Security in the shade with 3M window film in the Chicago area

3M window film is a wonderful thing. It can cut the glare of the sun. It even blocks 99.9 percent of the sun’s ultra-violet rays. Those UV rays will bleach out your carpet, furnishings and, if you own a business, your display products before you know it. The damage the sun can do is far more significant than you might imagine. But, 3M window film will do more than that.

3M window film also offers significant benefits in terms of security

Take a hammer to a window and the outcome is quite predictable. One swing of the hammer and the glass will almost assuredly shatter into hundreds of pieces. But, with 3M window film, the glass may break but the pieces will hold together. The hammer-wielding assailant will have to really work at it to make their way through the glass.

In other words, glass won’t keep someone out indefinitely, but it will slow them down. This will give you time to react. You’ll almost assuredly hear them pounding on the window. Then, you can call the police or otherwise prepare yourself to respond to their intentions, whatever those intentions might be.

When the window fails to shatter easily into pieces, it generally comes as a surprise to the person with the hammer. It’s a little bit disconcerting.

On the one hand, their plan isn’t going according to hoyle. In the midst of that frustration, they suddenly realize that they’re no longer moving obscurely in the shadows. They’ve blown their cover. Now they have to work fast. But, that darn window continues to spoil their plans. Sure, they’ll work their way through but, by then, there is a good chance the police are on their way. And those inside have the necessary warning to prepare an appropriate reception.

The security benefits of 3M window film go beyond interfering with the plans of intruders; it also restrains the glass in the case of severe winds or explosions.

During WWII, shop owners in England put tape on their windows in an effort to hold the glass together if a German bomb fell nearby during the Battle of Britain. People in the path of hurricanes understand the same principle.

In Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, the biggest risk of shattering glass is a tornado. The tornado might blow the glass out of the window frame but not the way it would without 3M window film. When glass is shattered by an explosion, hurricane or tornado, it shatters and flies through the air as though it were hundreds of razor blades. People nearby are cut to shreds.

While a tornado is not likely to come down your street and, hopefully, a bomb is far less likely, if any of these do occur, 3M window film can make a world of difference. Whether the glass shatters as a result of a natural occurrence, or a man-made assault, 3M window film can make a life-saving difference.

Once a lot of fun, Maple-seed ‘helicopters’ clog your gutters

Peaking over the edge of this gutter are 'helicopter' Maple seeds that have clogged the gutter. Once they were fun, now they're more of a nuisance. 

Oh, when we were young we loved them. We’d pick them up from the ground and toss them in the air then step back and watch them spiral to the ground. Of course, there was a technique. If you threw them wrong, they tended to drop like rocks. They needed to reach their apex flat and horizontal to the ground. If you threw them up just right, they would spiral slowly to the ground.

We called them ‘helicopters’ but they’re actually seeds from Maple trees. As adults, we don’t always find them as enjoyable as we once did. The density in which they fall varies from year to year. Some years, such as this, they come down heavy.

Whether they come down heavy, or not so heavy, they’re a nuisance. They cover the grass so that, when you cut the lawn, they leave trails in the grass behind. You’ll also find them all over the pavement. You’ll see neighbors out sweeping them off the sidewalks and walkways. But, worse of all is what they do to the gutters.

Filled to the brim, the gutters ravenously collect those twirling ‘helicopters.’ Then, when the rains come, the ‘helicopters’ wash into the downspouts and clog. Suddenly, the water has nowhere to go. It backs up and pours over the leading edge.

If left that way, not only will the gutters fail to function, but the ‘helicopters’ will begin to decompose into a thick and sticky mass.

The solution is to get up there and clean the ‘helicopters’ out of the gutters. Then, it’s advisable to push a hose into the downspout and flush the helicopters out.

Yes, it’s a hassle. But, the hassle it will create over time is much worse. And the good news is that, if you clean them now, there’s little to worry about until the leaves fall in the autumn.

Probably the best way to deal with the hassle of ‘helicopters’ falling into your gutters is to let a professional do the job. This way, you avoid the messy job of cleaning them out of the gutters and, better yet, the hazard of climbing a ladder to do the job. That’s also why it’s important to hire a company that is insured to do the job. You don’t want the hassle of the medical bills if a worker alls from the ladder, too.

So, let someone else clean the ‘helicopters’ out of your gutters. And, just to reminisce, toss a ‘helicopter’ or two into the air to see if you still have the technique.

Clean your windows in March and save 15 percent

Print this ad, or just mention the ad to claim your 15% discount.

If you look out the window right now, you may find it hard to believe that Spring is coming. It is and it’s not too far away. We could still get some rough weather but, Daylight Savings is around the corner, the days will grow longer and the cold will grow shorter. And then, a lot of people will switch into Spring-Cleaning mode.

Inevitably, Spring Cleaning includes what many consider an unsavory chore – washing windows. Fortunately, Northern Illinois Windows is available to spare them the aggravation and drudgery of window cleaning. More than that, the window cleaners at NIW know how to do the job quickly and right.

Since April is always a crazy time for window cleaners, Northern Illinois Windows is offering an Early Bird Window Cleaning Special for home owners. Have your windows cleaned in March, pay with a cash or check, and you’ll receive a 15-percent discount.

Yes, NIW cleans windows in the cold. Their window cleaners will go through wind and snow to clean your windows. They’ll clean your windows down to zero degrees. And, most importantly, they’ll leave them streak free and clean.

Imagine how nice it will be to start your Spring Cleaning and your windows are clean already.

To schedule a window cleaning, call 815-385-6646. To learn more about Northern Illinois Windows, visit www.niwservice.com.

