, there are a number of steps you can take to improve the comfort and efficiency of your home. You can have an energy audit [...]
Stay safe while you drive with quality window tinting for your car You wear sunscreen when you work in the yard and cover up at the beach, but what are you doing to protect your skin while you’re driving? According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetimes, and much of that can be attributed to sun exposure in the car. Your Skin, the Sun and Your Car Sunlight is made up of both long-wave UVA rays and short-wave UVB rays. UVB, which is implicated in the kind of upper-level skin damage that leads to cancer, is effectively filtered out by automotive glass. However, 90% of the rays from the sun are UVA rays, the kind that contribute to skin aging and cause cumulative damage that may trigger cancer development. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer [...]
Staying on the right side of the law when it comes to your car windows What’s the big deal about automotive window tinting? To hear some law enforcement officers talk about it, you’d think it was a capital offense to protect your vehicle from the sun’s harmful rays. Regardless, it’s undeniable that cops are cracking down on illegal window tint. If you’re mulling window tint or already have a vehicle with tinted windows, it’s critical to know whether you’re a candidate for scrutiny as well. A Rash of Window Tint Violations According to anecdotal evidence collected from drivers around Austin, tint-related traffic stops are increasingly common in our part of the state. There are probably many reasons for this, but it’s worth noting that law enforcement categorizes tint-related pullovers as “high probability” stops: In other words, such stops are more likely to result in arrests [...]
Protecting yourself from the sun while you’re driving is always a good idea, especially if you’re concerned about skin cancer. However, melanoma and sunburn aren’t the only health threats imposed by the big, bright orb. Some Texans have medical conditions that make sun exposure an immediate and serious health threat, and these ailments may help them qualify for darker window tinting that exceeds the limits placed on the general public. Here are five examples of medical conditions that can result in exclusion from automotive tinting laws. Medical Conditions that Require Automotive Sun Protection
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can affect almost every system and organ in the body. Many lupus patients suffer from marked photo-sensitivity. Even minor sun exposure can exacerbate symptoms such as painful skin rashes, joint pain, fever and extreme fatigue.
- Cockayne’s syndrome is a genetic disease that causes delayed development, neurological dysfunction, accelerated aging and sun sensitivity. [...]
