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Greenhouse floor slab insulation retrofit (C) Daniel Friedman Steven BlissSunspace / Greenhouse Glazing for Sun Tanning

Design of sun tanning spaces & greenhouses or sunspaces in buildings:

This article discusses glazing materials used to permit suntanning in greenhouses or sunspaces. The accompanying text is reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

Our page top photo shows a small sunspace designed into a New York City apartment. You will notice that the walls to the left of the sunspace had been opened to expose the structural brick wall - a step necessary during removal of mold contamination caused by skylight and exterior wall leaks.

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Advice for Insulating a Greenhouse or Solarium Against Night Time Heat Loss

The question-and-answer article about greenhouses or solariums, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss.

Question about greenhouse or sunspace glazing that will allow suntanning:

Does any greenhouse manufacturer make a unit with glazing that transmits the tanning rays of the sun?

If not, what materials would one substitute for standard glazing if we want to sunbathe and tan inside of a sunspace?

Answer: Suntanning glazing using acrylic sheet material

Greenhouse in Barri Gotic Barcelona (C) Daniel FriedmanWe know of no sunspace systems that are intentionally glazed with a material that passes ultraviolet rays that you would need to obtain a suntan while inside a greenhouse, sunspace, or solarium.

But Cryo Industries [Woodcliff Lake NJ] makes a special acrylic sheet designated as OP-4 for the suntanning industry.

This glazing material does just what you require - passing UV rays from sunlight.

Except for a possibly higher cost, there is no reason this material couldn't be used in sunspaces or greenhouses or a solarium intended for suntanning, according to Cryo technologist Peter Colburn.

The ultraviolet band of solar radiation tans your skin.

The range between .285 and .380 microns in light wavelength triggers the release of melanin, and the next sunlight wavelength band, .315 to .380 microns, continues the tanning process, Colburn says.

Glass and most common sunspace glazings transmit only from 5 to 10 percent of the sun-tanning range of light (but admit enough UV light to fade fabrics).

Low-e coated glass such as we discuss at x blocks most of these rays. So you do not want to use Low-e Glass if your purpose of the sunspace or solarium is to obtain a suntan or to get your daily required Vitamin D from sunlight.

Here we include solar energy, solar heating, solar hot water, and related building energy efficiency improvement articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

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SUNSPACE GLAZING for SUNTANNING at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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