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UV Protection: Screening out Harmful Rays is Your First Line of Defense
How Seeking Shade Can Help Prevent UV Radiation Damage
Without the heat of the sun to warm the earth or fuel photosynthesis,
life as we know it would not exist. The sun is at the center of
all that we do. However, like anything in life, too much sun can
be too much of a good thing. As skin cancer reaches epidemic proportions
in the United States, it's essential to take steps to protect ourselves
from the damaging effects of ultra-violet radiation (UV) created
by the sun's rays—damage that includes premature aging evidenced
by wrinkling and age spots, skin cancer, and permanent, sometimes
blinding damage to the eyes.
According to the National Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
more than one million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer
every year. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention reports
that the incidence of melanoma has more than tripled among Caucasians
between 1980 and 2003 and today skin cancer outnumbers all other
cancers combined. And the SHADE Foundation of America, a non-profit
organization dedicated to reducing melanoma through education and
sun safety reports that invasive melanoma is the leading cause
of cancer deaths in women aged 25-29. The good news is that we
can take simple precautions to reduce the risks of exposure—wearing
hats and UV-protective sunglasses, covering up, applying full-spectrum
sunscreen, and seeking shade under protective awnings, umbrellas,
filtered glass and screen enclosures. Shade planning should be
an important part of any overall defense against UV rays according
to Sue Gorham, Executive Director of the SHADE Foundation. She
states, "Skin cancer is 95 percent preventable and shade is
an important element of protection and prevention. Our goal is
to limit the sun, not the fun and shade can be great way to do
just that."
In South Florida, there are two very effective ways to use shaded
structures to defend against the sun's rays using a screen enclosure
or an aluminum roofed Florida room. Screen Builders, (www.myscreenbuilder.com)
screen enclosures use premium grade screening engineered to keep
out 80 percent of the sun's heat and glare. The screening uses
an extremely dense weave with plastic coating that coats every
fiberglass thread in plastic twice in an ultra-violet light inhibitor
mix, increasing the UV protection factor (UPF) by absorbing ultraviolet
radiation. Dark color screening also helps absorb reflected or
indirect UV rays.
For maximum protection, Screen Builders aluminum roofed-Florida
room enclosures are constructed of solid outdoor roofing materials
and side panels made of SunTex screen. SunTex screen reduces heat
levels in the interior of buildings and blocks UV rays with the
tightness of the weave, plastic coating and color. All Florida
room screening is available in different shade protection levels
ranging from 40 percent to 90 percent blockage, the equivalent
of wearing SPF15 sun block. Vice President of Screen Builders,
Mike Sonsini, notes, "Shaded areas such as our screened enclosures
or aluminum roofed Florida rooms are an important component of
an overall sun protection strategy, especially in South Florida
between the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm."
Preventing skin cancer by shade planning or seeking shade under
a protective covering provides an extra measure of defense, especially
when it is part of an overall sun-smart lifestyle. To learn more
about Screen Builders screen enclosures and Florida rooms, call
800.972.7242 or 561.793.6029 or visit www.myscreenbuilder.com
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