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Fabric Fading Facts

Fabric Fading

There is a perception that fading relates to ultra violet light only. However fading of furnishings, upholstery and fabrics are caused by ultra violet light, visible light, humidity and chemical vapours. These are the five major contributing factors to any fabric fading.

All Klingshield’s window films have special ultra violet inhibitors to reject up to 99.5% of ultra violet from passing through the glazing material, which includes the glass and the film.

Fading can also occur from fluorescent lights which are not protected from exposing ultra violet light. These are the old type of fluorescent lights as new fluorescent which are now in use reduce most of the ultra violet coming off the lighting system.
Ultra violet light rays also bounce off solid objects and into spaces through windows. These solid objects include neighbourhood buildings, pavements, trees and streets. Therefore regardless of the UV direction the consumer can have a fading problem due to these other scenarios.

As discussed in our opening paragraph, other factors create fading and Klingshield’s window film reduce various degrees of solar heat fading as well as various degrees of visible light fading.

To offer the minimum fading, one needs to reduce as much heat and glare as possible. Sometimes consumers have to compromise as you cannot have your cake and eat it. Under normal circumstances light window films will prolong fading by 50% and dark reflective colour window films will prolong fading even longer due to the fact that some heat and glare is being stopped. 60% of fading is caused by ultra violet light, 20% and 15% glare. The more heat and glare you stop the better the fade resistance will be.

No window film company can totally eliminate fading.