Turtle Glass Helps Protect Marine Turtles
Many home and business owners in Southwest Florida need to adhere to laws for the use of outdoor lighting, and may also be required to install green tinted turtle glass on windows of Gulf-front properties to diffuse light coming from the inside. Turtle glass is glass that has been tinted to reduce light projection to help protect marine turtles.
Sea Turtle Protection Ordinances
In beachfront communities along the coast, sea turtles crawl onto the beach at night and lay their nests. Sea turtles are naturally drawn towards the light of the horizon from the reflection off the water. As beachfront communities have developed, the artificial lighting confuses the sea turtles, ultimately disorienting them. Because this attraction to light is instinctive, emerging hatchlings also become quickly disoriented. To protect the sea turtles, building codes in Florida require new construction with direct “line of sight” to the beach to install windows with a visible light transmission (VLT) of 45% or less. Florida has also implemented several ordinances in order to help further protect sea turtles. The Florida Model Lighting Ordinance for Marine Turtle Protection, was created with the intent to establish guidelines to help protect wayward sea turtles in coastal areas from the affects of artificial lighting and to help improve the overall nesting habitats. Specifics to the definition of tinted glass includes: “…any glass treated to achieve an industry-approved, inside-to-outside light transmittance value of 45% or less and limited to the visible spectrum.”
If you own a beachfront home or business that has to adhere to the "Turtle Glass" codes, you don’t have to go through the expensive process of replacing their windows with tinted glass units. Distinctive Window Tinting offers window films that easily comply with the light transmission requirements of the codes, and can be installed right away without disrupting your home and typically are much more cost effective. These films also reduce heat input into the home, control glare, and virtually eliminate dangerous ultraviolet rays. By reducing heat load, you’ll save on utility costs.
If you live or work beachfront and want to help protect these marine animals contact Distinctive Window Tinting today to preview the line of turtle window tint options available.
