At Steamex Eastern, our carpet cleaning technicians have seen the deteriorating effects of direct sunlight on upholstery, carpeting, and fine furniture. The most obvious signs are color fading of fabric dyes or discoloration of natural materials including wood and natural carpet fibers like cotton, wool, linen, or silk. What is really happening is a breakdown of the manufacturing chemicals and natural fibers caused by ultraviolet rays of the sun or UV rays.
A sunlight-filled home is beautiful and healthy. Natural light prevents mood drops and sadness that result from lack of sunshine and stimulates the biological production of vitamin D. But when it comes to your home’s fine upholstery, direct sunlight should be moderated. There is no need to keep your home dark and sunless all day, but you may want to consider taking the following steps during the brightest times of day in your locale, and only for areas in your home that take on direct exposure to the sun during peak hours (typically between 12:00 noon and 4 PM).
Protecting Upholstery, Carpet, and Furniture
1. Consider your home’s orientation to the sun
Certain rooms in your home will be situated where the furnishing gets a high dose of direct sun. During the morning, this may be an East-facing room. It will be the West-facing rooms during the afternoon early evening. During the winter, it is typically the South-facing rooms that get the most daylighting. Since you can’t change which direction your home is oriented, you may want to change the layout of that room.
Rearrange upholstered fabric seating away from direct sunlight. While no fabric is totally safe from the sun’s UV rays, you will less worry for upholstery and carpeting manufactured from non-natural materials such as acrylic, polyester, and vinyl.
2. Add sun blocking window treatments
You will find a wide selection of decorative window treatments that either block the sun or will filter a degree of the sun rays. In addition to protecting your upholstered furniture and carpeting, window treatments will help lower your AC bill by reducing interior temperature rise caused by the sun. Window treatment options include window Venetian blinds, drapes, curtains, shades, shutters, vertical blinds, and solar shades are also known as “window sunglasses”.
Light blocking window treatments can filter the harshest, glaring sunlight that does the most damage. Room darkening curtains or blinds will create privacy while stopping just all sunlight. While solar shades are designed to maintain your view and block a certain amount of light
3. Install window film or Low E window
And finally, a great way to handle sun and natural light in your home is with passive measures that you never have to think about. Low E windows block infrared and UV light while allowing natural light to pass through the window panes. A lower-cost option is to have window film applied – which is a durable polyester laminate that can improve the look or performance of existing windows.
Window film can prevent the premature aging of furniture and discoloration of upholstery due to the effects of direct sunlight.
Speak with one of our experts in carpeting, upholstery, and textile surfaces at Steamex Eastern for more information on how we can help you protect your home’s upholstered surfaces through deep cleaning and the application of protectants.
419-382-1973
419-382-1973