This is How to Prevent Sun Damage to Your Floors and Furniture

August 29, 2016

Posted in macstaff

If you’ve ever had an upholstered sofa or a decorative rug in front of a window and noticed it fading more and more each year, you know what direct sunlight can do to your furniture and belongings. You might not realize that it can actually even change the color of your wood floors and bleach your artwork and family portraits. Sun damage isn’t only unsightly, though. It is also costly and will likely force you to replace your rugs and other home furnishings more often.

While you might not be able to slather a layer of sunscreen on your sofa, there are a number of preventive measures you can take to ward off sun damage. Use these tips to protect your belongings and save yourself a little money while you’re at it.

What Causes the Damage?

What Causes Sun Damage to Furniture and Flooring? Like with sun damage to your skin, the majority of damage to your floors and furniture is caused by ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. In fact, according to the National Fenestration Rating Council, a nonprofit that assesses windows to determine their energy efficiency, roughly 40 to 60 percent of damage is caused by UV radiation, which results in bleaching and corrosion in furniture. The other causes include heat, humidity, and artificial light.

What is the Best Form of Protection?

Obviously, some measures of protection are relatively common sense, such as keeping your curtains closed and blinds drawn. However, if you’re like most of us and don’t want to feel like you’re living in a dungeon, you may want to consider other options.

Upgrade Your Windows

One of your first lines of defense is your windows themselves. If you are in the process of building a new home or upgrading your windows in your existing home, a great option for your windows is laminated or low-e coated glass. Some manufacturers claim their products made with this type of glass can filter as much as 99 percent of harmful UV radiation. Keep in mind, though, that this option may cost more than traditional windows.

Use Window Film

Window film is another option to consider if you’re not in the market for replacing all of your windows. Not only does this film filter UV light, but it also makes windows resistant to breaking and facilitates less heat loss. If your main concern is sun damage, then focus on UV protection when you are selecting films. You can purchase window film from a local home improvement center and install it yourself, or have a professional complete the install.

Leverage Window Coverings

It’s obviously nice to let a little sun and air in your home on occasion. But, there’s a good reason to keep them covered, especially when you’re not home. Curtains and blinds not only provide privacy, they also protect your furniture and other interior assets from unsightly Sun damage. So, keep window coverings on at all times — open them up when you want to experience the sunlight and close them up when you’re not home and at night, when sleeping.

Can Specific Items Be Protected?

If you’re concerned about a certain item in particular, such as a valuable painting from your great aunt, there are options for protecting precious possessions without installing new windows or special film.

Protect Your Floors

Sun exposure lightens certain types of wood and darkens other. Be sure to move furniture and rugs regularly to create more even sun exposure throughout each room. Likewise, consider applying a sun-resistant sealant on your wood floors. Depending on the type of floors you have and the look you’d like to achieve, you can use varnish, lacquer, polyurethane, or shellac. There are also several wax and oil finishes that will protect your wood floors.

Preserve Your Art

Expensive artwork is another grave concern for collectors. Ultimately, you might consider having a copy made of your favorite pieces and hang the copy instead of the original. However, if you’re set on having your collections hung in rooms with windows, always hang artwork out of direct sunlight and behind UV-blocking glass, such as acrylic.

Carpet and Rug Maintenance

Rugs and carpets are also highly susceptible to sun damage. You may want to consider applying a spray-on protector, though their efficacy has come under debate in recent years. Likewise, rotating your rugs and moving furniture around periodically can help equalize fading.

Final Thoughts

While you may not be able to completely eliminate sun damage to your floors and furniture, you can prevent and reduce a great deal of it. Follow these tips to minimize damage and keep your floors and furniture as pristine as possible for as long as you can.

This guest post was brought to you by Maids by Trade, a house cleaning company in Tucson which also offers maid services in Marana as well as house cleaning in Catalina Foothills, and many more areas around Tucson.