We all know how important it is to protect ourselves from the sun due to the UV rays emitted, but how often do we put on sun cream to sit in our conservatories? Should we be doing so?
We’ve had a look into how safe conservatories are in regard to the sunlight and UV rays and if we need to protect ourselves.
The Sun’s Rays
The sun gives off many different rays, but the ones that cause most damage to our skin are Ultraviolet Rays, or UV-rays. Earth’s atmosphere filters out some of the suns rays, however UVA and UVB rays aren’t filtered out and do pose a threat to our skin and our health.
UVA is the more common UV-ray found in sunlight, with around 500 times more UVA rays being present than UVB. UVA has a longer wavelength, meaning it can travel deeper into our skin and causes premature aging as well as some skin cancers.
UVB rays have a much shorter wavelength so don’t penetrate as deeply, however these are the UV rays responsible for sunburn and skin cancers.
So, can the suns rays get through glass?
The good news is that around 37% of UVA rays and 97% of UVB rays are absorbed by normal double glazed windows found in homes. Meaning that generally, being behind glass (or in a conservatory for example) should keep you relatively safe from the harmful effects of UV-Rays.
However, as it doesn’t block the rays fully so if you are spending a lot of time sat in a conservatory or beside a window, it may be a good idea to protect yourself from the sunlight.
For example, recently it’s become common to use conservatories as home offices and homeowners are spending long hours in them whilst they work through the day. Although the threat of sunburn and cancers is low due to the glass absorbing most of the UVB rays, the majority of UVA rays still penetrate the glass and so the risk of premature aging, and some cancers, is still fairly prominent.
Our Thermotec Insulating panels are an excellent solution to the threat of UV-rays as they lessen the amount of UV-rays hitting homeowners' skin by blocking the sunlight from entering through the roof of the conservatory. They also help to keep the room warmer in winter, cooler in summer and limit the noise caused in bad weather! You can find out more about our Thermotec panels here!