Woodstock Eye Care applies 3M Kryptonite to windows to protect glass frames

In the summer, you can almost feel the sun blazing through the windows and burning the color out of the products you have on display. At least you don’t have to worry about that during the winter. Wrong.

Even when it’s well below zero outside, when the sun shines in the window, those ultra-violet rays are at work draining the color out of everything in their path. There are exceptions but that’s only when someone has taken precautions. One such exception is at Woodstock Eye Care, 591 South Eastwood Drive (Route 47), Woodstock.

The optometrists at Woodstock Eye Care are joining that wise group of business owners who laugh in the face of UV rays. How can they act so carefree in spite of the relentless assault from the rays of the sun? The answer is simple – they have some Kryptonite.

Woodstock Eye Care provides the highest quality products, including eyeglasses, contacts, optical supplements, sports vision and more. They are specialists in providing the best eye care experience for patients of all ages and treating many different eye conditions, such as myopia, astigmatisms and presbyopia.

In the windows up front and along the side of the building are display racks with a wide range of frames. The problem is that they noticed the sun was doing a number on the display frames. Frames that were once dark or full of color are increasingly gray and faded.

That’s why they called in window experts to provide some Kryptonite. Against the UV rays of the sun, Kryptonite is called UV resistant window film. Their concern was that they would have to apply a heavily tinted film in order to block enough UV rays to make a difference. They were happy to hear that’s not the case.

The industry leading manufacturer of window film is 3M. Their film blocks 99.9 percent of the sun’s UV rays and it doesn’t matter if it’s a deeply tinted Night Vision film or the Neutral 70 film Woodstock Eye Care has chosen – they all block the UV rays the same.

With the 3M Neutral 70 film, prospective clients driving by on Route 47 can still see the frames in the window. Now, however, those frames will last and last with virtually no negative effects from the sun.

To contact Woodstock Eye Care, call (815) 338-0107.

With a couple adjustments, window cleaners keep windows clean in the winter, too

Window cleaners use water to clean windows. No problem – a bucket of water, some soap, a sponge and a squeegee is all they need, right? But what about winter?

In the winter, when temperatures drop, water tends to freeze outside. Window cleaners either have to stop cleaning windows or they need to make some kind of adjustment.

At Northern Illinois Windows, they mix windshield washer solvent with the water. The colder the weather, the more solvent they use. If it’s not so cold, they just use a solution with a little less solvent.

Other window washing companies may use ethanol or even alcohol racing fuel in the winter to avoid the bucket-of-frozen-water syndrome. Whatever they use, they all have one thing in common; when the temperature drops below zero degree Fahrenheit, there’s not much they can do. Even these mixtures and elements begin to thicken when the air is that cold.

Of course, another aspect of washing windows in the winter is the effects of the elements on the window cleaners themselves. The colder it is, the more they need to bundle up. As a result, their physical movement is hampered somewhat. It can slow the process.

For a professional window cleaner, they’re generally good enough at what they do tha they can clean your windows without getting the water (or whatever is in the bucket) all over themselves. That’s a bit tricky but it’s something they learn after doing the job for a while.

When the temperature gets cold, it’s a really good idea not to get wet out there. A wet window cleaner is liable to be a sick window cleaner the next day.

Many people don’t even think about the idea of someone washing their windows in the winter; they assume the cold brings the process to a halt. That’s not the case. It merely requires appropriate accommodations.

Regardless of the temperature, as long as it’s above zero, Bill Thomas, the owner of Northern Illinois Windows, said his window cleaning technicians are able to do the same quality work. They still get those windows clean.

There’s still time for window cleaning before your New Year’s party

So much to do and so little time with New Year’s Eve only days away – along with the food, the drinks and the decorations, there’s also the general cleaning you have to do before the doorbell rings with your first guest.

It’s a splendid time of year, and one of the year’s biggest parties. Guests aren’t coming to inspect your home and give you a grade for cleaning. Still, you don’t want them to get the wrong idea; you don’t want them to think you don’t care about your home or that you don’t care about the impression you make.

Considering, the last thing you want to worry about, particularly in the middle of winter, is cleaning your windows. But, if the windows need cleaning the windows need cleaning.

You can clean the house immaculately but they’ll still notice dirty windows. You can put up all kinds of great decorations to distract them, but they’ll still notice the dirty windows. If only there was a way to clean the windows this time of year. If only there was time to clean the windows before the New Year’s party. The good news is that there is a very good chance that there is a solution from both perspectives.

Quality window cleaning companies, such as McHenry based Northern Illinois Windows, clean windows year round.

“We still have a few openings if someone wants us to clean the windows in their home before New Year’s,” said Bill Thomas, the owner of Northern Illinois Windows. “It’s on a first-come-first-served basis, but if someone calls in the next couple days, there’s a good chance we can help.”

Another bit of good news is that, once the party is over, assuming things didn’t get really out of hand on New Year’s, you’ll still have clean windows. You might want to keep the shades drawn New Year’s Day, assuming you have a pounding headache trying to recover, but, after that, you can throw open the curtains and enjoy a clear view of winter’s panorama outdoors.

Thomas said that the window cleaning specialists at Northern Illinois windows are professionals. They’ll get in and get the job done without creating additional headaches for the homeowner. And, if the party is at the office, they can clean those windows, too.

Whether someone needs their windows cleaned or not, however, Thomas said he wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year.

Why does ultraviolet light cause color to fade?

   Because of photodegradation.

It is all about the chemical makeup of an object. The technical term for color fading is photodegradation. There are light absorbing color bodies called chromophores that are present in dyes. The color(s) we see are based upon these chemical bonds and the amount of light that is absorbed in a particular wavelength ... (read more).