Vinyl Signs By United Home Solutions

In addition to window tinting and blinds, United Home Solutions does vinyl… signs, logo’s, store hours, office doors.  If you can think it, United Home Solutions can do it.  Located in Atlanta, serving all of north Georgia

Mar 29th, 2012 | By Editor | Category: Featured Content

Window film manufacturers are using technology to make their projects more efficient and productive.

Solar Gard released its new mobile application for window film companies called, Solar Gard Solutions. It offers installers a guide for film to glass applications. Installers can submit film to glass requests directly to the company’s technical service team. The application can generate estimates and has settings that can be adjusted for products, pricing and output, and maintains a record of all specifications and estimates.

The application is available in the App Store and can be used on the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

In addition to the new mobile technology, Solar Gard has also inaugurated a new loyalty rewards program for dealers, Solar Gard Partner Points. The program allows dealers to obtain points for qualifying purchases that can be redeemed for electronics, sporting and event tickets, vacations and more. One point is earned for every dollar spent on window film, paint protection film, software access fees, marketing support and installation tools.

Dealers who sign up to be a part of the program by March 31 will receive additional bonus points and will have their purchases back as far as January 1, 2012 included in the program.

Apr 6th, 2012 | By Editor | Category: Industry News

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a clarification to the safety regulations relating to a truck’s window visibility that now allows the use of compliant window films on big rigs’ sidelites, according to information from the International Window Film Association (IWFA).

“The clarification represents information that impacts millions of truck drivers who drive many hours at a stretch in ‘big rigs’ weighing more than 26,000 pounds,” says Darrell Smith, executive director of the IWFA. “The FMCSA has agreed with the International Window Film Association that the use of ‘clear’ window films with a minimum 70 percent visibility rating installed on the front side windows is permitted.”

“Sadly long-haul drivers, have faced skin cancer as ‘one of the hazards of the job’ and we hope to help change that with this clarification,” said Smith.

According to the IWFA, the change from the FMCSA came after numerous reports of higher than average rates of skin cancer on the left side of the face and arm, citing a 2011 article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, which pointed to driver-side UVA exposure as a likely contributor to the disease.

“The health and safety of America’s truck drivers is of the utmost importance to American Trucking Associations,” adds American Truck Association president and CEO Bill Graves. “Whether it is doing more to battle obesity and sleep apnea, or helping our drivers avoid skin cancer, ATA has consistently advocated for sensible regulations to ensure our drivers get and stay healthy. We appreciate the efforts of the IWFA to help our industry take another step in that direction.”

By Darrell Smith

Reduce sun glare while lowering energy bills.

During winter months, people will often wear sunglasses to shield themselves from glare, but the sun’s glare is present indoors, as well. With the winter sun lower in the sky, it has a more direct impact shining through windows and fading furniture, rugs and artwork, while exposing people inside to unhealthy UV rays.

And for those who may have second homes in mountainous areas, snow on the ground can reflect up to 85% of these harmful rays upwards, according to the Vision Council of America, and this only compounds the glare problem. A simple, yet cost-effective solution is professionally installed window film to make your environment more comfortable while keeping your family and furnishings protected.

Come spring, the sun is still unforgiving as it rises higher in the sky and the hotspots and uneven glare coming into the home can make the interior have uncomfortable hot spots. This is one reason why, the International Window Film Association (IWFA), a non-profit organization, is educating the public on window film use for residential and commercial applications, to reduce harmful solar glare while delivering significant energy savings.

According to the IWFA, window film may also eliminate uncomfortable hot spots in rooms by blocking solar heat. This enables heating and air conditioning systems to work more efficiently. For larger commercial and office buildings, which run heating and cooling systems year-round, energy savings are even more significant.

Window film is a thin sheet of window coating, professionally and permanently installed, to deliver a range of high-value benefits to a smart homeowner. Introduced almost 30 years ago, window film now has been engineered using today’s advanced technology to deliver energy savings similar to low-e windows, yet at a fraction of what replacement windows cost. For single-family homes, window film installation costs can range from $3 to $11 per square foot, depending on the type of window film installed, and the process can be completed in one or two days.

Window film is available in a range of shades from clear to dark and once installed, the energy conservation benefits are immediate. In addition, more than 250 films have been certified by the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council), verifying their energy performance.

An added benefit of this hidden home-improvement treasure is that many window films can qualify for “green” credits and energy rebates and are considered carbon-negative products. Window film also delivers seven times the energy savings benefits per dollar spent compared with installing replacement windows. It’s simply a great way to protect your home from UV rays while delivering solid energy efficiency benefits.

Darrell Smith is the Executive Director of the International Window Film Association. For more information on protecting a home or office from glare, please visit the IWFA’s website at http://www.iwfa.com [^]. Homeowners can also go to site to locate a professional in the Bay Area who can conduct an energy savings audit and share window film options to best meet your needs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbrcxZ5zkAA&feature=player_embedded