If you have had your furniture for any length of time you may have noticed it beginning to fade, especially any pieces that are exposed to sunlight for a significant portion of the day. Protecting your furniture from ultra violet (“UV”) light is essential if you want to keep it looking good and in good condition.
UV Damage Prevention
As you probably know, UV light damages furniture. Over the course of the years accumulated damage from all those UV rays can actually shave years off the life of a piece of furniture. There are a number of steps you can take to prevent or decrease the amount of damage.
You could try installing blinds or special window treatments to limit the amount of UV rays coming into your home. Of course, doing this means you will spend a good portion of your day in the dark, and the entire point of having windows is to allow people to look out while letting light come in.
If keeping the windows closed isn’t your idea of paradise, try rearranging your furniture so less direct sunlight hits it. Then you can use your windows without speeding up the deterioration of your furniture. This route does have its drawbacks, though, as most people prefer to have their larger pieces of furniture up against the walls to facilitate the flow of traffic through the room. If you have all your larger items placed in the center of the room it could be awkward at best and downright impossible at worst.
Another option would be to look into purchasing and installing specialized window film to screen out harmful rays. While this is not as easy as it may sound (as anyone who has installed window tint could tell you) it could result in lowered UV levels while preserving your ability to see out the window.
Protecting Your Furniture Directly
If you don’t want to keep the blinds closed, rearrange your furniture, or try to install tricky films, another option is to purchase and apply a fabric UV protection directly to your furniture. There are a number of commercial chemical solutions that you can apply to your furniture to cut down on the damage from the sun’s rays.
Just be careful: if you use the wrong type of chemical, or if you use too much, you could end up ruining your furniture! Be sure to read the labels carefully and if you’re not sure whether the chemical protectant will react with the fabric on your furniture it might be best to consult a professional first. In any event you should first test the chemical protectant in a hidden place to see if it causes any discoloration or other issues with the fabric of your furniture.
At Dr. Sofa we have professionals who can tell you what kind of UV protectant is good and which ones to avoid. Contact us today and we would be happy to help you keep your furniture looking nice without having to board up your windows.