How Does Window Film Affect Plants?
If you’re having window film installed in your home or office, it’s important to consider how it will affect your indoor plants. Plants rely on sunlight for healthy growth, and window film filters out sunlight. So, one would assume, window films would affect the health of indoor plants. The answer, is probably not what you would think. Here’s all you need to know about how window film affects plants.
How Window Film Affects Plants
Long story short, window films will not harm your plants. Window films filter out many parts of the sun’s rays, but not to an extent which harms plants. This is because higher quality window films—the types we use here at AP Corp—don’t filter out the important part of the sun’s rays: visible light.
My Plants Look Wilted After Window Film Was Installed
Commonly plants will show signs of stress when their environment changes from its current state. This happens when you move plants to a larger pot size, and this happen when you alter the amount of visible light they receive. This is just a temporary state and the plants should bounce back in a week or so.
What Plants Need to Grow Healthy
Your average indoor plant will need water, soil nutrients, and sunlight to grow healthy. When in relation to window films, the most important aspect of a plant’s requirements is the sunlight. Specifically, plants use visible light in order to photosynthesize; more specifically red light and blue light within the visible light spectrum.
What Part of Sunlight Does Window Film Filter Out?
The sun emits a wide spectrum of radiation. The most mentioned—and most important for this discussion—are UV rays, infrared radiation, and visible light. Window films filter out UV rays, infrared radiation, and a percentage of visible light. This is the % VLT number associated with window films.
What % VLT is Acceptable for Indoor Plants?
Window films don’t completely block one section of the visible light spectrum. Instead, they interrupt a certain percentage of it. To give an analogy, instead of it being a filter for water, it’s more of a funnel—it just lets less through at a time. Plants can be fine all the way down to 25% VLT: which is allowing 25% of visible light through. Most businesses get somewhere around a 75% VLT or above, so most plants are more than fine.
Consult with Your Window Film Solutions Expert
If your indoor plant health will be a major concern for your business, it’s best to consult with your local experts. Your window film company will have exact measurements on the types of window films they use, and the amounts of sunlight filtered by each. They’ll be able to help you ensure your plants get adequate visible light to ensure their best long-term health.
If you’re in the Maryland, DC, or Virginia metro areas AP Corp is here to help you. Our team of experienced window film installers and designers are here to answer any questions you have about the effects of window films in your home’s interior. For information, fill out the form below!