To what extent does direct sunlight damage floors and furniture? The issue of sun-fading is best illustrated by leaving padded furniture outside for a prolonged period of time. Gradually, the furniture takes on a faded tone and over a period of time the furniture loses its intrinsic color. Hardwood floors requires additional protection as the floor can suffer irreversible damage if exposed to harsh sunlight; but the good news is you can take measures to prevent extensive damage.
How to Avoid Sun Damage on Your Hardwood Floors
Aside from causing severe skin burns, UV rays are also responsible for damage to your hardwood floor, furniture, rugs, and art. When coupled with humidity and heat, the combination can leave your interior faded and unsightly. By implementing these solutions, you can prevent the effects of sun damage and maintain your floor’s integrity throughout the seasons.
Home Window Film Protection
This is by far the most effective measure against UV and Infrared damage as it blocks out 99% of harmful rays, preventing discoloration and fading. By installing quality window films, much of the damage associated with UV and Infrared light spectrums can be avoided. Window tinting offers a more permanent solution and is preferable to keeping the curtains drawn during the day.
Window films allow enough visual light transfer (VLT) to penetrate into your home, which means any prefinished hardwood floors will still get enough light during the day, but will be free of harmful rays that glare through clear glass.
Use a Sealant on the Floor
The effect of sunlight on floors will vary based on the specific wood and color tone. Some types of wood darken with exposure and others take on a lighter tone. To balance the effect of sunlight in the room, move furniture around to create a uniform color scheme on the floor. By using a sun-resistant sealant during your hardwood floors installation, you can also minimize long term effects of exposure. Aside from general wax and oil finishes, you may opt to use varnish, lacquer, shellac, or polyurethane.
Direct sunlight poses a serious risk to your upholstery, furniture, engineered hardwood floors, and other valuable items in your home. By filtering the rays entering your home, you can prevent long-term damage (and associated costs) and in the process maintain the value of your home’s interior. If you plan to hang valuable art in your interior space, there are measures to preserve the integrity of artwork without necessarily installing the other protective measures; however, consider the implications of allowing direct sunlight into your home.
Elegant Floors are the go-to guys for hardwood floor services!
For over 20 years, we’ve been offering hardwood flooring sales, installation, repair and refinishing services to customers in Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Mountain View and the surrounding areas. For anything concerning hardwood floors, give us a call at 650-961-1339 or 408-773-8624 or use our online form.