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Do you have a furniture fading problem?
For most of us, your home is the single largest investment you will ever make. And it’s not just the four walls and floors – it’s everything you put into it that makes it yours.
Whether it’s a new Pottery Barn sofa or an heirloom piece from Aunt Rose, you want your investment to last and to look good doing it. To keep your hardwood floors and fine furnishings looking their best, you need to protect them from the damage of the sun.
Here’s how to prevent furniture fading:
First, let’s understand what causes furniture fading to begin with.
There are three main forms of solar energy that cause fading. UV light is the biggest culprit, but it only accounts for about 40% of the problem. The rest of the cause of fading floors and furnishings is due to visible light and infrared light or solar heat energy.
This means that simply blocking UV rays from entering your home won’t completely stop fading. You need to do something to reduce the heat and light entering your windows too.
The miscellaneous 10% of the problem consists of things that don’t involve your windows. For instance, light fixtures can emit heat, UV, and visible light. Did you know that the heat from your body when you sit on your sofa can eventually cause fading as well?
Each of these three types of solar energy: UV rays, solar heat (IR), and visible light, all act on furniture and cause photodegradation. (Defined by the NIH as “the of a photodegradable molecule caused by the absorption of photons, particularly those wavelengths found in sunlight, such as infrared radiation, visible light, and ultraviolet light.”)
Some cause physical changes like thermal expansion, some break down chemical bonds, and some cause bleaching. Read more about the science behind fading caused by the sun here.
And while you don’t want to stop sitting on your couch, there are some practical things you can do to reduce furniture fading.
This seems like a no-brainer, right? But depending on the size of your room and the placement of the windows, it may not be possible to avoid the sun. If you can, move important pieces of furniture or art out of the direct line of the sun. This will greatly reduce the chance of fading.
If you can’t keep furniture out of the sun, the next best thing is to move it around periodically. This will prevent the same spots from being affected for long periods of time. If upholstered pieces are too large to realistically move around, at a minimum you should rotate the cushions on the piece. In addition, moving rugs every few months will prevent a rug outline to appear on your hardwood floors.
Lighter colors reflect more light and darker ones absorb more light and heat accelerating fading. If you have a sunny room, consider designing it in a light color palette to reduce the amount of fading your furniture is susceptible to.
Keeping your leather furniture in good condition is the first step in preventing fading. Leather can dry out, fade, and crack when exposed to sunlight. To prevent this, apply a good leather conditioner made for furniture twice a year. Choose a conditioner that has UV protection built in for added protection.
Of course, the simplest way to prevent furniture fading is to block the sun from coming in through your windows to begin with. But most of us want to live in light and bright spaces and don’t want to block the sunlight from entering our homes. Instead of blocking the light with drapes or shades, control the light that comes in with window film.
Window film will help to tame all three of the causes of furniture and floor fading: UV light, visible light and heat. All of Concord’s ComforTech™ Ceramic Series films block greater than 99% of UV light. The darker the shade you choose, the more light and heat control you will get, but all of the films have some level of solar control and can help to protect your furniture, so choose the shade that is right for you.
If you are ready to experience how window film can help you protect your investment in your home, here are some things to keep in mind:
This is because, as long as there is visible light and infrared radiation (heat) entering through the window, there will be some fading. And the 10% of miscellaneous causes of fading cannot be solved by window film.
Many people call us looking for a clear UV film (which we have available). When asked what they want to use it for, we often hear that the customer wants the clear film to protect from furniture fading. But, as we’ve just learned, blocking UV only blocks 40% of the causes of fading.
To get the most protection, it’s important to block visible light and infrared rays as well. So added some tint to the film will improve your ability to stop furniture fading. And the darker you are willing to go, the better the fade protection will be.
But don’t be scared off by dark film. You can get a lighter shade like ComforTech 45 or 35 that will block some visible light and reject heat but won’t look dark on your windows. In fact, ComforTech 45 looks almost invisible on the glass.
To protect your investment in your furniture looking good for as long as possible, it’s imperative that you control the amount of sun that hits it.
Three types of solar energy from the sun contribute to fading: UV rays, visible light, and infrared rays. Each need to be controlled in order to minimize photodegradation of your furnishings.
There are many tactics to reduce fading, like keeping furniture out of direct sunlight or moving your furniture around, one of the best ways to protect from fading is to install solar control window film. Indeed this is what museums and storefronts use to protect their assets as well.
When buying film, remember this golden rule: dark solar control > light solar control > clear UV film. If you are unsure of what shade of film is right for you, we recommend getting a sample kit and seeing the shades on your own windows.
And, if you have any questions, please reach out to us: 888-206-1413, [email protected], or through the chat function on our site: windowfilm.com. We’d love to help!
