Reasons for needing window tint, even in the winter

Although there are many people who don’t mind the heat and get their cars tinted strictly for looks, the majority of us just despise that scorching heat or blinding sun that never fails to make those stop-and-go drives to work that much more exasperating, even in the winter. But there are actually even more reasons why tinting windows is a great thing to invest in. Today’s window films are very effective in reducing heat, up to 60%, which really makes a difference on those scorching hot summer days. Unfortunately, heat is only something we have to deal with about 50% of the time. What about the other 50% of time when it is anywhere from a comfortable temperature to cold? Well, if the sun is out, there are still Ultra Violet rays being absorbed by your skin and this is not a good thing. Living in Colorado, we get over 300 days of sun a year, many of which are also in the winter. A lot of the sun’s heat is reduced in the winter because of the cold air, but the Ultra Violet rays that fade upholstery, cause sunburn and skin cancer are actually amplified 85-90% when there is snow on the ground because the rays reflect off of the snow and back at you (SSA). Ultra Violet rays don’t only cause short term problems like sunburn but is also the main cause of premature visible skin aging such as wrinkles and age spots (IWFA), which is enough of a reason for many to want to avoid these dangerous rays and get window tint applied to their vehicles. UV exposure is also worse the higher in altitude you are. That being said, here in Colorado we are more likely to suffer from premature visible aging, sunburned or even worse, skin cancer which has also been linked to melanoma, compared to other states.
Another one of the many reasons one would consider window tinting is to reduce energy costs. Yes, its true, applying tint to windows can actually reduce energy costs up to 50% (Gila) which is a lot of money over time. When there is heat hitting your window from outside, the heat travels through the glass and transfers to the air and other objects that may be in contact with the window. This is called the heat conduction process. If tint is applied to the glass, it’s critically designed qualities allow it to reject a significant amount of UV rays, much more then glass alone (IWFA). Because of the material used to create the film it is able to reflect more light than the glass would have been able to otherwise, reducing glare, brightness, and even more heat. Because conduction is not happening as rapidly with the window tint applied, the air conditioner doesn’t have to work as hard to cool down the air that is getting heated by the window through the conduction process. This also works the other way around during the winter by keeping cold outside air from conducting thought the window to the warm air inside.
One of the least known uses for tint is to prevent breakage and provide safety if the glass is ever broken. Annealed (untreated regular) glass is not very strong and when broken can be very dangerous and even fatal due to the irregular shaped, sharp shards that it creates when it breaks. Applying tint to a window adds additional strength and keeps shattered glass intact if broken, preventing large shards from flying through the air causing injury. Even with treated or tempered glass which breaks into small squares, tint would be beneficial because it not only adds thickness to the glass making it stronger, it also acts as a protective layer preventing it from scratching and chipping over time which are all things that could happen regardless if it is summer or winter. These are just a few reasons why it is still beneficial to get tint applied in the winter.
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