Just as you wear sunscreen and sunglasses to protect your skin and eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, you also need to take steps to protect your furniture if you want to prevent fading caused by harmful UV rays. This fading is irreversible, permanently affecting your furniture’s appearance. Fortunately, there are many precautions that can be taken to protect your furniture from the effects of UV rays.
Furniture Covers and Fabric Spray
Some new furniture can be purchased with fabrics specifically designed to be resistant to ultraviolet rays. However, you don’t have to go out and purchase an all-new living room set to avoid faded furnishings. One option is to cover your furniture when it is not in use. This is especially useful to protect antiques or wood furniture. For upholstery, many companies now produce UV-resistant fabric spray. This is a great choice for outdoor furniture, tents, and backpacks, but it may be impractical to try to use the spray on all of your indoor furniture. Also, you may not like the appearance of furniture covers. If this is the case, it is time to look to your windows for another solution.
Window Treatments
There are several window treatment options that are both attractive and practical for blocking ultraviolet rays. Curtains, shutters, and window blinds are available in a variety of styles, making it easy to find something to match your decor. You could also purchase windows with tinted glass, or you could buy window tinting film to apply yourself. All of these treatments will reduce the intrusion of UV rays into your home and will slow the fading of your furniture. However, they will not eliminate the problem completely; these treatments can still allow 30{7871f4c91f79cbddef59511eb5b9899c6f1d497baab0afdeab5a98ee6e504626} of the UV rays to get through. Also, by covering all of your windows, you will be blocking all natural light, not just ultraviolet light. If you enjoy a bright, well-lit home, you may want to consider replacing your windows themselves.
Replacement Windows
New advances in window and glass development have led to windows that permit visible light to enter a home while blocking nearly all of the harmful UV rays. These windows allow you to enjoy a sunny room without having to worry about your furniture fading. Although having new windows installed is a significant investment, it is the most effective way to protect your furniture. These new UV-blocking windows are also more energy efficient, lowering the cost of heating and cooling your home, and may even qualify for the federal tax credit for energy efficient windows and doors. If you are looking for an effective, long-term solution to furniture damage from UV rays, specialized replacement windows with UV blocking glass will get the job done.
