Don’t Let This Happen – Protect Your Hardwood Floors!
Furnishing a home can be expensive. From flooring to furnishings, the costs can add up quick. When you have that much invested, doesn’t it make sense to take steps to protect hardwood floors from sun fading?
While many people and love an open and airy feel for their home with lots of windows, that openness can invite problems. The sun’s brings in three of the primary causes of faded floors and furnishings. While most people do not want to sacrifice their views or the open feeling of their home to attain protection from the sun, what can be done? There is an answer! One of the best ways to attack three of the primary causes of sun damage and fading is with a home window film. To explain, we will examine exactly what causes the fading and damage to occur and how window film is a great solution to consider.
First, Let’s Examine What Causes Sun Fading of Hardwood Floors and Furnishings?
A common misconception is that UV rays alone are what cause faded hardwood floors and sun damage to furnishings. While UV rays are certainly the largest component, as the chart illustrates, they only account for 40% of fading. Solar heat and visible light are also major contributors, accounting for roughly 25% of the problem each. Combined, these three factors produce 90% of fading. The last factor is comprised of a variety of this we simply put under the heading “Other”. These are things like interior lighting, humidity, etc. Nothing short of locking your things away in a dark, humidity controlled room will eliminate this last 10%.
One thing this chart demonstrates is that you cannot “stop” fading completely. In real life, the most you can do is attack the primary contributors in a significant enough way to slow down the process. By slowing the process, you extend the life of hardwood floors and furnishings.
So, Why Is Home Window Film a Good Solution to Sun Fading?
As mentioned above, most people do not want to “close-up” their home in an effort to stop sun damage from occurring. So, assuming the windows will not be covered, you need to attack the factors where they enter the home. This is where a home window film comes in. Window film is a great option because it attacks all three of the major contributors of fading. Most professionally installed window films will block 99%+ of the UV rays, so that is removing 40% right there. In addition, many window films can significantly reduce the solar heat coming through the window which cuts into that 25%. Finally, it is possible to block up to 60% of the visible light coming through a window without noticeably darkening the window. That can dramatically reduce the 25% coming from visible light. When you combine the reduction on these three factors, you take a large slice out of the fading pie shown above. The end result is that home window film can provide this protection while retaining the desired open feel of your home.
We hope this brief article has shed some light on what the factors of sun fading and how utilizing home window tinting is one of your best options to protect your hardwood floors and furnishings. If you are interested in learning more, contact us by filling out the form below for more information. Midwest Glass Tinters services homes and commercial spaces in Chicago, Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington and the surrounding areas of Central Illinois. We also cover Madison & Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jackson, Mississippi as well as St Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and the surrounding areas of Central Missouri. We look forward to hearing from you!
