Sun Screen for the Home

  MILLS RIVER, NC - 06/20/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

As you slather on sun block SPF 30, 40 or higher this summer, think about your house. Exposed to the intense rays of the sun day after day, how does your home protect itself from getting sun burned?

            "People worry about the harmful effects of the sun on their skin when outside for just a few hours," says James Carey, co-host of On the House^TM, a home improvement radio show and website. "Imagine how damaging the sun can be to a structure when exposed for 10 or more hours a day to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Along with having the potential to fade exterior elements of the home, like siding and roofing, intense sun exposure can also cause the home to heat up, requiring your air conditioning to work harder to keep the interior cool and comfortable.

            "The best solution to preventing your home from getting burnt by the sun is to select products that are manufactured to resist or reflect its powerful rays. If you're building a home, choose products made to combat the sun. Or, if you're replacing worn out elements of your home exterior, do your research and pick replacement products that that are manufactured to resist Mother Nature."

            Carey, a third-generation licensed contractor, recommends a top-to-bottom house evaluation for homeowners. Start by looking at your roof.

            Generally the part of your home most exposed to the sun, your roof needs its own built-in sunscreen or it can fade, crack and splinter. Synthetic slate and shake shingles, like those manufactured by DaVinci Roofscapes^®, are made with state-of-the-art color and UV stabilizers. The stabilizers help protect the polymer tiles from fading --- even after decades of intense daily sun exposure.

            For even more protection from the sun and to help make your home more energy efficient, consider DaVinci EcoBlend^® roofing tiles. Approved by the Cool Roof Rating Council, these composite roofing materials reflect heat and light from the sun away from your home to help reduce the amount of energy required to keep your house cool during even the hottest days of the year.

            Working your way down from the roof, look at your home's siding. No matter which way your home faces, all sides are subject to harmful UV rays throughout a normal day. How to combat those rays to prevent color fade? One company, James Hardie^®, offers the ColorPlus^® Technology finish on all their siding and trim products.

            Backed by a 15-year limited, the ColorPlus finish comes in a wide range of colors. The finish is baked on and cured, to assure color retention for many years.

            Next, consider the needs of your windows. The majority of your home's windows are clear glass, which can let the sun's rays come right into the home and fade carpeting, furniture and window treatments while increasing your energy bills. Selecting ENERGY STAR^® compliant windows that are manufactured for optimum energy efficiency can help lower your energy bills and make your home more comfortable.

            For energy efficient privacy windows in the home, consider three acrylic block options from Hy-Lite^® that resist the powerful rays of the sun.

            SunBlock^TM PLUS windows limit the solar heat gain allowed to penetrate into the home through tinted UV inhibitors and infrared absorbers in the resin used to make the acrylic blocks.  E³ Triple Glaze block windows include an extra panel of acrylic in the center of each block to help increase the insulative power of the window. And, for homeowners requiring the "ultimate in sun protection," E³ SunBlock^TM PLUS windows combine the solar heat reduction of a SunBlock PLUS window with the insulative power of the E³ Triple Glaze window.

            "If you're looking at creating large acrylic block wall panels or windows in the home, especially in a southern climate, selecting one of these three energy efficient options makes a lot of sense," says Roger Murphy, president of Hy-Lite, a U.S. Block Windows Company. "These windows can help make a room --- even one in the direct path of the sun --- more comfortable by helping to keep out much of  the sun's rays."

            Another major feature of the home exterior is the garage door.  Look for a manufacturer using dense CFC-free polyurethane as an insulation factor in the door to give the garage door a high R-value. This number represents how much a surface resists the transfer of heat or energy, so the higher the R-value, the better. As an example, the 5200 Series of insulated aluminum garage doors from Haas Door^® have a hefty R-value of 17.66.

            Additionally, look for garage doors featuring a durable paint finish that can stand up to the sun and other weather elements. The 5200 Series garage door has a TRINAR^® paint finish, which is warranted for 35 years against color fading, peeling, flaking or loss of adhesion to the door --- no matter how powerful the sun's rays.

            "From top to bottom, your home deserves attention to prevent it from getting burnt by the sun," says Carey. "Taking time to research product features and warranties specifically for reaction to long-term sun exposure is one of the smartest things a homeowner can do when making exterior product decisions."