You have no doubt heard it before: protecting yourself from ultraviolet radiation is crucial. By the pool, by the shore, or just in your garden, wearing sunscreen and sun protective clothing helps protect you not only from sunburns and the signs of aging, but also from the ravages of skin cancer. But what about when you’re relaxing on your veranda? Is UV protection really important when you’re enjoying some time in the shade? Because you are in a space that bridges the inside and outside when you’re on your veranda, UV protection is just as important as it is any other time you go outside. On your veranda, protection is necessary not just for your health and well-being and that of your family, but also for the longevity of your furnishings. Fortunately, there are several different ways to get UV protection in your veranda.
Understanding UV Radiation
Why is UV radiation such a problem? While sun exposure does provide some benefits, like stimulating the production of vitamin D, direct exposure to UV rays can be harmful. There are different types of UV rays, which is why sunscreen comes in “broad spectrum” to offer wider protection. UVA rays have a long wavelength and a low amount of energy and form about 95 percent of the sun’s radiation that reaches the earth. These rays can penetrate your skin, reaching the dermis, causing sunburns and the signs of aging. UVB rays have more energy and a shorter wavelength and reach only the outer layer of skin, but they’re more likely to cause skin cancer. Any time you’re outside, you need to be protected from UVA and UVB radiation.
Protection from Sunburn and Skin Damage
When you’re working in your garden or lounging by the pool, it’s smart to wear sunscreen and UV-protective clothing. In your veranda, sunburn is unlikely if you choose the right glass or polycarbonate for the roof and windows. Some polycarbonates can block up to 98 percent of UV rays and, depending on which color and thickness you choose, some glass can block as much as 85 percent of the radiation. However, there are also shading solutions for verandas, like awnings.
Safeguarding Eye Health
Your skin isn’t the only part of your body that needs protection from UV radiation. Your eye health can be significantly affected by UV radiation, which can increase your risk of cataracts, macular degeneration and other serious eye conditions. Whenever you’re outside, wear sunglasses with UV protection. When you’re enjoying time in your veranda, you can wear sunglasses or rely on veranda UV protection to protect your eyes. UV-blocking window films are one strategy for accomplishing this and so are various types of fabric sun protection.
Creating a Safe Environment for Children and Pets
Children and pets are vulnerable to the harmful effects of UV radiation, too. In fact, the more sunburns a person gets in childhood, the greater that person’s risk of skin cancer. You can protect children by allowing them to play outdoors only when the sun is not at its peak and by applying sunscreen and employing UV-protective clothing. Pets are a little harder to protect, as they don’t wear clothes and don’t typically have exposed skin to which you can apply sunscreen. However, you can protect your pets by keeping them inside during the hottest parts of the day and you can protect both pets and children by allowing them to play on a veranda with sun protection. UV-blocking shades, awnings and canopies can provide shade and protection for vulnerable individuals like your children and pets and many of these sun protection measures are easily operated with a motor that can be controlled remotely.
Preserving Outdoor Furniture and Décor
The furniture in your veranda is also vulnerable to the sun’s rays. UV radiation can cause fading, discoloration and even deterioration of outdoor furniture, cushions and décor items. Employing sun protection for your veranda, whether in the form of UV-resistant materials or shade solutions, will ensure that your outdoor furnishings have a long lifespan and look great for much longer than they otherwise would.
Enhancing Comfort and Enjoyment
When you design your veranda with UV protection in mind, you’ll create a comfortable, enjoyable outdoor living space where you won’t have to think about protecting yourself from the sun. What’s more, UV-blocking solutions protect against other nuisances, like heat build-up, glare and excessive brightness, allowing for a pleasant environment to relax, dine, or entertain. Using dynamic sun control devices, you can adjust the amount of shade on your veranda for your own comfort, creating an atmosphere you and your family will enjoy.
Choose Eliments for a Beautiful New Veranda
When you want a safe, attractive place to relax and watch your children and pets play, choose a veranda with UV protection. By incorporating UV protection measures into your veranda when you design or renovate it, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing your family will stay safe and your furniture will remain in good condition. If you’re ready to add a veranda to your home, call the experts at Eliments.
For over a decade, Eliments has been enhancing and improving homes, providing high quality products and excellent customer service to hundreds of happy customers. Founded on a high standard of craftsmanship and commitment to ethical philosophy, Eliments operates from Bell Farm in North Yorkshire, supplying and installing not only verandas, but also a variety of PVC-u double glazed windows, doors, conservatories, orangeries and roofline guttering products. Eliments serves most of the Yorkshire area, including York, Selby, Leeds, Knaresborough, Harrogate, Tadcaster, Pocklington, Goole, Beverley, Howden, Malton, Thirsk, Driffield and the surrounding areas. Because we have flexibility in our manufacturing process, we are able to fabricate custom-made products that set us apart from other window manufacturers.
We create products to suit your property, within a timescale to suit you and all of our windows and doors are manufactured to Veka specifications. If you are looking for the very best windows, doors and conservatories on the market today, call 08081 751 062 or contact us through our website for a free quote.
