UV and Anti-Fade Window Film in the North West: Protect Floors, Furniture and Stock
Sunlight fades things. Wood floors go pale, leather and fabrics lose colour, artwork bleaches and the stock in a shop window ends up a different shade from the stock on the shelf. UV and anti-fade window film slows that, by blocking up to 99% of the ultraviolet light that comes through the glass.
Some UV film is almost completely clear, so you protect the room without changing how the windows look. We fit it in homes, shops and offices across the North West. We bring UV protection and anti-fade window film to Manchester, Salford and the rest of Greater Manchester, Chester and Cheshire, Liverpool and Merseyside, Preston, Lancaster and Lancashire, and Carlisle and Cumbria.
The short answer
No film stops fading altogether, because visible light and heat contribute as well. UV film removes the biggest single cause, and a clear film does it with almost no change to the look of the window. If you want more protection, a light solar film also takes down some visible light and heat.
What ordinary glass lets through, and what film changes
| Type of light | Ordinary clear glass | With UV film |
|---|---|---|
| UVB | Most is blocked | Blocked |
| UVA | A large share passes through. Low-e coatings on modern double glazing block more | Up to around 99% of total UV blocked |
| Visible light | Passes | A clear UV film passes it. Solar films reduce some |
| Heat (infrared) | Passes, and builds up in the room | A clear UV film does little. Solar films reduce it |
What actually fades things
Ultraviolet light is the main culprit, but it is not the only one. Visible light and heat contribute too, which is why no film can stop fading completely. A UV film slows it a good deal. A film that also takes down visible light and heat slows it more.
So the first question we ask is not which film, but how much you are willing to change the look of the glass. Many people want protection and no visible change, and that is possible.
Clear, light or tinted
Clear UV film
Almost invisible. It blocks UV and little else, so the room keeps its light and the glass keeps its look.
Light solar film
UV plus a share of the heat and glare. A faint tint that most people stop noticing. See solar control film.
Tinted or reflective
The most reduction in light and heat, and so the best protection, at the cost of a noticeable look. See one-way mirror film.
What is worth protecting
- Wood and laminate floors: a sunny room can leave a pale stripe along the glass in a single summer.
- Leather, sofas and fabrics: colour fades and leather dries out near big windows.
- Staircases and halls: double-height glass at a front door sends sun across a staircase and floor all day.
- Art, photographs and books: where UV does the most damage.
- Shop stock and displays: goods in a window display all season. See shop and retail film.
- Offices with archives: paper and files near the glass.
What to expect
Film will not turn the clock back, and it will not stop colour changing for ever. What it does is slow the process, so a floor that would have faded in a few summers takes much longer. It works best fitted before the damage has begun.
If you are not sure whether UV or heat is the bigger problem in a room, say so at the survey. We often recommend a light solar film that deals with both.
Related jobs
We have not yet published a job that was purely for fading. These are jobs on the kinds of glass people ask about, where UV was one of the benefits.
Window Film for a Barn Conversion Entrance in Ramsbottom
Solar control film on the double-height glazed entrance of a barn conversion in Ramsbottom, keeping the staircase visible.
Window Tinting for a City Centre Penthouse in Manchester
Reflective solar window film on the floor-to-ceiling windows of a Manchester city centre penthouse, with terrace and lounge photos.
One-Way Privacy Film on a Hillside Lodge in Saddleworth
Reflective one-way privacy film on large picture windows, sliding patio doors and the smaller gable and bedroom windows.Several of our solar films also block UV as standard. See solar control window film.
Where we fit it across the North West
From period houses in Cheshire to shopfronts in Lancashire and offices in Manchester, we fit UV protection film across the North West. A single large window is a short job.
Fading is a problem in homes, shops and offices across the North West, not just in sunnier places. South-facing shop windows in Manchester and Salford bleach displays, big bays in Cheshire's period houses fade floors and curtains, and seafront flats in Liverpool and Southport take strong sun off the water. In Lancashire it is the Georgian rooms of Lancaster and the shops of Preston, and in Cumbria the holiday lets and stone houses around Carlisle and the Lakes.
UV film is among the cheapest and least visible films we fit, and we fit it across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria. Because the film is almost clear it suits listed and period buildings in Chester, Lancaster, Carlisle and Liverpool as well as modern offices in Manchester and Preston, and we can often quote from photos. See the areas we cover across the North West.
UV and anti-fade film questions
How much UV does the film block?
Good films block up to around 99% of UV. The figure varies by film, and we give you the manufacturer's numbers for the one we propose.
Doesn't ordinary glass already block UV?
Mostly UVB, but a good share of UVA gets through, and UVA still fades things. Modern low-e double glazing blocks more than older glass.
Will clear film change how my windows look?
Hardly at all. Some films are close to invisible.
Will it stop fading completely?
No. Heat and visible light also contribute. UV film slows the process rather than stopping it.
Can I put it on a shop window?
Yes. Shop windows are one of the most common uses.
Does it work on double glazing?
Yes. We check the glass type first.
Do you fit UV protection film across the North West?
Yes. We fit UV and anti-fade window film in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria, including in homes, shops and offices around Manchester, Salford, Liverpool, Chester, Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle. A clear film protects floors, furnishings and displays without changing the look of the glass.
Furniture or floors fading?
Tell us which rooms and how much glass. We will say whether UV film alone is enough or a light solar film would do more.
