Managing Glare Can Help Make Remote Work a Success

Solar Film • Oct 25, 2020

Needless to say, the coronavirus has turned many aspects of our lives upside down. While COVID-19 has taxed the economy and many Americans’ mental health, not all repercussions of the pandemic are necessarily detrimental. One positive societal shift we’ve noticed at Solar Film is an increase in the number of people working from home. In fact, according to a study conducted by Gallup on Americans and remote work, the number of people working from home doubled from mid-March to April. Gallup has continued to keep a finger on the pulse of the work-from-home trend during the pandemic and delivered updated statistics in mid-October. Currently, 43% of U.S. workers exclusively work remotely, while 25% sometimes work from home.

Although many U.S. workers report preferring remote work over the traditional office environment, the transition from the office setting was abrupt. With little time to prepare, people migrated from their ergonomically-friendly office space to their living room couch or dining room table. However, when the permanence of the working-from-home “trend” became apparent, workers started to consider the conduciveness of their home to remote work. To accommodate their new situation, perhaps they simply purchased a more comfortable chair. Or, maybe they converted their guest room into a home office to limit distractions. However, neither of those solutions solve possibly the most bothersome disruption: glare from the southern sky passing through windows.

Natural Light in Your Home Office

Natural light, although a desired feature in offices and homes alike, can produce debilitating glare. A variety of factors can influence the severity of glare you experience, including the orientation of your windows, time of year, and of course, time of day. In the northern hemisphere, southern-facing windows permit the most glare. Although you may assume glare is the worst during the sweltering summer months, glare reaches its peak intensity in the fall, as a result of the angle at which sunlight enters your windows. Additionally, the afternoon presents the worst glare of the day because that’s when the sun is low on the horizon. Prior to COVID-19, many Americans were not home during the afternoon to experience the distracting glare cast across their computer screens.

Battling the glare through your windows is not only distracting; it can also be harmful. Glare can result in eye fatigue, eye strain, and even headaches.

While installing blinds would provide a simple fix, window coverings also limit access to natural light. Exposure to natural light is associated with both boosted productivity and overall well-being , and as the daylight hours dwindle in the fall, you want to soak up as much of the scarce sunlight as possible. So how can you adapt the windows in your home to welcome natural light but also manage glare?

Manage Glare with 3M Sun Control Window Film

3M Sun Control Window Film provides an optimal solution for remote workers wanting to reduce glarein their home workspace. This spectrally-selective film can transform your existing windows into portals for natural light without the bothersome glare. The film reflects a portion of the sun’s light, minimizing the glare passing through your windows. In addition to limiting the passage of the sun’s visible light, Sun Control Window Film also blocks up to 97% of infrared rays. This results in a more consistent and comfortable interior temperature.

As many U.S. jobs permanently shift to remote work, it’s important that your home office environment is conducive to productivity. Since this deviation from the typical American job climate doesn’t seem to be reverting back to “normal” any time soon, you deserve to invest in your comfort. Choose Sun Control Window Film to manage glare in your home workspace.

Locally owned and operated in Richmond, Virginia, for over 35 years, Solar Film helps homeowners throughout central Virginia, Williamsburg, and the Northern Neck find their ideal window tinting solution. We use premium quality 3M™ materials for temperature control, glare reduction, UV protection, privacy, and security window film solutions. As a 3M™Authorized Dealer and a member of the Prestige Dealer Network, we offer the highest quality window film products on the market. Get in touch with us today for a free quote!

The post Managing Glare Can Help Make Remote Work a Success appeared first on Solar Film.

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